Hold Me Close

Chapter Twenty.

It would have been a worse fight if I had to leave town in order to leave my home but my mother and I agreed that it would be best for me to stay at my aunts that lived only a bus journey away.

My father tried to unpack my things and apologise for what had happened but I needed my space, I needed time to think and heal.

I sat against the window as the bus crawled along through the traffic. Rain drizzled down the windows, each drop racing the other.

I imagined myself and Derek as the rain drops, one would escape the government and one would be caught, I settled on him being the bigger rain drop, the one that was nearing the windows edge as I wanted him to be safe, but in time my rain drop conjoined with another and i hit the bottom first, I won.

And yet here I was, on a bus, luggage at my feet and entirely alone, the rain was right, I did hit the bottom.

The bus came to a stop. I carried my shoulder bag and pulled the suitcase behind me, my aunt sat at the bus stop with a wide grin upon her face.

"Ann" she greeted me, "hey aunt Sarah " was all I muttered back, "oh don't be so grumpy" she laughed, "this isn't going to be so bad, in fact it's going to be fun" she smiled.

We packed my stuff into her car and began our drive.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and unlocked the screen, I had texted Derek twice but still no reply, time seemed to drag when i was waiting for a reply.

"So your mum told me that you wanted to come and visit for a while, spend some time with me, but by the sad pout on your face and your vacant stare I'm guessing that's not true? ", Sarah looked at me from the corner of her eye as she steadily drove the car.

" Well that and there's some chaos in my life right now and we all agreed some time away from home would be best for me".

"I won't pry, don't worry" she smiled, I smiled back and allowed silence to creep in.

The drive was short and I was relived with the thought of no more travelling, I had finally arrived at my destination.

Sarah put me in the back room on the bottom floor. It was a well furnished room with a large king size bed in the middle of the floor.

Sarah had a lot of money to her name and her house showed this. She was a scientist who work in the fertility labs, creating and developing embryos before she would place them into women's wombs.

I unpacked my clothes and neatly placed them into draws before removing other items like books and chargers. I sat the photo of me and Chris on the night stand, it sat perfectly in the frame, well perfect enough for a photo frame with glass, I hadn't had time to replace the frame after the glass was smashed but it still managed to hold the photo in place.

My phone began to buzz in my back pocket, I quickly pulled it out and swiped right, "hey" I smiled, "hello, and how are you today Ann" he laughed back, "oh I'm good, and you?" I waited a few seconds for the reply that came after a short sigh, "I'm, well I'm fine, sorry I haven't replied to your messages, I didn't know how or what to reply with".

"It's fine, honestly Chris it's fine".

This morning when the world seemed bleak and surreal my phone rang, no caller ID was placed on the screen just an anonymous number, I answered and to my surprise it was Chris, we talked for an hour or so, he explained his situation and I explained mine.

His life was turned upside down by dreams that held past memories and nightmares of his time in the hands of the government, I pitted him and yet he asked me not to because he was freed and others were not.

"I gotta go, my mum's calling me to head to the town market, I'll call you tonight if that's ok? ". I couldn't stop the smile from taking over my face ," that would be perfect, I'll talk to you later Chris" I smiled, "goodbye Ann".
The line went dead and I felt more alive, no, I couldn't meet or see Chris but we could talk and he was alive and if him moving miles away in order to live out his life, then I was fine with it.

My phone began to ring again, I immediately answered and greeted Chris again, what had he forgot to say this time I laughed to my self.

"Yes Chris? " I giggled.

" Chris?" the mans voice asked confused, "Ann, this is Dane". My heart sped up, what was he calling me over I wondered, "eh yeah?" was all I could manage to say back, "Ann, it is about Derek, he, well he's in hospital", "oh god" I gasped, "is he ok?" I panicked, "he's stable, the government attacked the building, Derek was on the top floor, he was the only one badly injured, one of arms were crushed Ann" Dane explained it all with a shake in his voice.

"What hospital is he in? " I asked while grabbing my coat and starting to put it on," he's in St John's, he asked for". "I'll be there soon" I said cutting him off mod sentence.

All my thoughts were with Derek as I thought of excuses as to how I was going to get Sarah to drive me to st johns, the hospital that sat minutes away from where all the action was taking place.