The Next Chapter (Sequel to A New Story)

8 ~Maria & Daniel~

When Daniel made it back to the hospital, he entered the room to find Katie sitting by the bed where he had left her, and Maria laying with her eyes shut.

"How's she doing?" he whispered to Katie.

Whether it was his voice, or just the timing, Maria stretched awake, then cringed at the pain of moving her muscles and bones in such a way. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, and Daniel swore he saw the tiniest of smiles cross her face when she saw him. He'd take that as a small sign of hope. "Maria... love... Anna is here. She needs to see you—she's in bad shape, sweetie. Can I bring her in?"

Maria swallowed, took a deep breath, and nodded. He gave her a bittersweet smile before turning and going out to get Anna. When he came back, he almost didn't recognize her as the same woman. She had adjusted the bed to sit up further and was smiling. Anna came around behind him and ran up to her mother and hugged her neck.

"Gentle, Anna... she's very sore and has to heal," Daniel reminded the teenager.

"Mum! Mum, are you okay!?" Anna said as she buried her head in Maria's neck.

Maria nodded into her daughter's hair as she spoke. "I'm... I'm going to be okay, love. Listen to me now. I'm going to be here, in the hospital, for a few more days. I need you to let Daniel, and Katie, and Mrs. Helen take care of you, okay? You know they'll do their best to take care of you, right? And I'll see you in a couple days, okay?"

Anna nodded into her mother's neck. Daniel spoke up. "We'll be staying in a hotel for a few days. The whole gang."

After Maria held her daughter as best she could for a few minutes longer, the young girl pulled away and allowed Katie to guide her out of the room. As soon as she was out the door, Daniel watched as Maria's whole face and body deflated before she turned back toward the window. Her body shook as she wept.

He pulled a chair up as close as he could to the bed and sat down in it, speaking in a hushed tone, "Maria... Maria I wish so much that I could take away this pain... this hurt... I wish I could hold you... But I know... I understand. Just please know... I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving your side. When you're ready... you tell me, okay? You tell me and I'll do whatever it is you need me to do for you. I'll do anything for you, Maria. Just please... don't ask me to leave."

They sat in silence for almost half an hour before she had calmed enough to speak again. "Have you called Alex?"

"Yes, I called and spoke to her on my way to the school."

"I'd like to talk to her."

Daniel nodded and pulled his phone out, dialed the number, and handed it to her.

"Hello, love... Yes, yes, it's me. I'm going to be okay, love. Yes, I got quite banged up. Daniel was right, stay there for now. I know... I know love, but it'll do you no good to miss classes just to come sit around here. Daniel and Katie will take good care of your sister," she glanced at Daniel with a small, gentle smile, "and of me... I promise... I promise we'll keep you in the loop. I need to go rest now, love... I love you too. I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Okay. Bye."

She held out the phone to him and as he took it, his hand brushed hers and he looked up to find her watching him.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For everything."

He smiled and took a deep, cleansing breath. It was a tiny step, but he'd take it. "You're welcome. Anything else I can do for you?"

She sighed and shook her head. "I think I'm going to close my eyes and rest now."

"I'll be right here."

**--**--**

Not long after the phone call, a knock at the door got his attention, and he wiped at his eyes before going over to JP.

"I've made all the arrangements. A suite with separate rooms for Maria, Katie, and Anna. Another suite for you, Helen and Ella. Boss, you don't have to make room for me at the hotel, I'm sure I'll be fine at my apart—"

"JP, we don't know how close this guy watched any of the rest of us. He might know where we all live. And if he got a good look at you and Katie, with you running after him and calling the cops on him, I don't want to take a chance on your safety either. I can't force you to—but please, stay with us at the hotel."

JP looked at his boss a moment before relenting with a nod. "Then I'll bunk in your suite, if that's okay. The security team has cleared the hotel, based on mine and Katie's description of the guy. We're about to leave to take the girls there now. Officer Lewis says that she'll let us know as soon as they clear the house, so Katie can go get some of Anna and Maria's things."

"I won't be staying at the hotel until she's able to go there."

"But Boss, don't you think you should get some rest?"

"I'm not leaving here, JP. I'm not leaving her side. When they discharge her, I'll come stay at the hotel."

JP looked back into the hospital room, at the woman who had fallen asleep again. "If I had just run a little faster..."

"You did what you could, JP. We could all come up with something to regret, but you did your best. All we can do is the best we can for Maria... and Anna."

"Have you called Alex?"

Daniel nodded. "I called her on my way to the school. She was a wreck. I had to beg her to give me two days to see how things went with her mom before she hopped on a plane out of London. We'll see what happens in two days. Maria asked to talk to her a few minutes ago, and we called her back so they could talk. I think it was good for both of them."

"All right, Boss. I'll keep you up-to-date, and you do the same."

**--**--**

Maria woke up an hour later, this time from a nightmare. It would be difficult for her to ever recover, Daniel expected, when all she ever saw when she closed her eyes was the face of the man who had invaded her privacy, and come close to so much more. After she had calmed down, he hoped to give her some better news. "So, tomorrow when we get you signed out we'll head to the hotel, okay? It will be a few more days before they release your house—"

"I can't go back there." Daniel almost didn't hear Maria's whisper. The nurses had helped her roll onto her side, a feat with the broken ribs, and she was now facing the window, looking away from him. She wouldn't accept his help, his comfort, or his touch. It was killing him, but no matter what, he would stay there, by her side, for whatever she needed and whenever she was ready.

"Don't worry. When you get back there, they'll have it all cleaned up, new locks and a security system, and a guard on the door for as long as you need him."

"No... I can't go back." Maria whimpered this time, and Daniel leaned forward in the bedside chair.

"Okay. All right," he said. "You don't have to go back. Ever. We'll figure it out. Whatever you need, Maria."

"I need... I want... I want to go home."

Daniel frowned in confusion. "You said..."

"Not there... I mean... home. England. I want to go home to England."