My promise to him

Chapter 11

Emma's P.O.V

I open my eyes, why am I lying down, I think to myself. Then I remember and sit up pulling this mask off my face. "Mum, mum?" I say, my voice is croaky, and I feel out of breath. Louie comes over wrapping his arm around me, "She's not here yet," he says softly. 

My neck aches and I move my hand to touch it, I still feel the pressure of Franks hand wrapping round my throat. Louie reads my mind, "Zack and Olly are hunting him down, I think they are all at the police station now," he says to me calmly. 

This is all too real, and I begin to cry. "This is all my fault, what if they get hurt," I say. Louie pulls me into his chest and I wrap my arms around him. "Don't say that, none of this is your fault and Olly and Zack are together, they'll be fine the police are there anyway and plus I gave Frank a good punch in myself and he doesn't look too good," he smirks.

The doctor walks in and I pull away from Louie. "You look better, and your breathing rate has improved, can I check your pulse please?" he asks. I nod and lie back. He goes to roll up my sleeve, but I quickly pull my arm away. "Can't y-you do it another way?" I ask panicking. 

All the bruises and marks are there and don't want anybody seeing them. Not now. He looks up confused. "No, not really," he says. "What's wrong?" Louie asks me, and I take a deep breath and pull both my sleeves up looking away. There's a moment of silence before Louie speaks, "he didn't do all these today, did he?" he asks me astonished and angered, looking physically sick. 

The doctor looks up at me too, "Some of these are old bruises from like months ago aren't they Emma?" he says carefully to me, looking at me softly. I nod. Louie steps back unable to speak.

"If I may ask," the doctor carries on gently, "Are these from the same man who put you in here?" Tears are forming back in my eyes and I'm about to reply before I catch sight of a man in a police uniform waiting outside the door and my heart immediately starts pounding again. 

The doctor catches me looking, "No, I-I can't, please you-you can't tell them, I-It's fine," I splutter urgently, shoving my sleeves back down. "Hey no, it's not fine, you don't have to defend him Em, he needs to pay for what he did," Louie says making me look at him. 

"They'll make sure Frank is punished," the doctor says. No, this can't be happening, I think desperately to myself.

"No, he-he, please, don't tell them, you don't understand, please just forget about it, I'm not allowed to tell anyone, that's the whole reason why I'm here. It's my fault, he warned me." I say looking at the doctor and Louie begging them. 

The doctor shakes his head, "It's not your fault at all, he won't ever be allowed near you again, it doesn't matter what he said, he will never touch you again," he says sternly but calmly watching me closely. I nod but I don't for a second believe him, Frank always finds a way and he is so good at acting.

Louie holds my hand tight, "Did he hurt you anywhere else apart from your arms, head and neck," the doctor carries on. I think about the many times Frank hold me back with his hands wrapped hard on my waist. I battle with myself inside about what to tell them but the words the doctor said about him never being able to touch me again echo round my head. 

Could that really happen? 

In the end I look at the doctor and pull up my top displaying all the bruise marks left from where Frank's hands held me so tightly. Louie lets go off my hand and steps back and the doctor sympathetically nods, and I pull down my top before he takes my pulse walks out to speak to the police officer.

Louie can't speak for a moment, he just looks at me. "How long has he been doing this to you?" he says angrily. I swallow, "Since mum started dating him, b-but it w-wasn't this bad, I promise, it's j-just got worse overtime," I respond quietly, my voice barely making a whisper. 

He shouts and punches the wall angrily before e falling back into the chair behind him, putting his head in his hands. "That's like a year and a half ago!" he says in disbelief, "Why didn't you tell me or, or mum?" he asks hurt. "You saw how broken she got after dad..." I can't say it but we both know what comes next, "and she seemed happy when she met-""Don't say his name," Louie cuts me off sternly, "him,he told me I would break her again if I told her and he threatened me if I told anyone else."

"The other night, he was drunk, and he-he came into my room, but I managed to get away, but Zack saw me and that's why he tried to, y-you k-know, today because someone saw. It's not usually this bad, he usually just pins me against the wall or like hits me or something, it's worse when he's drunk or angry." Louie gags. 

It sounds a lot worse now that I finally say it out loud.

There's this deafening silence next that full the room. He rubs his hands across his face, "God, I'm so sorry," his voice just makes a whisper. His eyes are red. "It's not your fault," I say. He lets out a deep breath, "You don't get it, ever since dad... I'm responsible for you, I'm meant to keep you safe and I did worse than failed, I can't believe I didn't notice what was going on, I'm such an shit brother," he says slamming his head into his hands. 

"You couldn't have known," I say my heart reaching out to him in pain, "I didn't tell you and he's so good at acting completely normal, sometimes I even wondered if it was even the same person after all." 

It's hard to catch my breath. He stands up and wraps his arms around me tightly and I start to think he's never going to let me go. I try to take a deep breath but it's like someone is sat on my chest and I can't. "Louie...I can't...I can't," I try to say, as the machines start beeping. 

The doctor walks back in quickly looking at the machines. He puts the mask back on my face and I feel the cool oxygen air making me sleepy. The doctor speaks softly but by the time he's finished, all I can hear is a deep murmur of his voice all mumbled into one. 

My eyes close before I can hear anymore. I don't realise how exhausted I am for not sleeping the past nights and with all that's happened this morning.