Bad Liar

Chapter Eight

~Mick P.O.V~

"You think Alice is okay?" Linda asked as she wiped down the bar, the last few customers were gathering their stuff and leaving, I set the last chair on top of the table and walked back behind the bar.
"I'm sure she's fine baby, she's with Bex and I spoke to Martin before she went over and just told him to keep an eye on her." I reassured her, Linda opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by the pub doors flinging open. Alice stumbled through the door and stopped for a split second looking over at me.

"Alice baby you okay?" I questioned gently, the bags she was carrying dropped the floor and she darted off and upstairs, I turned on my heels to run up after her, "Mick I need to speak to you two, it's about Al." I stopped myself and turned back round toward Stacey, she walked right up to the bar looking down at the dark wood before gazing back up, her eyes flitting between Linda and I.
"What's happened, why is she in such a state?" Linda pressed nervously.
"Look I don't know how to say this but I noticed some marks on her wrist." Stacey paused, rubbing her hands across her face.
"What marks? Stacey what you on about?" I asked quickly, the worry in my chest was tightening as my body tried to fight the current urge to run upstairs, knowing something wasn't right.
"They were cuts, she's been cutting herself." Everything seemed to stop, I felt Linda's cold hand grab my arm and my heart plummeted to my stomach.
"Oh my god Mick." I turned on my heels and ran up the stairs frantically turning into Alice's room, her bed was unmade from this morning clothes strewn everywhere.
"Dad what's the matter?" Johnny walked out into the landing yawning, his face clouded with sleep.
"Where's Alice?" I asked quickly grabbing him by the shoulders.
"I don't know."
"For god sake who's in the bathroom." Nancy moaned from behind me hammering on the door, "Nancy move out the way." She quickly moved out the way a confused look her face.

"Alice baby open this door please." I said firmly, placing my ear to wood trying to hear her on the other side, there was nothing.
"Mick where is she?" Linda came running up the stairs, tears sticking to her cheeks.
"Mum what's going on?" Johnny asked.
I hammered on the door once more and there was still nothing from the other side, "Mick break it down, break it down Mick now!" Linda frantically cried, I took a couple steps back before kicking my foot at the space of wood just by the door handle - putting my full force behind it. The door rattled but didn't give, so I did it again the door flew open banging into the wall behind it.

I ran into the bathroom slipping slightly on something, I looked down on seeing the sticky red substance then I saw Alice, her body was slumped against the bath one leg tucked under her at an uncomfortable angle, her head lulled down to the right side. Sinking down to my knees I vigorously shook her shoulders, her head moved lightly and her eyes so slightly opened.
"Alice, Alice wake up." I said shaking her even more, "Love you." Alice murmured under her breath slightly before her eyes slipped shut again.
"Linda call an ambulance now." I shouted, Linda stood in the door stock still in complete shock, I saw Nance run off into her room coming back out with her phone Linda rushed into the bathroom and dropped by her side, crying.
I picked up her arms there was three deep slashes on her right wrist and one long but not as deep vertical one on her right arm, bright scarlet blood pulsed from both wrists, I reached onto the side and grabbed two towels passing one to Linda "Linda put that on her arm, put as much pressure on it as you can." I instructed, on the surface I was calm but inside it was like someone had kicked a wasps nest and they were swarming inside my chest.
Taking the other towel I put it on her right wrist grimacing as I felt the blood slip along my hands.

"How far is the ambulance Nance." I asked desperately trying to wake Al back up, "They'll be here in five, the woman says keep pressure on her arms and keep checking her breathing." Luckily she was still breathing, her breaths were shallow but they were there. "I'll go down and let them in." Johnny ran downstairs his feet thundering against the wooden stairs.
"Why didn't we notice?" Linda asked, I looked over at her completely unsure of what to say, "I don't know." Deep down we both knew things were worse than Al was telling us but neither of us knew how to approach the matter. We knew she was lying in the doctors office when he asked if she'd self harmed or felt suicidal, we knew, but who wants to admit that their child, their beautiful child is capable of lying to such an extent, that they are in so much pain they lie this way. Maybe that was us being cowards, maybe that was us being unfit parents but maybe this was Alice maybe this was kept hidden from us and no matter how hard we pushed she'd still continue to hide and run from us.