Will was only here a second before a nurse came to bring me to get an x-ray. That was quickly followed by seven stitches above my eye and the CT scan not long after.
There was only fleeting gaps in between where I got to see him. Sarah, Mark and Donna arrived at some point too. Every time I got back to the room for a minute it seemed to get frostier and frostier between all of them.

The doctor who stitched my wound said that I'll have a small scar above my eyebrow, he recommended some creams and other kinds of products that might help, but it will still be there regardless, staring back at me every time I look in the mirror.

When I was getting onto the gurney for the CT scan, the hospital gown they gave me to wear rode up. Both of the nurses assisting me got a full blown view of the bruising up the inside of my thighs. It looks exactly like what it is, so now I'm getting plenty of reassuring smiles and sad looks, but thankfully no questions.

Once I'm brought back to my room, I'm told all I have to do is wait. It's empty in here now though, the nurse tells me that they were all arguing so loudly that they had to make everyone wait out front until I came back. She offers to get them, but I ask her just to send Sarah for now. I'm going to need her to do something for me.

She hovers for a minute, taking glances at the bruises and cuts. She wants to say something, I can tell by her face, but in the end she decides against it.
"I'll go get your sister now, I hope you feel better sweetheart."
I know she wanted to say a million other things, but I appreciate that she didn't.

Finally, there's a small knock on the door. The second I see Sarah I feel like Im clamming up.

"Hey, you okay? The nurse told the others they had to wait?"

"No...yeah, I'm fine. What's going on out there?"

"Oh, don't worry about it...just some heated words."

"With who?"

"Dad and everybody else. He's not happy about the whole situation. He wants you to tell them what happened, and he wants to call the police."

"Jesus Christ, I told him no! Why does he never listen?"

"I know...but Will made sure he was clear on who the decision maker was regarding your care when you weren't around anyway."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah! I don't know who that guy is out there Izzy, but it isn't the placid joker I've known of. Even Mark had a grin on his face, it's rare Dad gets told what's what."

"Good" , I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that someone on my side.

Sarah sits herself on the bed beside me, rubbing my leg.
"How was the scan."

"Weird, did you know you have to stay like super still for those? The technicians voice just kept coming over the speaker telling me I wasn't keeping still enough. It was creepy."

She laughs at the fact I'm making such a trivial complaint, but we both know I'm just avoiding saying much else.
She has plenty of questions, just like everyone else. I have to explain to her that it wasn't me she was talking to yesterday. She finds it hard to understand at first, Jamie made his messages sound so much like me, but as I see her eyes water, I know she's blaming herself for what she said last night.

"I can't believe I didn't realise I wasn't talking to you. How could I not know my own sister?"

"Why would you assume anything different Sarah?"

"But I should have known not to say anything about Will or you leaving! I can't stand the thought that I might have made anything worse for you."

Sarah's almost inconsolable, the last thing I'd ever want her to do is put any blame onto herself. I need to protect her from it, so I lie.
"He'd already done his worst at that stage, you didn't tell him anything that he didn't already know, I promise."

She wipes at her tears, I know that's given her some small comfort.
"Where is Jamie now Izzy?"

I shrug my shoulders, it would be easier if I knew that answer.
"I don't know...Dad set the alarm off so I'm sure he knows I'm gone."

"And you really won't call the police?"

"No."

"Izzy, he literally kidnapped you and held you hostage! Just look at what he did to you! You have all the evidence you need."

"Evidence for what? To press charges? Sure, and then Tom pays for his lawyers to drag me through the mud when it's time to face him. No thanks. There's no justice in me having to relive what I've been through for the last few years in painful detail just to be told I'm lying about it. Even if he's found in any way guilty of anything, they'll bury all of the heavy stuff. Lack of evidence, no pictures, no police reports. He'll walk away with a slap on the wrist and I'll be the one picking myself up... No, that's not what I want."

She tries to understand, but I know it's hard for her, it's not at all what she'd do. But I know my own mind, and the decision is mine.
Besides, that's not what I got her in here to talk about anyway.

I have to steady myself with a breath, this next part is going to be tough. I know it's not ideal considering she's blaming herself on some of this already, but I'm painfully aware of how time sensitive things are, so I can't really wait. I have to swallow my worry and ask for her help.

