One Who Flees - A Modern Cinderella Story

Chapter 25 - My Resurrection

Chapter 25 - My Resurrection

"Zane Wilson was today denied bail in the case where he has been charged with attempted murder for the brutal attack on his step-daughter 19 year old River Kennedy three weeks ago. He will also be facing a number of other charges in the coming months which include criminal neglect and child abuse among others. Mr Wilson reported his step-daughter missing a number of months ago and a country wide search went out for the girl who, as we now know, had in fact run away from him to escape his abuse. After he was tipped of about her whereabouts he brought her home where the abuse resumed until a police officer heard a scream from inside the house and went in to investigate finding Mr Wilson with his hands around his step-daughter's throat. He was quickly taken into custody. His step-daughter remains unconscious in the hospital where she was put into a medically induced coma to help her body to heal. Doctors say her injuries were severe and life-threatening but she is now off life support now and slowly improving, but at this time they are unsure of quite what her prognosis will be. For now though this brave girl is in our prayers." The words came to me as if they were from a long way away. I couldn't tell who was talking so I forced my eyes to open. They weren't quick to focus so I blinked a few times to try and brush away the cobwebs. Eventually I was able to see and saw that the voice had been coming for a television in the corner of the room and slowly as the fog began to clear from my mind I started to take in what I had just heard. Zane had been arrested and was going to prison and I had survived. A small croaky laugh escaped me.

"Brooke?" The voice came from beside me and my heart soared when Ethan's face swam into view.

"Hi." I croaked. I wanted to smile but all I felt were the tears welling up in my eyes as I looked at him and remembered the thing that might have been. I felt the tears starting to roll down my cheeks. I suspected he didn't know. I hadn't been very far along and I wasn't sure how long it had been between the miscarriage and my being found. I doubted it would have been part of the doctor's assessment and if it had I was fairly sure it wouldn't have been detectable.

"Hey," Ethan said gently wiping the tears from my cheeks, "Its ok." He soothed over and over. I shook my head a little, wincing at the pain it caused me. He didn't know and right now I was too tired to tell him. "I'm going to get the doctor alright. I'll be right back." And with that he vanished from my sight once more.

I think I must have dozed off a little while he was out of the room because next thing I knew I was being poked and prodded and being asked "Can you hear me?" I groaned and opened my eyes again to see a doctor in the room along with what seemed to be a thousand other people. I could just about make out Madison's and Karen's faces in the crowd but my vision was still slightly fuzzy. I could feel a small hand in one of mine and I gently turned my head and saw Jessie standing beside me.

"Hey sweetie," I said, forcing a smile onto my tired face. I saw tears running down her cheeks. "Don't cry. It's ok."

"You're not going to go away again?" She sniffed.

"No sweetie I'm not going to leave you again. I promise." With each word I spoke I felt a little less muddled although my mind was still foggy. Keeping a tight hold on her hand I lay in silence as the doctor did some tests. He made me look into a light and wiggle my toes. When he was done he looked satisfied.

"Considering everything you have been through you are doing incredibly well." The doctor said looking at me. "We'll discuss your injuries tomorrow when you're feeling a little less tired ok?" He smiled at me and I nodded. "You know that the police are going to want to talk to you but that won't be for a few days yet. They won't come until you're ready to talk to them. But right now you just need some time to relax. Try not to talk too much or move around." I nodded and the doctor left.