mouse | eastenders

→ mason branning exposed pt 1

It had now been around 5 days since the crash and the square was still reeling from the effects of the disaster.

The Carter family had been extremely supportive towards Lucy and were now checking in on her regularly, maybe over excessively in Lucy's eyes. She appreciated it nonetheless, but she couldn't find it in her to fully explain what had happened. Not just her parents, but her brothers and sister had asked her a few times about who it was that 'pushed her' and 'hid her'. Lucy would only shake her head in response and curl up deeper in her comfy bed, so they decided to lay off that mystery for a bit.

What they were now trying to do, was to get Lucy out of bed and to go downstairs to try and be around other people.

"Luce, come on, just for an hour baby and then if you want to you can come straight back up here in your little cave," Mick said light-heartedly, trying to persuade his daughter.

"Yeah and you can sit with me and Whit if you like," Lee added on, he was also there whilst his other younger siblings were managing the bar with Linda.

To their shock, Lucy nodded.
"Okay."

"Yes, that's my girl, right let's go down then, your mother will be delighted," Mick grinned, feeling as if progress had been made.

The three of them ventured downstairs, Mick going round the bar and Lucy following her older brother to sit with Whitney.

"You'll never guess who has joined us today," Mick whispered to Linda, wrapping his arms around her in a warm back hug.

"Hmm, who?" she smiled, relaxing into his arms, and Mick twisted her to look at where Lucy had sat. She gave her a pleased smile once she caught her eye.

"Oh I'm so glad, poor girl, I didn't want her cooped up any longer," Linda commented, proud of her daughter.

"She'll be alright, L."

Zoning out of Lee and Whitney's conversation about what the future holds for them, Lucy was absentmindedly jolting her leg up and down. It oddly brought a sense of comfort to her, like it was regulating her body.

"Luce, you alright?" Lee asked as he noticed.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Lucy nodded giving a small smile.

And that seemed to be enough for him.

"Lucy, how are you doing darling?" a kind voice caught the attention of the girl.

Lucy turned to see Denise who must of walked over from the other side of the pub.

"I'm getting there, I think," Lucy replied, "how are you though?" she changed the direction of where the attention was headed.

"I'm ok, I just wanted to check in on you. I'm so sorry, I heard they found you later than everyone else. If I was in my right mind then I would have said something," Denise explained honestly, feeling a slight sense of guilt when she was informed about who else has been caught up in the crash.

"Well you're all here now, that's all that matters isn't it? And I bet everyone else was upstairs," Whitney said, trying to offer comfort to Lucy and Denise.

"Actually-" Denise began but the sound of the pub doors slamming open caused her to pause in what she was about to say.

"Right, where is she?!?" a raging Sonia stormed through the pub, walking straight up to Mick and Linda behind the bar, Bex awkwardly trailing behind her.

"Woah woah woah, ok, who?" Mick tried to quieten Sonia, it was a peaceful Friday afternoon in the pub which was now being disturbed by her shouts.

"Your daughter!" she demanded.