"Sarah, do you think that you could do something for me?"

"Anything."
I hope she means that.

"I need you to go to a pharmacy...I need you to get me an emergency contraceptive."
Even though Jamie gave me back my pill, I can't trust the missed day, I don't want to take the risk.

"Wh....I don't...I don't understand Izzy, why do you need that?"

I keep my eyes on my hands, sitting them in my lap as I pick at my nails.
"I just need you to do that for me Sarah. I can't ask here or they'll report everything. I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important."

"But i don't get it? Why would you sleep with him if he was..."
Things slowly come together for her.
"Izzy?...Did he?..."
Her questions phase out, soon replaced by her sobs.

I can't seem to comfort her and tell her what she wants to hear, I wish I could, I wish none of this ever happened at all, but I guess life has handed us things we're just going to have to learn to deal with, like it or not.

On top of the bomb I've just dropped, I have to swear her to secrecy too. She puts up no fight about it though, this isn't anyones business other than mine, I had no choice but to ask her because I don't know when I'll be discharged and out of anyone's sight long enough to get the it myself.

She agrees to get what I need, telling the others she's getting me some clothes as they all make their way back into the room. I take her up on that offer too though, there's certain things I never want to see again and the sweatpants I arrived in are one of them.

Will sits to my right, my dad to my left. I already feel like the ping pong ball between them.
Still, I just feel glad that they're here. I don't think I really believed Will was alright until I actually saw him.

"I'm sorry we weren't here when you got back Iz." Will leans forward, taking my hand and brushing his thumb over my fingers, such a small thing, but it brings me so much comfort.

"It's fine, you're here now, that's all I wanted. I was so worried something had happened..."

"Sarah told me, but you had nothing to worry about, I was fine. I feel like such an idiot though, I should have made sure we had some sort of plan so I knew you were alright. We were so close, I just thought things would be okay until then."

"I know, I thought I'd covered my tracks well."

My Dad clears his throat, reminding me he's in here. But Mark steps in before my Dad can say anything rude.
"So what happened Izzy? I thought Jamie had no clue?"

"He went through my things and found an email about college, I tried to explain it away but it was obvious, he knew the second he found it that I was leaving. And then when Sarah thought she was talking to me, he found out about Will. I'd managed to make him think I was going alone until then."

"Does she know that?"

"Yeah...I don't think she could really believe it, he really went out of his way to sound like me."

"Jesus..." he examines my head, the cut now covered up in a bandage. "Did he do that to you?"

I can't give anymore detail to him other than a nod of my head. I don't want him to know the things Jamie did, I don't want any of them to know.

My Dad isn't having it, he's the only one that really saw the extent of what Jamie did and I'm banking on him not sharing it.
"Isobel, that boy is not getting away with this."

Mark agrees of course, but under different ideals.
"I've no problem going out there and finding him myself Izzy, you just say the word, you don't need the police involved in order to get justice for this."

"No, I don't want anybody getting into trouble and I don't want the police involved. Will and I are leaving. That's still the plan. That's all I want."

My Dad has been side eyeing Will the whole time he's been in here, I don't know what's been said between them but it's the little grunt he does when I mention that we're leaving that really irks me. Will didn't miss it either.

My dad stands up, hovering over me like his stance might give him some authority here.
"I think it might be best if we take some time to discuss it as a family Isobel, you can have your friend come back later when things have calmed down."

"Friend? Will isn't my friend Dad, any decisions to be made on this are ours. Nobody else's."
Will squeezes my hand, letting me know he's right behind me.

"I can't see why you want him involved here at all Isobel. It's his fault you're here!"

I sit myself up fully the minute my Dad comes out with that, I've never heard anything to stupid in all my life. I don't know if he's confused or senile but it's got to be one of them.
Will stares down at the floor it's hard to tell if he's trying to keep his cool or if he thinks my dad is in some way right. Either way I'm not allowing it.

"Nothing here is Wills fault. Not a single thing, if anything he's the only reason I'm getting out of this situation at all. It's because of him that I finally had the sense to leave, you should be thanking him!"

