Sally's Pov
"You want to go see her?"
"Can we?" I looked up at Dee
"I don't see why not. Her room is right next to Jake's."
"Ok....should we tell them?"
"Yeah, Jack!"
Jack turned to us, "What?"
"Will be right back."
He stood and walked over to us, "You gonna go see her?"
"I-is that ok?"
He brushed my hair out of my face, "Of course Sal….should I tell the others?"
"No! If they ask, tell them will be right back and didn't tell you where we were going."
"Ok good luck."
We walked out of the room and next store to 303. On the far side of the room was my sister Allie in the hospital bed, the heart monitor slowly beeping.
"Dee is…..it slower than the last time we were here?"
"No, if anything it's gone up…."
"Is that good?"
"It means she's getting better. Come on let's talk to her."
"Do you think she can hear us?"
"I don't know, maybe….."
"Ca-can I sit with her like last time?"
"Yes, but be careful."
"I will." I climbed in the hospital bed and moved Allie so she was in my lap against my chest.
"Hi Allie it's Sal, Dee's here to he's holding your hand. It's been a year and a half since the…..incident. Dee and I are both out of that place…..we miss you so much Allie...I'm sorry your here I-I'm sorry I broke our promise….I cut myself again but I promised Dee I would try to stop so I don't end up here again. Please wake up, please…." I started to cry, "Dee wh-what if Allie doesn't wake up."
"Hey don't talk like that she will wake up, she's strong….."
I looked down at Allie and Damien's joined hands and saw hers move a little.
"D-Dee look at your hand…."
"She's moving…."
"Allie?"
Her eyes fluttered open a little, "Dee….Sally…"
"Allie you're ok!" I gave her a loose hug as to not put pressure on the wound.
Damien squeezed her hand and pushed the button to call the doctor with the other, "Your awake…."
"Yeah….hey don't cry Dee I'm here."
The doctor and nurse came in a few seconds later, "Is every-oh you're awake that's great. How do you feel Miss. Black?"
"A little drowsy but otherwise fine."
"That's good although we do want to keep you here a little longer just in case."
"That's fine."
"Alright the nurse will be back later tonight."
"Ok."
"Hey StormCloud don't cry I'm alright. See I'm fine."
"I thought I lost you…..I-I…."
"Shhh….it's ok, I'm ok."
"Dee can we stay the night please!"
He smiled, "Yeah."
I gave Allie another loose hug then started braiding her hair. I don't know how long we were there but I didn't care I was…..happy. Allie was awake, Jake's ok, and we're finally away from him. What could happen?
Amy's Pov
"Madre I'm fine really!"
"I'm gonna physically fight this Carson guy. First Sal now Jake!"
"Amy babe calm down. You're not physically fighting anyone."
"Why not? He hurt my kiddos!"
He wrapped his hands around my waist, "I know but I also know karma's nasty and we can report it to the police."
I huffed angrily, "Fine."
"Speaking of Sally, where did she and Damien go? They've been gone for awhile now." Maddie turned to Jack, "Did they say where they were going?"
"Nope."
"Do you know where they are?"
"Maybe."
"Jack….please tell us." Jake gave him puppy dog eyes.
"Fine there next store in room 303."
"Why?" I tilted my head to one side.
"Nope can't say it's a secret. I promised Sal I wouldn't tell a living soul about it."
"Fine, I'm gonna go check on them."
"No!"
"Why?"
"Um because….um you can't!"
"If you can't give me a reason I'm going." I turned and walked out of the room.
"Amy no!"
Jack followed me but I didn't stop. I opened the door and was surprised at what I saw. Sally and Damien snapped their heads up to look at me then at Jack then at each other.
"I tried to stop her! She's fast!" Jack walked over and gave the mystery girl a loose hug.
"Hey Jack how are you?"
"Good how about you it's been….."
"One and a half years, I'm ok I guess." She shrugged.
"Wait, you could hear us?"
"Not all the time but mostly yeah."
I walked over and sat next to Damien, "Who's this?"
Sally bit her lip before looking at Dee, he nodded, "This is Allie our sister…"
"You have a sister?"
"Yeah."
"Well hello then, I'm Amy Baker. I'm one of Sally's roommates!"
"Nice to meet you Amy.
"I should go back to see Jake and tell them you guys are ok."
"Shoot how long were we gone?" Damien asked.
"An hour or so."
"How's Jake?"
"Fine he's ready to go home."
"Are they letting him leave tonight?"
"Yeah the doctor was gonna go get the discharge papers."
"That's good."
"Sally, Amy."
I turned to see Maddie.
"What's wrong Maddie?"
"You, me, Sally, and Jake need to talk."
