Letting go (REVISED)

Chapter fourteen

When we arrive at the station I am surprised to see Jace waiting in the foyer. He slaps Cooper on the shoulder and pulls me in for a hug.
Okay, that's new.

"Hi Jace, nice to see you too" I joke
"Hey Izzy, how are you honey?" He keeps holding onto me and I'm starting to feel a little awkward.
I like him a lot, but apart from the day at the cafe we have never been this close.
"I'm good, you okay?" I ask.
"Dude, mine remember?" Coop gives him a look and Jace lets me go.

"Yeah Iz, I'm good" he looks at me with pity in his eyes and I realise he knows more than I think he does.
"Have you spoken to anyone yet?" Coop asks Jace.
"Yeah, they will call us when they're ready" he answers and nods towards the row of chairs against the wall.

My shoes click on the hard tiles as I walk and it sounds too loud, I feel exposed.
I have a really bad feeling about this.

We sit and the boys chat about work for a while, I don't really listen. I am too busy worrying and chewing my lips.
My head snaps up at the sound of my name.
I see a tall male officer standing in a doorway looking to me and I stand.
I look him over thinking he looks familiar......then it hits m..... we met at the hospital.

Oh crap.

Cooper and Jace follow me into the interview room. I can't seem to swallow the lump in my throat.

"Miss Taylor, we meet again" he nods as I sit at the cold metal table where another officer sits.
Cooper frowns wondering how we know each other.
"Yes, good to see you again" oh god is the right thing to say in this situation.
"Mr Bentley, Mr Masters" he nods to Coop and Jace. "So to begin with we need to take Miss Taylor's statement regarding the night of her attack. I gather you would like to make a few amendments to your previous statement" he asks me.
I can't speak yet so I nod.

"What previous statement?" Cooper asks.
"The one made the day following the attack, the one she made from her hospital bed"
"Yes I would like to make some changes" I interrupt.

Cooper looks at me with a please explain expression on his face.

"I hope you have remembered a few more details" he asks me and I nod.
"I prefer not to say it out loud, is it okay if I just write it down?" I ask and a tear falls down my face, I just stare at where it lands on the table.
My stomach is doing somersaults.
"You can do this baby" Cooper rubs my back.
"That will be fine" the police officer tells me and hands me a notepad and pen.

I hurriedly jot down as much detail as I can remember. I try to keep present in this room but my hands are shaking and I wonder if they will be able to make out my handwriting.
The room is silent.
I can feel the boys reading over my shoulder and it makes me nervous, anxious even to have them know this about me.
They shuffle around behind me and I imagine Cooper trying to control his temper.
I can hear her laughing inside my head as I write, and twice I have to stop and cover my ears.

The police officer exchanges a look with his partner who has remained silent in the corner.
They wonder if I'm nuts.

When I'm finished I push the paper away from me as though it might explode, I don't want it near me.

I think I'm going to throw up.
The officer reads over it quickly and nods.

"This is more consistent with your medical report than your previous statement, and supports our witness statements" he says as he places the paper in his folder.
"What medical report?" Cooper asks.