Missing Martha

33

It was almost 5am, everyone was still awake. Cloda had put on some Bob Dylan in the background to calm the atmosphere.
"Remember last week when we were in Ryan's car and he was dropping us home and we saw Mr McCafferson and his wife in the car across the road.." Sighed Ollie, "so much has happened since then."
"It's been just over a week since Emily died. Feels like forever." Said Lucy, lying beside Ollie on the bed.

All of a sudden the door started to jitter, everyone turned to see.
The door unlocked and Zoe walked in with her arm around Martin's back.
"Hey guys." Greeted Martin as Zoë helped him sit down into the bed.
"Oh my god you're okay?!" Shrieked Ollie, sitting up,
"You guys should be asleep." Said Zoe, taking off her jacket and sitting down in the bed beside Martin.
"We were scared that he died." Said Jemma from a double bed on her own.
"Wait- are you guys alright?" Asked Martin, stiffly sitting down on the bed, his hands still shaking slightly.
"Yeah?" Responded Jemma, looking at everyone else.
"Why are you all muddled up?" Laughed Martin, sliding into the bed on his back.
Everyone looked around and laughed, Ollie was lying beside Lucy, Ryan was beside Cloda and Jemma was on her own.
"Wow when did this even happen?" Laughed Ollie, looking over to Ryan who was chuckling.
"So what happened at the hospital? Are you alright now?" Asked Lucy,
"I don't really know to be honest, they just gave me loads and loads of drugs and I fell asleep." Said Martin, wiping his brow,
"They were about to use the defibs." Said Zoe, "got him all stitched up, thankfully the knife didn't stab through any organs."
"No need for the detail, darling." Chuckled Martin, trying to make himself comfortable.
"Bleh." Muttered Ryan,
"Thought you wanted to be a doctor, Ryan." Said Cloda, rolling over and looking at Ryan,
"He's not gonna be a doctor he's gonna be a drummer." Said Martin, making Ryan laugh.
"Hey, would you look at the date.." Sighed Lucy, picking up her phone, Martin realised that she, for the first time in ages, was wearing no sleeves, and all her bruises had gone.
"What even is the date?" Asked Ollie,
"12th of May." Said Lucy, looking right at Martin.
Everyone was silent for a couple seconds,
"Happy 5th Anniversary.. Missing Martha." Said Martin, smiling at them all before leaning over and switching off the lights.

**

Martin woke up at 11am, initially confused as to where he was. He looked around to see that everyone else was still asleep.
He carefully rolled over onto his side to see Zoe waking up too. Her eyes were gradually opening. She opened her eyes fully to see Martin's face, "Hey.." she whispered, her voice very shallow, there were bruises forming around her throat.
Martin put his hand on her waist under the covers and moved in to kiss her jaw. Zoe slipped her hand to his stomach and pulled up his t-shirt to see the bandages wrapped around his torso.
"How is it?" She asked, rolling his shirt back down and looking up at him,
"Okay." He said before moving his legs out of the bed and pivoting up. Squinting in the pain slightly as he stiffly straightened his back and walked towards the bathroom door.

Zoe lay in bed for a while longer, thinking about the previous day. She heard the shower turn on in the bathroom and looked about. The sun beamed in on the bedroom through the light curtains. She saw everyone still fast asleep in the beds and assumed that they'd probably be asleep for another couple hours.
She grabbed her phone from the bedside table and unlocked it, seeing 7 missed calls from Bronagh Watson.
"Shit.." she muttered under her breath,
"You okay?" Asked someone, Zoë looked around to see Ryan sitting up in bed with both Lucy and Cloda beside him.
"Ryan?" She laughed, looking over at him, "you having a threesome in there?!"
Ryan chuckled, wrapping his arms around Lucy and Cloda, "I got my girls! Anyway what's with your swearing, you've got your man?"
"I've also got my boss." Sighed Zoë, lifting up her phone.
"Oh Ollie spoke to her last night." Said Ryan,
"What did he say?" Asked Zoë, sitting up,
"I dunno- Ollie?!" Called Ryan,
"Oh don't waken him!"
But sure enough, Ollie rolled over, his eyes squinting and his slightly tanned arm stretching out from under the covers.
"What..?" He moaned, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
"What did you say to Mrs Watson?" Asked Ryan,
"I- don't really remember.. I told her to shut up a couple times.. and I told her that Mr McCafferson got stabbed."
Zoe chewed on her nail, thinking, "I should probably ring her then." She decided.
Ollie looked over at Ryan with the two girls between his arms and pointed at him, laughing.
"Why's Lucy in with you?" Asked Ollie,
"You were kicking like a baby." Laughed Ryan,
"W-why didn't she sleep with Jemma?"
"Why would you sleep with Jemma when you can sleep with me?!" Laughed Ryan, making Ollie face plant and roll back under the covers, his shoulders jittering as he laughed.