"Right now?" I asked, getting a little nervous.
"Yes right now."
"Ok."
"Maddie."
"Yes Damien?"
"If this is about what happened before the park incident I would also like to be there."
"Alright then. Quinn and Emily will be in here in a minute."
Me, Sally, and Damien followed Maddie back to Jake's room. Quinn and Emily left when we entered. Everyone but Maddie sat down.
"We need to talk."
"About what specks?"
Maddie glared at Jake.
"Well with what we found this morning." She looked at me, "And about what I found when I got back from work this afternoon." She looked at Sally and Jake.
"Nope, nope I'm out. I'm not doing this!" Sally stood.
"Sally Cortez Black. You sit down right now. We are talking about this rather you like it or not."
Sally sat down glaring at the ground.
"Now Amy would you like to start?"
I took a deep breath, "Sure. Um well I-I have depression....I found the bottle empty last night and was going to get it refilled after work but Emily had some of my emergency meds left at her house and told me to stop over to grab them. Then before she met me and Quinn at the cafe she would get the empty bottle refilled for me…..I shouldn't have kept it and I was planning on telling you guys really I was I just wasn't ready yet….."
"Madre it's ok we understand your decisions and respect them."
"Jake is right you weren't comfortable with us at the time."
Sally nodded in agreement not looking up from the ground.
"Now then Jake, Sally, who wants to go first?"
"I'll go." Jake sat up looking down at the bed sheets, "I-I cut myself… It started freshman year… I was already insecure and then I found a sharp object. I figured one cut wouldn't hurt. I-it felt….good to say the least, dragging the cold glass against my skin, seeing the blood, it got rid of the thoughts that I-I wasn't enough, that my work would get me nowhere, no one would like what I did, that I somehow messed up and it was all my fault… I still cut to this day….when I run out of room on my arms I move to my legs…...I know I need to stop…..and I'm going to try but it's hard…...it's addicting."
"I know….."
I looked over at Sally. She looked up a little.
"I have anxiety…...I cut…...the guy, Carson, is my high school bully and my mistakes almost cost Jake's life... It should have been me thrown in that pond not Jake….I should've been the one to almost die and put in a coma not her. I should be dead not mom...I deserve every bit of abuse and hate I got growing up…. I should've gotten the scars on my face not Dee…. I should've died that day not brought to the hospital….. I should still be there with him, not here… It's all my fault, all of it. Allie shouldn���t have had to almost die to protect me. Dee shouldn't have had to get hurt and scared and beaten to protect me! I'm not worth any of it…. I killed our mother! I-I…."
Sally was crying and shaking with her head in her hands as everyone just stared at the broken girl.
"Don't you dare blame yourself for any of that! It is not your fault none of it is!"
I looked up to see Quinn, Emily, Jack, and Allie standing in the doorway.
"Allie you should be resting."
"Please I was in a coma for a year and a half. I've done enough resting and she needs help!"
Allie walked over taking the IV with her. Damien got up so she could sit next to Sally.
"StormCloud look at me."
"I'm sorry it-it's all my fault!"
"Stop. Stop right now. It is not your fault ok? You are not the reason mom is gone...me and Dee got our scars protecting you because we love you and we rather take the pain over you getting hurt and we almost lost you that day you know that we didn't want to lose you."
"You almost died!"
"Yes I took the blade for you and I knew I might die but if you could live another day and one day get out of there then I'd do it again and again."
"But why? I'm not worth it…"
"Yes you are." Jack walked over kneeling in front of Sally taking her hand in his, "Sal you are an amazing, talented person. When I found out what it was like for you at home it killed me. I wanted to get all of you out of there but I couldn't and it hurt so much. You don't give yourself the credit you deserve. You deserve to be happy and to be away from that place and away from him."
"Bu-"
"No buts, Sal look at me."
Sally turned to Damien,
"You have me, Jack, these guys," He waved a hand around at us, "And now Allie. Everything will be ok. It will get better."
"What about Carson?"
That's when I finally found my voice, anger resurfacing, "I will physically fight him for hurting my kiddos!" I looked at Sally with a serious look on my face.
"Or we can get him thrown in jail…" Quinn added putting a hand on my shoulder, "Instead of hurting people."
"Besides Madre you wouldn't hurt a fly."
"You haven't seen her dark side then." Emily looked at Jake.
"Dark side?"
"Yea….she hurt someone for picking on me at school….it was scary, I've never seen Amy so mad so...scary."
"You hurt someone!?" Jake looked surprised for some reason.
"When it comes to my kiddos you hurt them and you get my dark side as Emily and Quinn call it."
"Right then, Sally, anything else you want to tell them."
"Do I have to?"
"Yes."
"I have anorexia."