Written in the Rockstars (Completed)

Chapter 10- And So It Begins

My eyelids fluttered open and I frowned as my hazy vision cleared,  revealing a gleaming, sterilised ceiling.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

I heard the harsh sound of my heart monitor and groaned. 

I was in the hospital.

"She's awake!" A familiar voice cried out.

"Jack?" I croaked, trying to sit up.

"Yeah, I'm here. No, it's okay, just lie still," he said softly.

"Why am I here?" I asked.

"You fainted at work," he told me.

"Oh, yeah." 

It all came flooding back: Abbey's girls and...

"She's coming out tomorrow," I groaned.

"What?" Jack frowned.

"Abbey. She's-" 

"Annabel," Jack interrupted, "Abbey was let out of prison yesterday."

"How long have I been out?" 

"Couple of hours," he replied.

I frowned, my eyebrows knitted together. That didn't make sense. The girls had said Abbey was coming out of prison a day later. But she was already out?

"How long have you known?" I asked.

"I literally just found out. It was on the radio when I was driving here," he explained.

"Oh. Well, Abbey's daughters were in my class today. They told me she's coming out tomorrow."

"Abbey does like to lie. She'll probably go to the clubs and get pregnant... again," he said coldly.

"How many kids does she have?"

"Seven. Four girls and three boys. Was it the triplets you met today?" He asked.

"Yeah. Snotty little cows," I growled.

"Mmm Hmmm. She had them when she was fifteen.  All of the kids have different fathers," he told me, grimacing.

"Rather her than me."

The nurse came a few minutes later and told me that they would probably send me home in a few hours. In the meantime, I was instructed to rest. So I turned onto my side and the second I shut my eyes, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

I woke up an hour later and saw Jack outside of the ward, pacing and talking to someone on the phone. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and rubbed my eyes. I changed from the hideous hospital gown and pulled my hoodie over my dishevelled hair. I shoved all of my belongings into my bag and shuffled lazily into the bathroom. I threw water onto my face to wake me up a bit, but it didn't work.

"You alright, m'love?" A woman in a blue apron asked.

"I feel like death," I mumbled.

"Oh dear. Why don't you sit yourself down? We don't want you keeling over," she advised, wheeling her cleaning trolley into the bathroom.

I sat back down on my bed and glanced outside, where Jack was still on the phone. A nurse wandered into the ward, checking up on some of the patients.

"Excuse me?" I said.

"Yes?"

"That's my boyfriend out there. D'you know if there's anything wrong?" I asked.

"Oh, he told me to tell you that he had to make an important call about... what was the name? Abbey, i think it was. He said he would take you home when he's finished," she told me.

"Okay, thanks."

She turned and continued down the ward as I watched Jack through the window, chewing his lip nervously. I knew how he felt. Abbey was out of prison and it was going to mess everything up. We were happy, with good jobs and family and each other. One cruel person could change everything.

Finally, Jack returned to the ward, his face as white as a sheet.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.

"Let's get you sorted before I tell you anything. I actually want to make it out of the hospital without you  fainting," he replied grimly.

He carried my bag as we ambled down the corridors of the hospital, which all looked the same to me. Everything around me was glistening and white, with not a speck of dirt or dust anywhere. All of the staff were positively gleaming with cleanliness and purity.

 All of a sudden my eyes were blinded by the sunlight as we entered the car park. I shielded my eyes with the back of my hand as Jack guided me towards his red Fiat 500. I climbed into the front seat and, as he turned the engine on, stared at him pointedly.

"What?"

"I want to know who, what and why," I demanded.

"Fine. What: I was phoning a policeman. Who: P.C Henley. Why: because I wanted to know Abbey's rights," he told me.

"Well. Blow me down with a feather. You gave me so much information, I feel like my brain is going to explode," I snapped sarcastically, "Explain."

He sighed. "P.C Henley was the policeman who was covering Abbey's case. I figured that if I rang him then he would be able to tell me what was going on. I was worried, Annabel. So I asked him about Abbey's rights. For example, if there are any restrictions to how close she can come near us, et cetera. It appears that unless we apply for a restraining order, she can do what she wants," he explained.

"That's what we have to do then," I decided.

"I don't know if it will make a difference. If she wants to get to us then she will just do it without hurting us directly," he said.

" How d'you mean? "

" By targeting family and friends- hence,  Lucy and your mum, " he said.

The journey home was completely silent.  Neither of us knew what to say.  We were both scared.

"You should phone your mum," Jack reminded me as he unlocked the front door.

I nodded and picked up the phone when I entered the house.

The phone rang five times before she picked up :

" Hello? "

" Hi, mum. It's me, Annabel. "

" Annabel!  I need to..."

She screamed.

" Mum? Mum? MUM!!!"

" HELP!  ABB-"

And the line cut off.

Abbey.