Hidden Truths - Season One

Chapter Three: Hannah's Decision

Chapter Three: Hannah's Decision

Hannah could only stare at the six year old girl standing across from her.

"I'm sorry, but what do you mean, my fate?" she asked.

"It is as it sounds." the girl replied

The girl stared up at her older self, smiling benignly, with a tinge of sadness. Her older self, the real Hannah stared back blankly.

"I don't understand."

"Your burden is a great one." the girl said, still smiling that same smile, one that spoke of wisdom far beyond her years.

"Don't you mean our burden, seeing as... well... you're me?"

"Alike and different, one who was, and can never be again, and one who will continue to be, if she chooses to continue on the path."

Hannah blinked. Definitely not what she had sounded like as a six year old.

"If I wanted advice that useless, I'd open a fortune cookie." she retorted.

If the girl was fazed by the comment, she did not show it.

"Why do you feel you have failed on your journey?" she asked.

Hannah looked away. "How have I not? I couldn't get into New York, I lost my parents money, I couldn't stop my best friend from being raped, I couldn't stop MYSELF from being raped..."

Icy anger surged through her and she wheeled around glaring at her six year old self, resentful of the sad smile she always seemed to wear.

"My life... OUR life has been nothing but us letting down everyone we have ever known! Nothing we did mattered, and no one will miss us! We had no control at any point in life! What other choice did we have?!"

The six year old girl still stared at her, unblinking, but seemed to be staring at more than just her. The blackness around them was suddenly full of stars, and Hannah saw how impossibly big and small the whole of the universe seemed.

"The universe is so vast, and we are so small." The six year old girl took a step towards Hannah, her hand reached out, grasping a star. She closed her hand, the star shining through the gaps in her fingers, though it did not seem to burn the girl's hand. "There is only one thing we can ever truly control."

"Oh? And what's that?" Hannah asked, folding her arms, a skeptical frown on her face.

"Whether we are good or evil."

In Room 103, Olivia and Andy Baker sat on either side of Hannah's bed as Dr. Fraiser took her vitals with Clay and Jessica doing their best to remain out of the way.

"Really, we can wait outside, it's no trouble." Jessica said.

Olivia shook her head. "Nonsense, Jess, you guys are best friends."

Jess looked down sadly. "Were. We were best friends."

Andy and Olivia exchanged a look between them. They had listened to Hannah's tapes shortly after arriving in the hospital. They knew every detail of Hannah's mounting misfortunes which culminated in her attempt, including the list, and the confrontation between the two women.

"Look Jess," Olivia began, "We know what happened seemed to be the end of the world-"

"But it wasn't!" Jess yelled, startling everyone in the room. Even Fraiser looked up for a moment in shock. "I should have believed her over some stupid list and now because of me..."

Her words caught in her throat, and she looked down in shame.

"None of that matters now." Dr. Fraiser said. "What matters is that you're here. You and Clay have shown that you're true friends, and that petty high school drama is exactly that. Petty."

Andy looked over at her. "You sound like you know your way around that sort of thing."

Fraiser nodded. "I have a daughter about their age. In fact, she goes to the same school." She looked over at the two teens. "Cassandra."

They nodded. They had communications and gym with Cassandra Fraiser.

"Was she on the.." Dr. Fraiser gestured toward the bedside table where the cassette player lay.