Lost Dad: Dan Smith

Forty: Pink Envelope

Thanks @SophieLovell for all the votes! I can't believe we're at 1.3k reads! THANK YOU FOR THE NICE. Prepare yourself for whatever emotions this chapter may bring.

=

Dan POV:

Once Laura and I return to safety in our apartment, I want to pester her with questions.

"Hey Laura, If you need to talk, I'll listen." I say, closing the front door behind us.

"Thank you. Nobody's really been there for me like you have recently." Laura says, rubbing her eye. It hurts to see her upset.

"I want you to know that you actually handled that pretty well considering the circumstances." I tell her, wondering how long she's had to put up with this. 

"Thanks." She says quietly.

"Is there more that you could tell me about Dutch?" I ask, hoping she'll answer a few of my questions.

"Well, he and my mother met when I was around seven. He had been visiting Chicago from London. She started going out more and more when she knew him." Laura explains, pacing a bit. "I had my close friend who had previously delt with a close relative who treated her similar to how Dutch treated me, and she gave me tips. The nights before my mom disappeared, I was home alone with him at some point. It didn't end well for me. " Laura says the last two sentences quickly, not wanting to elaborate. I assume he sexually assaulted her. "I hadn't seen him after the incident until earlier today."

"I don't know what to say..." I reply truthfully. "Did you ever tell your mum?" 

Laura hesitates. "I should've. Dutch said he would hurt her if I told."

"Was it just the one time?" I ask, hoping she understands what I'm referring to.

"Sort of." She replies, keeping her head down.

"What do you mean by 'sort of'?" I ask, deeply confused.

"The one time right before she... disappeared, and a couple incidents like the alleyway today. He would usually tell me he fancied me because I looked so much like my mom... and I miss her so much. The real her; not the one Dutch made." She twists a band around her wrist, reminding me of what she's done to herself.

"Laura, why didn't you tell me about him earlier?" I ask, hoping not to upset her further.

"There was nothing to talk about at the time." She says quietly.

I want to reply 'there is everything to talk about', but I keep my mouth shut. "Do you want talk?" I ask. I've asked her a hundred times before, hoping she'll say yes.

"Not really." She replies. If I had a dollar for every time...

"That's okay."

Ashley POV: 

I woke up again, white light blinding me. I had to shut my eyes, it was so bright. A steady beeping beat filled the room. I felt soft sheets over my body and a pillow under my head. Something itchy surrounds my ankle. It pains me to open my eyes, but when I do, the air around me isn't familiarly clear. It's almost like when you rub your eyes too hard and the coloured blobs appear. The bold shades are more vibrant and covered every surface around me. I'm almost in such awe of the hues dancing in front of me that I don't notice where I am. I find myself in a hospital bed. The first thoughts strike me.

Who brought me here?

Did the guys that had me get caught?

Where is the nearest nurse?

I look around, my eyes scanning a bedside table with a glass of water set on top of a chart with my full name on it with checks in some boxes, along with notes written on the side. My eyes gloss over tissue boxes and pill bottles to find a call button. I reach out and press it alms t the moment I've processed it. I grab the glass of water too, taking a big gulp. I notice a pastel pink envelope on the table hiding behind a thermometer. I pull it over and examine the front.