"Isobel I'm not about to get into it now. All I'm saying is that you wouldn't be in that state if you weren't doing whatever you two were doing."

The whole room freezes, Donna places her hand on my dad's shoulder, warning him to rein it in. But it's too late, he's already said it.
I can see now that he's only taken in the details that he can push blame on me for. Shocking as it is, it's not all that surprising. That apology must have been a moment of madness.

"That's right Dad. Maybe if I had behaved and agreed to every little demand Jamie made then I wouldn't be here."

"That's not what I"-

"Or you know what, maybe If I hadn't met Will at all, I'd probably be here for a reason you'd find more agreeable. Would that be better? It could have been because I looked at somebody a little too long. Or because I unknowingly embarrassed Jamie somehow. Or maybe even because I parked too far from wherever we were going. Would that be alright with you?"

My dad huffs like I'm being over the top, but he has no idea.
"Those are all the types of things I'd get this for too Dad. It never took much. If you'd actually listened to anything that Sarah told you, instead of instinctively searching for a reason for it to be my fault, you'd know that."

I see a proud smile sneak across Wills face as he stares up at my Dad.

"Isobel I'm not saying you did anything to deserve it."

"No but you're saying if I wasn't sneaking around with Will that it wouldn't have happened. Just like if I'd never had that recital, that truck wouldn't have hit our car. I hear your undertones loud and clear Dad, they've never been hard to miss."

Seeing my outburst as something that's more emotional than anything else my Dad tries to turn on Will instead.
"See? I told you none of this was good for her. She doesn't need the stress, why don't you just go and come back later?"

Will stands, continuing to hold my hand but unwilling to let my Dad stand over him.
"Actually sir, I think the thing Izzy doesn't need is you forcing her to carry the blame for something totally out of her control again."

My dad pauses a moment, he lets Wills words sink in before he cocks an eyebrow, pointing a finger at him.
"What did you say to me son?"

Mark straightens up, ready to step in if needed.
Will holds his hands up defensively, he only wants to tell the truth. And why shouldn't he.
"Look, I can't tell you how grateful I am that you found Izzy, or that you were concerned enough to go by her apartment. I don't even want to think about what else could have happened if you didn't get there when you did...but your job doesn't stop there. You're her Dad. You're meant to fight her corner no matter what, even if she's wrong, which by the way she's not. The only way this wouldn't have happened to her is if that animal let her leave like she wanted to, like she was trying to do. It's on him, all of it."

My Dad seems taken aback. He's not sure how to treat this stranger that's delivering so many home truths. His face reddens, I know that he's pissed, but I don't care either. This isn't about him, or what might make him feel better.

There's silence around the room, nobody steps up to defend my Dad, in fact they all look away when he looks to them for support.

"I think I'll just wait outside."
With that he turns on his heel and walks back towards the waiting room, Donna following along insisting that she'll talk to him.
She might, but he won't hear her.

Mark exhales a breath he was holding onto, I get a laugh out of the fact that I think he just wants to fight anyone at this point.

I hear Wills phone vibrate in his pocket, the screen lighting up as he pulls it out. His brows come together in bewilderment as he looks up at me and back at the phone.
"Sorry...I...Im just going to take this, I'll be back."

I figure it must be Annie, although I don't know if he's filled her in or not yet.
I double check the clock again, asking Mark where Emily and Anna are, school is surely out by now.

"We left them with our neighbour, don't worry, they've three kids and a rabbit, they're probably having the time of their lives."

"I bet! Maybe you should get home though, I don't want to keep you here, once Sarah's back with some clothes I can send her too? I hate the idea of her catching something in here so early in the pregnancy."

"And I hate that you worry so much about everyone else while lying in a hospital bed, but here we are sis!"

I make no more effort to argue, it's his choice if he wants to stay awhile. Speaking of which, I'm banking on being discharged as soon as there's some information on that CT scan they did. The nurse said it could be hours though. I don't have hours. I want to go before I'm found. I honestly consider just leaving but I know everyone would freak out.

When Will comes back in he's weirdly withdrawn as Mark is chatting to me about different ways I can build the strength back up in my arm. All of them going right over my head.

Will fidgets and shifts continuously. He's impatient to the point that he can't seem to take the chit chat anymore.

