The Girl Next Door

Chapter 20.

After eating some dinner and having a quick shower I crawled painfully into bed. Leslie laying down next to me. I could feel all my tiny cuts sting as they touched the sheets, the more severe injuries bandaged. My face was a sprinkle of red lines, cuts and grazes but luckily nothing to large or deep that would leave me with a scar. My arms and legs were bruised from my unstable falls to the ground and my back ached.
'Close your eyes Kate,' Leslie whispered, putting her hand to my belly. I nodded. I had so many thoughts running through my mind, I couldn't stop seeing Alex with the bat, and the fear in Sarah's face as she kept screaming at her. My eyelids felt heavy and soon began to droop closed. I could feel Leslie take her hand away but I reached out and pulled it back, slowly drifting off to sleep.

Leslie and I arrived back at the hospital early the next morning. I walked haphazardly into her room, both from pain and anxiousness. The police had been over to take a statement from me and we had rushed out the door thanking them.
Everything was again fresh in my thoughts and I hoped more than anything Sarah was awake.
I was aware there were two other people in the room but my main focus was getting over to Sarah and I rushed over to her bedside, taking her hand in mine.
'Babe I'm here,'I whispered to her, planting kisses on her cheek. She was still motionless, only her chest moving softly, eyes closed, drip in.

'You must be Kate,' an older woman said, she was standing next to a man on the opposite side of the bed, the man had his arms around her. I looked up to meet her equally puffy eyes and recognised her.
I nodded,'You must be Sarah's parents.' The woman smiled tightly, introducing herself and Sarah's father, her green eyes welling up again, she looked just like Sarah. I let go of Sarah's hand and rounded the bed towards them, my tears beginning to fall.
'I'm sorry I couldn't protect her,'I wailed as the woman opened up her arms to me, Sarah's father was choking back tears and stroking my back.
The man shook his head,'From what we understand, she was trying to protect you.'
I nodded through my tears, they were falling so hard I couldn't see the man and woman properly.
'She was,' I said,'We both thought someone was targeting me.'
'They were baby,' Leslie said from the corner of the room,'that bitch was targeting the both of you in the end.' I looked over from where I heard her speak and nodded, wiping my eyes.
'Kate,' the man said, and I looked up at him,'we had no idea Alex would have turned so violent. I'm sorry you had to become involved.' I nodded again and walked back around the bed, climbing back up the lay next to Sarah, linking our hands again. Sarah's mother took Sarah's other hand, sitting down on the bed, 'Thank you for making her so happy Kate.'
I just nodded and closed my eyes.
'I just wish she had have told me all about Alex and the abuse. I never once thought..'
Sarah's mother nodded, 'She's not like that, she wouldn't have told you, coz she knows it makes people feel sorry for her, and she doesn't want that.'
I looked at Sarah, motionless except for her chest rising slowly with her breathing.
'Maybe she had tried to tell me, but I hadn't asked the right questions?' I said.
'Kate,' soothed Leslie,' no, not at all.'

A few days went by and I was back and fourth at the hospital. I spent time with Sarah's parents, James and Bianca and they told me stories of their daughter. I laughed and I cried, wanting to know everything about her life. At night we gathered for dinner, often at Sarah's bedside. There was no improvement in Sarah but she wasn't getting any worse.

On the fifth day I was struggling to get through the morning. I was in my apartment, cleaning up items I'd neglected over the week. I picked up a bundle of Sarah's drawings that she had brought with her, planning on working on them whilst staying with me. I sat on the couch with them, flicking through her detailed images, gently stroking my fingers over her artwork. Sarah needed to be well, she needed to finish these and start her new job, open that gallery.
I then had an idea and collected my things, grabbing my phone and dialling Leslie, putting it to my ear, my shoulder holding it in place as I pulled on my boots.

'Les!' I said with a smile, she was walking ahead of me in the hospital hallway, and stopped to turn.
'Baby girl,' she held out her arms to me,'you sleep okay honey?' I hugged her and put my arm around her waist as we walked towards Sarah's room.
'No.'
Leslie smiled,' You will Kate. Soon.'
I didn't acknowledge her response and walked into the dreary room. I put down my bag and sat on the bed, taking Sarah's hands in mine, leaning in to kiss her. Someone had brushed her hair and her bruising was slowly beginning to fade. Her face was still battered and her hair still missing in parts but she was still a sleeping beauty to me.
'You ready Kate? Let me know what you need me to do ok?'
I'd explained my idea to Leslie on the phone on the way over, needing her help, and her height. I leaned down from the bed and pulled out the pile of Sarah's artwork. I split the pile in half & handed Leslie some tape and bluetac.
'They're delicate, so be careful,' I said, Leslie nodding and taking the papers from me. I stroked Sarah's cheek and stood up from the bed, walking to the wall to the side of the bed, putting up Sarah's images one under the other in groups of three on two sections of the wall. I looked over to Leslie,' The same,' I instructed,' but four pictures, make sure the gap beneath each is even. It needs to look professional, like a gallery display.'
Leslie nodded, pinning the pictures to the bare wall, keeping each line of drawings themed according to the picture. I finished my wall and began on the opposite. Creating two columns of three illustrations, these ones were of the Empire State Building. I stood back to make sure I was happy with them, and to compare the lines and height of them. I was happy, they looked good. I turned around to double check the first wall, Sarah's drawings of Central Park were beautifully colourful, paint and ink had been used. They were vibrant and detailed.
'Okay Kate?' Leslie questioned, stepping back from her handiwork. I stepped over to her, she put her arm around me, 'You're incredible Kate,' she said, squeezing me,'You really are.'
'It was one of the first things we talked about,' I said, looking around the room,' she wants to open her own gallery.'
'And now I have one!'
I spun around, Sarah was slowly trying to sit up in bed, resting back on her elbows.
'Sarah!' I cried, running to her, taking her gently into my arms and holding her.
Leslie walked over slowly, tears in her eyes.
I pulled away from Sarah, taking her head in my hands, tears falling from both our eyes. She pushed her lips into me, and I covered her mouth in kisses. Sarah brought her hands to mine, feeling her touch again, after what had felt like months, made me choke my tears as I let out a short laugh, relief.
'I missed you,' I whispered, giving her repeated small kisses,' I was so so scared,' I said shaking my head slowly.
Sarah nodded, her tears rolling off her chin.
She pulled one of her hands away and brought it into a tight fist to her chest, 'You were right here, the whole time.'