"Zoe?!" Called Martin's voice from the bathroom.
The door opened very slightly and Martin popped his head through.
"Are you naked?" Asked Ryan,
"Zoe this hotel doesn't supply towels!" Said Martin.
Zoe covered her mouth with her hand and giggled, "Are you sure?"
"Course I'm bloody sure! Does anyone have a towel?"
Zoe shook her head, laughing,
"Hey sir! Do you want this?" Joked Ollie, throwing him a tiny flannel.
"For gods sake!" Laughed Martin,
"Just open the window and dry naturally." Giggled Zoë,
"But there's a busy street out there!" Martin closed the bathroom door again, laughing.
Zoe's phone started to ring again, she picked it up and lay back in bed again, her blonde hair draping on the pillows. It was Bronagh.
"Hello." She answered, wrapping the duvet up above her chest.
"Zoe tell me now what is happening." Ordered Bronagh,
"He's okay." She said, "he got lucky."
"W-where is he now? Can I speak to him?"
Zoe looked over to the bathroom door, "Yeah two seconds." She said, stepping up and knocking on the bathroom door before opening it very slightly and handing in her phone.
"hello." Replied Martin sitting on the edge of the bath.
"Martin what happened?" Asked Bronagh,
"You gave my child's murderer my location; that's what." He replied, his stitches hurting at his position.
"You were stabbed?"
"Yes." He replied,
"W-where? Are you alright?"
"Upper abdomen. Yeah.. I'm alright. We've got a small hotel, might go out later in the day."
"I spoke briefly to Ollie last night, he seemed really worried- when did you get back?"
"Just after 5 in the morning, yeah. Everyone was still awake." Said Martin, noticing himself shaking,
"You're still in shock, aren't you?" Noticed Bronagh,
Martin nodded, sinking in, "it's okay."
"How's Zoe?"
"She's alright, her voice is coming back." He said, "she's got bruises forming around her neck from where he chocked her."
"God.. are the kids hurt?"
"They're a bit shaken but we're taking it easy today."
"Can you drive?" Asked Bronagh,
"Doctor said to give it a day, why?"
"You should go home." She said,
"Sorry?"
"You've been injured, so has Zoë. Normal protocol would make you go home."
"W-we're fine!" Repelled Martin,
"You've been stabbed! Ollie said last night they weren't sure if you were going to make it through-"
"But I did.. Bronagh, please understand I'm doing this for the kids- they need this tour, this is their future."
"Martin. Seriously?"
Martin raised his eyebrows in confusion, "yes!" He replied.
"Okay.. okay.. get some more rest and try to calm yourself down a bit." Said Bronagh,
"Sorry-" interjected Martin, wiping his brow,
"It's okay. I'll talk to you again tomorrow alright?"
"Yeh.. bye." He sighed, seeing the screen revert back to her home screen. She noticed the screensaver, it was two people who appeared to be standing in a darkened room surrounded by a huge crowd, they had their arms over each other's shoulders. It was then that Martin realised that this was a photo of him and Zoe when they first met at he nightclub in 2010. Zoe was wearing a silver sparkly minidress and her hair was long and blonde with a slightly wave to it and a side fringe. Martin, meanwhile, had her arm around her neck, facing the camera. He was wearing a shirt and tie with the first couple buttons of the shirt undone. Zoe's eyes were almost closed as her mouth was wide open as she laughed into Martin's cheek.
"Martin?" Called Zoe,
"Yep- just looking at your screensaver." He laughed,
Zoe started laughing before knocking on the door and opening it slightly, dropping a couple towels on the ground,
"Oh wow thanks could have done with that ten minutes ago." Laughed Martin, picking up a towel and wrapping it around him.