Hope

19. "How's it going?"

Elenor

I was beyond confused. Tommy and I only went to the café whilst Rick went with Emily, Annabeth's actual mum to get her some things. Annabeth was only my half-sister. I was completely flabbergasted. Of course I should have been focusing on her well-being but, I couldn't get over it. That and the sight when I first saw her at the bottom of the stairs.

Annabeth's body, anyone's body should have been able to bend the way it did, blood was coming from different areas of her body and her eyes were shut. My mum was standing by, calling an ambulance whilst Richard, Tommy and I all knelt by her. There were so many tears shed from her accident, even by my mum. Well, she had me and everyone fooled. She honestly didn't give a shit about Beth.

"Baby, please say something." Tommy tried to get my attention as I stirred my tea mindlessly. My dad had cancelled both weddings and seemed like a broken man. I had never seen him like this. Yet, I couldn't feel sorry for him. He let this happen.

"Think about how we don't have to get married to Richard and Beth anymore." I shook my head, wiping my damp face yet again. "I can't. Beth ended up in hospital with a chance of dying because of my mum, my mum, not hers and we didn't even know."

Richard had explained how Beth only found out the night before the fall about Emily being her mum. I just couldn't believe any of this was happening. Why were the weddings so important to my mum for Christ sake?

"The main thing is that Beth is okay. She's going to stay being okay and once she's out of here, it'll all be over."

"It won't though. My mum will do something to make things worse and she'll do them to Beth."

"Not if she's arrested." Tommy nodded his head in the direction of the police who were heading to Beth's room. I sighed. My mum belonged in a prison for getting Miles to do what he did but, she was still my mum and all this was tearing me up inside. "I think we should get you home, Ellie. You've not slept for two days."

Beth had been in a coma for two days after the fall. We had been here every visiting time and my mum hadn't. She only came when she was awake, as did Emily, although she hadn't been told about the incident before today. "You need some sleep. You're not going to be any use to Beth exhausted." I knew Tommy was right, of course he was. I felt like I was ready to drop but, I just didn't want to leave her here.

"Okay, you have no choice anymore. I'm taking you home."

Home had been Tommy's since it had happened. I couldn't get myself to go back to that place. All I could see was Beth's comatose body on the floor and all the memories of her fights with my mum running through my head.

Tommy picked me up when I didn't say anything. I was like a statue. I didn't move in the slightest as he took me to the car and to his. I knew I was worrying him now. I didn't care. He should have been focusing on worrying about Beth anyway.

Tommy laid me down on the bed and stayed with me. I didn't know when I fell asleep but I woke up to my phone ringing. "Your mum's been arrested, as has Miles." My dad sighed on the other end. I hung up. I couldn't bring myself to talk to him, not yet. He had kept the biggest secret from Beth for years, not let her see her actual mum and let her be treated like shit by his wife. I couldn't help but partly blame him for this.

"Ellie, try and get some more sleep, baby." I heard Tommy's groggy voice as he pulled me closer to him. It had been a long, long, long few days and I felt defeated. My dad had cancelled the weddings sure, my mum was arrested, sure but, I doubted that, that was going to be the end of it.

I set an alarm for the visiting hours and forced myself to try and sleep again. It wasn't easy by any means but, the exhaustion helped. I still felt that exhaustion when the alarm went off. Who gave a fuck? I wanted to see my sister. "Ellie, you're going to send yourself into an early grave.

"What? Like my mum nearly did with Beth?" That shut Tommy up.

We drove in silence and when we got there I was relieved to see it was just Beth and Richard. I don't think I could have handled anyone else right now. "Hey, little sis. How's it going?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I asked with a forced smirk. I didn't know what else to do but, I knew I had to be the strong one for once. It killed me to see Beth like this, immobile due to her injuries and yet still forcing a smile on her face. She was amazing. "Yeah but, the answers obvious so there's no point. I don't want to repeat how I feel, it sucks. I hurt, I'm pissed, I'm frustrated and I'm happy we no longer have to marry these bozos."

"Hey! You with one of those bozos!" Richard playfully objected. I could see the pain behind those eyes as he sat by his love. He like me was trying to be strong. "Yeah but your the bozo I want. Tommy's just my bozo friend."

"How the pain killers treating you, Beth."

It was only when Tommy laughed that I noticed how buzzed she seemed. "I give them a sexy seven." Beth grinned. I noticed that Richard and her mum seemed have brought some stuff for her to keep her sane. However, she was in no state to help herself in any way. She was bed bound for now with having to have help just to eat and drink. I couldn't bare the idea of her not able to have someone at her beck and call with even the tiniest thing. "I'll be right back."

I found my way to the nurse's station with determination. I needed to do something to help my big sister. "Excuse me, I would like to talk to someone about setting up a room for Annabeth Wells where someone can stay with her at all times." The nurse gave me a sympathetic smile, all the staff knew of my sister's condition. They all didn't know how to talk to us because of it. "Of course. I'll see what I can do."

As I waited my phone dinged. I had several offers for videos interviews for places abroad. I felt my heart race. The weddings were no longer on, I didn't want to work abroad anymore. However I had an epiphany, I needed to find out who I was outside of my family and their controlling nature. I wanted to find out who I was and I wanted to do that by travelling.

I looked to see Tommy smiling at me. My heart clenched. I had just started to see Tommy and was happy being with him. Was I going to give that up? Was I going to give up finally spending more time with my sister? Was I going to uproot my life to find myself? It was something I really had to think about.

"We'll be able to accommodate that Miss, considering Miss Wells's condition. However we won't be able to provide any meals for those staying with her."

"That's fair. Thank you."

"You're welcome, I'll get that arranged for you."

After giving the kind woman a small smile I moved back to where my sister was giggling away. It was so nice to see her smile, even if it was thanks to the drugs. "Ellie. Where'd you go? You weren't leaving me, were you?" I swallowed, hard. "No. I was not leaving you."