Hatred of Life and Love- Part 2

...

About half an hour after the doctors came running into Evie's room because of the bleeding, they went to report to Helen and Alan. Ken had gone back to the station to try and make some progress on what Tracy had witnessed.
"How is she?" Alan asked as soon as Dr Kingston was seen.
"It happened to just be the wound and the sitches from the surgery that had severely reopened, probably due to sudden movement. My guess is she got a little excited after she had been outside again and not have noticed for a short time that she had torn it. We have given her some anaesthetic and painkillers to minimise the pain along with managing the wound. We will check on her soon but we will have to keep her in at least tonight for observations. Don't worry though, it's nothing to worry about."
Alan and Helen understood and felt relief at the last sentence: It's nothing to worry about.
"Can we go and stay with her?" Helen asked.
"Yes. Be gentle though, she's quite drowsy and still fragile." The doctor walked down the corridor and Alan and Helen went back into the room.
"This didn't happen because of her going outside, this is the argument." They hadn't noticed Evie's eyes opening, until she began to speak.
"I didn't mean it, any of it. I'm sorry." They turned to look at her, then Alan went over and took her hand.
"I shouldn't have said the things I did Evie, it should be me apologising, not you." Helen also sat down on the opposite chair.
"They've said you need to stay in for observations tonight, but all being well, if nothing else goes wrong, you can go home tomorrow." Evie looked slightly relieved.
"Home..." she repeated quietly.
"Evie, I need to ask you something. It's about what the doctor told us, while you were in the coma."
"Alan, don't bring this up now." Helen said, with her head shaking in disagreement.
"Bring what up?" Evie questioned.
"The doctor came to us, about your arms." Evie's expression quickly changed, as she continued to dig her thumbnail into her finger.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Alan asked.
"What do you mean? There's nothing to tell."
"Then why are you hiding them?" Evie looked at Helen, her eyes slowly filling up.
"You must already know then, if you're asking me now."
Helen looked at her. "I had to tell him."
"But you promised." Evie shook her head slightly and sighed.
"Ask Tracy to take Isla home, she has school tomorrow. I want to sleep."
Both Alan and Helen nodded in understanding and stood up and left the room.
"Do you want me to stay with her again tonight?" Helen asked.
"Please, it would help," Alan answered.
"I'll see you tomorrow." She walked back in the room, and Alan left to head home with Tracy and Isla.
...
Alan arrived at the hospital the next morning, to find a police guard outside the hospital room. He held up his warrant card so he could go in. He walked in to see Evie propped up and laughing.
"Morning," she said, in a cheerful voice, one that nobody had ever really heard.
"What's going on here?" Alan asked.
Evie smiled.
"Helen's cheering me up. They've said I can home just before lunch."
"That's amazing, but Helen and I have to go to work, I'll pick you up later, okay?"
Evie nodded, obviously not so pleased at this. Once outside, Alan asked,
"What's with the police guard on the door?"
"Just a precaution," Helen stated.
Back at the station, Alan began to brief the team.
"Right, hopefully we should have forensics back today, where are we at with that number plate from the CCTV."
"It was made in 2012, and we've narrowed it down to twenty-seven owners within the Yorkshire area who drive an Audi made in that year. They're checking all names now."
"Right we have one suspect-David Hornby. Helen, what do you think?"
"Hornby threatened Evie on multiple occasions, once in front on Annie. We're waiting for forensics support before we can make an arrest."
"We are now linking these into one case, murder and attempted murder, hit and run. Let's see if we can fast track those results."
...
Alan had been sat in his office no longer then twenty minutes before Helen knocked on the door.
"Shouldn't you be going somewhere?" Alan looked up in slight confusion.
"Evie?" Helen reminded him.
Alan looked over at his clock, which showed the time to be 11:10. He quickly got up from his seat and grabbed his coat, but then turned round,
"Can you come? I'm sure Evie would appreciate it." They walked out the office and began to drive to the hospital. When they arrived, Evie was dressed and ready to go, sitting up on the bed reading a book.
"Are you ready?" She nodded her head. She carefully sat down in the wheelchair, while Helen grabbed her small bag and crutches. Once outside and by the car, Evie was helped to get inside, her foot and side still painful. Alan quickly took the wheelchair back inside while Helen put the items away in the boot and sat down. Evie was silent throughout the entire journey, but they couldn't be sure whether it was just down to how she was feeling. When they eventually pulled into the drive, Tracy was at the door with Isla, ready to greet Evie. It was a task trying to get used to the crutches, especially on the stones and pebbles, but she eventually started to get the hang of it. She would have to use them for a few days, until she could walk properly without assistance.
Once inside, Evie settled herself on the sofa, looking out the window across the moors. A picture of Alan, Annie and Isla was framed on the windowsill.
"Tracy's decorated your room while you've been in hospital. You can go and see it when you're ready." Evie turned her head and smiled, but she stayed silent.
"We're gonna have to go. Keep an eye on her, and Isla. Evie's medication is still in the bag." Alan said to Tracy. Him and Helen turned to Evie.
"I'll see you later, Tracy will keep an eye on you." They left and when they were sat in the car, was when they began to talk.
"It's like watching a missing person return, it's so unreal, how much she is like Annie."
"She changed so much within such a short time space. I think once she gets back into her old routine, some normality, she'll begin to take more out of life, but right now, all the changes she's been through is a shock."
Alan's phone began to ring through the speaker of the car.
"Ken, what's happening?"
"Boss, about what you said about your instinct. I think you may be right. ANPR have found a car registered to David Hornby. It's an Ice silver Audi A6, and the partial number plate matches the one on the CCTV. Also the solicitors firm Louise Hunt used to work at, he's part of the senior team ." Helen's phone began to ring.
"DI Morton," she was acknowledging what was being said to her.
"Hold on a minute Ken," Alan told him.
"Right thank you." She put the phone down.
"Hornby's DNA match traces found in the house, and round the head where the nail scratches are."
"Ken, check where his phone signal is, and scramble an armed surveillance now, we need to bring him in." Alan turned off the speaker and switched on the engine, then reversed out the drive, and began to speed off down the road.