"Sorry Mark, do you think I could have a minute with Izzy? Alone?"

"Uh...sure...I should go check on Charlie anyway, give Donna a break."
He gives me a little smile as she leaves.

I can tell by the way Will chews on the inside of his cheek that whatever that phone call was, it wasn't good.
"Is everything okay?"

He can't seem to fully look at me. His hands sit on his hips as he stares toward the floor. He's holding onto anger that he's fighting to keep in.
"What did he do to you Izzy?"

I'm quick to withdraw, that's not a conversation for now.
"Can we talk about it later? I don't really want to get into it all now..."

"No, I need to know right now. What did he do to you last night?"
He's specific about the time. Too specific.

"Who was calling you Will?"

"Tell me what happened last night Isobel."

"Who was it?"
I feel that little ball of rage sneak up my chest, I know who, I just want him to say it.

"It was you. Your phone was calling me."

That sick little shit.
"What did he want?"
Other than to see how much more damage he could do from afar.

"He thought it was me who came to get you... he said that he wanted to make sure I knew something."

I feel ashamed as I sit there, I know I did nothing wrong, but deep down I'm afraid of what this means.
A deep heat creeps up my neck as all of Wills features seem to turn to stone. The skin around his knuckles looks like it could rip from how tight he's holding his fists.
"He said that he wanted me to know that whenever I touched you, that you'd always be thinking of him...that he made sure of it..."

"Will, can we drop this."

"What did he mean?"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

He closes his eyes like he can't actually believe what's happening, and when he opens them back up he looks at me the same pitiful way all those people have since I was eleven.

"Dont! Dont look at me like that Will, like I'm some kind of sad story. I'm not! It doesn't matter what he did, it doesn't change a damn thing about me!"
If I could reverse time right now Id go right back to the day I met Jamie and run the other way, I never ever wanted to feel like this again.

"He's dead."
Without missing a beat Will storms his way out of the hospital room, leaving me to chase after him yet again.

The sound of the linoleum squeaks under my feet as I race across it to catch him. He's already out the door when I get to the waiting room, I quickly look around trying to find Mark. He finds me first, he must have spotted Will storming out of here.
"I'm on it Kid!"
He pulls his jacket off the back of a chair and takes the keys to his truck.

"I think he's going to the apartment. He's going to do something stupid! Please don't let him."

"I'll do my best."
He nods at me before rushing out the door.

I feel like I'm in some corny drama series with the way people whisper and stare at me. I know I shouldn't be out here. I catch a glimpse of my Dads disappointed face just as I turn to go back to my room, that is the last thing I need.

Donna comes with me back to the room.
I feel helpless, unable to do what I really want to do by going after Will myself. I run through all of the things that could go wrong if Will does get to Jamie. Assuming the worst.

Donna try's to keep my head straight, reassuring me in some ways, but I only worry more.
"He could get himself into all kinds of trouble Donna, and then all of this will have been for nothing. Or what if this is why Jamie called him? To lure him there so he could do something! Oh god, I can't stay here, I have to go after him!"

I pull myself off the bed, Donna blocks my path.
"You can't do anything! You haven't been discharged yet, Mark will get to him, trust him, he won't let anything happen."

I chew my bottom lip nervously. I don't even have my car, what's the plan, chase a BMW on foot?

Donna directs me back to the bed.
"What's all of this about anyway? What happened that made him storm off?"

"Jamie called him from my phone. He was taunting him...god this is such a mess Donna...I'm finding it harder and harder to see how Will and I might come out of it all."

"Oh don't talk like that! He loves you Izzy, I know I barely know him, but if a boy had spoken to my father like that in my defence when I was your age, I'd have a whole different life let me tell you! I have a sense for these things, you're the one for him, you just have to trust that it will work."

It's nice that Donna believes in us. I think I needed to hear it after how my Dad reacted.
Speaking of my Dad, it's been hard not to notice him pacing outside the door of the room the last few minutes. I indicate his presence to Donna with my eyes.

"I think I'll give you two a minute..."
She slinks out the door, pushing my dad inside as she does. It feels like it's one thing after another right now, but my only real concern is if Mark can reach Will on time.
And more importantly, what happens if he doesn't.