Missing Martha

50

Martin needed to see Cloda, but as he watched her walk away he knew he couldn't leave Zoe.
Zoe continued to lie unconscious in the bed, a doctor was taking blood from her arm as a nurse walked in and saw Martin.
"Eh- you're just a colleague, right?" Confirmed the nurse in her best English accent.
"Y-yes." Said Martin, keeping things simple.
"Well would you mind waiting outside while we treat her?"
Martin nodded, "sure.."
he walked into the cubical where Ryan and Lucy were still kissing.
"Cut it off guys." Sighed Martin, sitting down on a seat and wiping his brow.
They split apart immediately as Ollie and Jemma walked in the door, hand in hand. Martin suddenly realised what it must be like for Cloda, and it almost enraged him.
"What's going on?" Asked Ollie, taking a seat at the other side of the room.
"Talk to me about Cloda." Ordered Martin, his face pale and stern.
Everyone looked at each other in confusion, "w-what about Cloda?" Asked Lucy.
"Is she okay?" Asked Martin.
"I.. I think so?" They guessed.
Martin shook his head, "you guys are supposed to be her friends!"
The four teenagers were transfixed until Ollie spoke,
"Where is this all coming from?!"
"Where is she now?" Quizzed Martin, seeing their confused expressions. "Okay I know she's been through no more than most of you, but you've all got someone to lean on? Who's she got?"
"She's got us, all of us." Said Jemma.
"Then where are you now?" Asked Martin signalling the bathroom.

Jemma immediately stood up and let go of Ollie's hand, running towards the ladies' bathroom.

"Clodes?" Called Jemma, walking into the bathroom where she saw Cloda sitting by the sink.
"Cloda.. Cloda come outside and get some air with me." Said Jemma, rubbing her shoulder and seeing the tears swelling up her eyes.
Cloda shook her head, "I don't wanna pass any of them."
"What happened Cloda?" Asked Jemma, sitting on the rim of the sink beside her.
"Alex." Said Cloda. "Has everyone forgotten about him?"
Jemma shook her head, her eyes wide, "course not.." she told her, rubbing her back.
"I kissed him, Jemma. I fell for him. I was just a stupid pointless prop.."
"That's not true."
"It is Jemma! Quit being all nice about it just listen to me! He gave me all these.. these beautiful compliments and nobody had ever complimented me like that before, And I was just so in love with him, Jemma."
Jemma didn't make a sound, she just continued to listen.
"I thought he was like eighteen.. I thought he was just a bit older than me.. there was a knock on our hotel door at about two in the morning and I looked out and he was there. He brought me around Paris for a bit before he brought me to his hotel room and we slept together."
Jemma felt sick just hearing this.
"I snogged and slept with a thirty year old man who previously snogged and slept with my teacher! This man that killed Mr McCafferson's little girl! Ollie's little sister!" Cloda tried to wipe her endless tears, "I feel so fucking stupid, Jemma. I'm such a slut, Jem. I meant literally nothing to him, i was just another way of Alex hurting Mr McCafferson. This didn't have to happen to me, Alex didn't have to do this. And now all I see when you and Ollie or Lucy and Ryan kiss is me and Alex.. and it's just horrible.. because I was just so stupid and oblivious!"
Jemma hugged Cloda hard, whispering in her ear,
"I know how you feel."
"No you don't, Jemma, this time you don't." Said Cloda.
"I do." Said Jemma. Splitting apart and taking her phone out of her pocket.
"A couple months ago a man put a camera in my room. I didn't see it, it was really small, but he used it to take pictures of me." Said Jemma, making Cloda listen intently.
"I got messages with pictures of myself getting changed and he texted me that if I call the police or remove the camera he would send the photos to everyone in my school."
"Oh my god.. what did you do?" Asked Cloda,
"I kept the lights off, I got changed in other rooms.. but ultimately he could still see me, sleeping or whatever. That's why I took every opportunity to sleepover at other people's houses."
The two of them sat in silence, taking everything in before Jemma's eyes started to water,
"You're not at all a slut," said Jemma, "you're the nicest, most caring and beautiful person I know. And it's gonna take time to find someone who deserves someone as amazing as you."
Cloda reached around and hugged Jemma, crying into her shoulder as Jemma did the same to her.

Martin sipped on his coffee, a doctor had injected Ryan with more steroids which had made him fall asleep again.
"I'm sorry." Said Ollie, out of the blue.
"No.. I am." Martin said, wiping his brow, "it's just that everything seems to be going wrong."
"It's not your fault, sir." Said Ollie,
"It's is, Ollie. And I'm so sorry that all my personal problems seemed to come out-"
"Charles McCafferson?" Asked a nurse, walking into the cubical.
Ollie, Lucy and Martin looked at each other before bursting out laughing.
Martin looked up, "thats me." He sighed, standing up.
"Zoe has woken up and wants to see you."
Martin nodded, "thank you." He said before walking into the next cubical and seeing Zoe lying palely on the bed, looking up at Martin and smiling.
"Did he just call you Charles?" She chuckled,
"No one has called me by my first name in years." He laughed, sitting down beside her and taking her soft hands and stroking them gently. "How are you?"
"Alright." She replied, looking into his eyes and smiling.
Martin ran his hands up her arms to her cheeks and leaned in further, gently pressing his lips against hers, chewing gently on her bottom lip before he looked up at Zoe's red and crying eyes.
"Zoe what's wrong?" He asked her, scared and protective over her.
Zoe shook her head, wiping head tears before she removed her hands from his,
"I'm pregnant, Martin. Three days pregnant."