Shattered

Chapter 6 Bradley

"Sometimes you have to stop thinking so much and just go where your heart takes you." Unknown

Bradley felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and lazily opened her tired eyes. The bearded male nurse softly smiled. "I need to take your vitals," he whispered.

Bradley nodded and glanced down at her mother, disappointed she wasn't Mark. Caroline was gently sleeping across Bradley's stiff legs. They needed to be stretched out. "Should I wake her?"

"She'll wake up in a second, trust me," he winked as he fastened the blood pressure cuff around her upper arm and pressed a button on the wall. The machine roared to life, buzzing, as the cuff tightened around her arm. "Open wide," he asked as he placed the thermometer in her mouth.

Caroline Whitfield stirred for a moment and then shot up suddenly. "Are you okay?" she gasped, waking Curtis from his slumber in the vinyl recliner at the foot of the bed.

"Temperature is normal, blood pressure and pulse are normal," the nurse beamed. "I'm down the hall if you need anything. Just press that little button on your bed."

"Thank you," Bradley smiled as he exited the room. "Mom?"

"What, baby?"

"Do you know where Mark is?"

Caroline took her daughter's hand in hers. "I'm not sure, but can you help me understand who this boy is? We're just...your father and brother and I...we didn't know you had a boyfriend."

"It's okay," Curtis interjected. "We're thankful for what he did for you. We owe him a debt of gratitude for saving our baby."

"I guess...it's hard to explain."

"We understand," Caroline said reassuringly. "Kristin, she mentioned last night that you had been sneaking in and out of your room. Is Mark the one you've been sneaking out to see?"

How did Kristin know? "No, I wasn't sneaking out, actually, just going out to the pool for a midnight swim. I never left the yard," she lied.

Caroline looked at Curtis, confused. "Phil is the kid that Kristin is seeing?" Curtis asked. "And, he's the one that kidnapped Emma?"

"Yes," Bradley confessed. She shifted uncomfortably and folded her arms against her chest for comfort. "That's him but...", she exhaled, "I don't think it's true that he kidnapped Emma. And, well, Mark, he's been..." the truth would be too much for them to handle, "he was...he came to me to talk about Emma because he thought she was lying about being stalked."

"Was Emma lying?" Caroline calmly asked. "Because what happened to you and Kristin could be Emma's fault."

Bradley shook her head. "I don't..."

"Then it was Phil," snapped Curtis.

"No, I don't...."

"They could be working together," interrupted Caroline.

"No!" Bradley shouted. Her parents looked stunned by her boldness. She was usually quiet and timid. "I'm sorry," she sighed, "but I just don't know who's lying or who's telling the truth. And, deep down I think that maybe they're both telling the truth because I really want to believe that. Maybe something else is happening here."

"The police will sort it out," Caroline encouraged.

Bradley shook her head. "All I know is that Mark makes me feel safe. And, I need him. Because he saved my life and I can't live without him. I think I'm in love with him, even though it hasn't been that long. No, I know I'm in love with him. I can't explain it. I need him and he needs me. And, that is what I know. It's all I know. I can't breathe when he's not around. I can't breathe without him."

"If he's that important to you, we should meet him," Curtis nodded.

"Dinner," suggested Caroline. "We'll have him over for dinner."

"Okay," Bradley nodded confused by their eagerness to meet the boy she just confessed to loving. "I can ask him."

Curtis chuckled. "You're my daughter and if he wants to continue to see you, he'll come over for dinner."

"Okay," Bradley smiled uncomfortably. Between her father and brother, Mark was going to get the fifth degree. "You guys should go home and get some sleep."

"What?" Caroline asked, shocked. "You want us to leave?"

"I'm not trying to sound ungrateful that you're here, but I just really need..." her voice trailed off. She fidgeted with her hands trying to find the way to tell her parents all she wanted was Mark, right now.

"I understand," Caroline said quietly. "You've been through alot and if you need, if you want us to give you some space, we can do that. If he's still here, somewhere, we'll ask him to come see you."

"Mom," Bradley inhaled, "of course he's here. He'd never leave me."