The Love Trials: Ashley

Chapter Twelve

WARNING, BLOOD REFERENCES. MAY BE SENSITIVE. 

It hurt... Everything hurt. I wasn't sure what had happened or how bad I was. I didn't know where Bradley was but I knew I was hurt enough now. I wouldn't say how but I needed help and fast.

The cabinet had fallen down beside me and the drawers had scattered around me as well as the contents. So it was easy to see Jackson's business card. My phone was on the bed and with a slight tug of the covers, it toppled onto the floor. I tried Jackson's business phone and it picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?" His cheery voice rang out.

"Help... Jack... Jackson... Help me..." I could feel that tunnel vision come back.

"Ashley? Ash, is that you?"

"Help..." I gasped.

"Ashley, where are you?"

"Help... Me..."

"Stay on the phone, Ash. Just stay on the phone. I'm coming, sweetheart. Just stay on the phone. Talk to me. What happened?"

"Got... Mugged..."

"Is it a burglary, Ashley? Are the intruders still there?"

"No... Just... Come... Quickly..." I could feel myself blacking out before it happened. The last thing I heard was Jackson's voice panicking.

"Ashley! Stay with me, honey!"

My eyes flickered open. Blurry figures were around me. I winced as a flash came from the corner of my vision. Someone was beside me.

"We can't wait any longer! Her pulse is dropping..." Jackson?

"Officer Clarke, you will wait for the ambulance!"

"No! She's going to die if we do that!" I felt arms around me, cradling me. I collapsed before I could focus on anything else.

This time round, my eyes opened with some effort. Someone leaned forward.

"Ashley?" I looked over. I felt funny. Not a bad funny. A good funny. Painless. Weightless. Flying above clouds.

"Ashley?" The voice said again. Jackson. He looked HOT in his police uniform.

"You look hot." I told him and laughed. He blushed.

"You're drugged up so I'll ignore that. Ashley, what actually happened to you? You weren't mugged. The door was locked. You had been locked in the house. There were no forced entry. So tell me the truth."

"I was beat up by my beautiful man, Bradley." Braaaaddddlly Bradly Bradllleeeeey.

"Shush." I hadn't realised I had been saying that out loud and laughed. I kind of hiccupped.

"I think he's going to kill me." Jackson was scribbling notes down on a notepad.

"Not while I'm here. He won't dare." I yawned. I felt tired now.

"Jackson?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" Jackson stopped writing and stroked my hair, putting his full attention on me.

"I love you."

"Love you too. Now get some rest. I'll look after you."

I don't know how long I slept but when I woke up, I wished I was back under again. Sleeping seemed easier.

I woke up, wincing at my injuries. Pain everywhere. I was partially sitting up so I could look around easily. I was in a hospital. That was obvious. I was sitting in a hospital bed, attached to an I.V drip and another tube... Of blood. I almost felt ill so I looked elsewhere.

A police officer was stood outside my closed door, I could see his back. Beside me was a sleeping someone. I touched their arm and Jackson jolted awake. He looked... Awful. Dark shadows under his eyes, frown lines on his forehead and a mild panicked expression. His uniform was crumpled.

"Oh Jackson... How long have you been here?" Jackson checked his watch.

"An hour. I came back here as soon as I could." I frowned. This hurt my face so I stopped.

"How bad am I?"

"A fractured wrist, two black eyes, bruises on every inch of your skin, two broken ribs, a bruised skull, cuts on bare skin so that means your arms, your head and your neck in particular. You've had two operations and each time, you almost crashed." I cringed at the list, which also hurt.

"Why does every movement hurt?"

"Morphine will be wearing off," Jackson looked at me intently. "I need to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Where's Bradley Smith?"

"What?" I felt ice in my stomach; my whole body froze with it. Jackson was monitoring my every expression but I just didn't have the energy to lie with my body language or facial expressions... Not right now.

"Bradley Smith. He has been missing since you called me four days ago. Where is he?"

"I... I don't know."

"What happened Ashley? I want to know the truth."

"I... I told you... I was mugged."

"Oh yeah? Is that right? Because by the looks of it, it looks like your fellow beat you up and ran away because he knew that you would say."

"I haven't said anything against Brad."

"Oh is that so?" Jackson took out a notebook and I cringed. Oh God. I was going to die if Bradley ever got his hands on me again. "Miss Ashley Brooke informed me that she had been harmed domestically by Mr Bradley Smith on the day of the phone call. Miss Brooke also fears for her life. Dated two days ago."

"I... I don't remember saying that." That was the truth, I genuinely didn't.

"Ashley, are you being hurt? Please tell me the truth."

"No. I was mugged. I told you." Jackson sighed and flipped back a few more pages.

"It was noted that although Miss Ashley Brooke claimed to have been mugged, the only entry into the house was locked upon arrival. Only one set of keys could be found throughout the house. Mr Bradley Smith (who owns said residence) was not in the building and his registered vehicle appeared to be missing. The actual room itself upon which Miss Ashley Brooke was discovered in, had been raided through and destroyed. Miss Ashley Brooke herself had been discovered with multiple bruising and cuts to her body. A lampshade had been smashed beside her, concluding she may have been struck with the item. Miss Ashley Brooke also had one fractured wrist and a potentially sprained ankle. She was seen to have lost a considerable amount of blood." I groaned.

"I shouldn't have called you."

"You called my business phone, Ashley. All calls are monitored in and out of the building. I had to do my job. Now if you had called on my mobile, it might have been a different result."

"So you didn't actually call reinforcement?"

"No I did but that was because you couldn't tell me anything. We have a few known rapists and pedophiles in the area so I had to call reinforcement, it is police protocol," Jackson took my hand. "Please Ashley I'm begging you. Give me an actual statement and I can charge Bradley and send him down for good. He will never touch you again. Just please..." I bit my lip and shook my head slightly.

"Jackson... It was a mugger. He wore a black ski mask over his face the whole time. He was around six foot. Quite buff. Wearing a brown leather jacket and brown chinos." Jackson bent his head for a second, his eyes closed in pain.

"Anything else?" He whispered.

"No."

"Then I'll call you if there's any news. Or I guess my boss will." Jackson got up.

"Wait why will your boss call me?" Jackson didn't look in my direction. His back and shoulders were tense.

"I'm on two week suspension. Guess your boyfriend, Bradley has some good connections." And he left without saying another word. As he left, a nurse came through and as much as I tried to protest, she injected one of my tubes with morphine, knocking me out again.