Saved by Gaga

{48}

Joanne has gone out again for a late working dinner. I think they are going for drinks after. Joanne is only have 2 as she declared that was the sensible amount. I have watched Avatar whilst completing the homework i had been emailed by teachers. I also had a long conversation with Jane on the phone. The album was nearly finished so the meeting will not have been too long. Its later than Joanne said so i decide to go out and see what's happening down in the garage under the apartments. I forgot to ask if she was going in the car or not. If she hadn't taken it then it would take her longer to walk home. As soon a i walk out the door i get my answer as to were Joanne was.

I walk out and can see a body slumped against the wall. It looked like Joanne. In all honesty i thought that she may be drunk again. I walk up to her to see that 'drunk' was the wrong thing to think. She has bruises all down her face and arms. And looks ever so bashed up. It really is a sight. I quickly snap into medic me and not best friend me. I have to forget that she is Joanne and just treat her injury's first. If i think about her being my Mum i will cry and not be able to sort it out.

"Joanne? Joanne can you hear me?" i say to her.

"ermggm" i get back as she drearily opens her eyes.

"Joanne what happened?" i ask not really wanting to know but needing to.

"Ermmer a man i think. He had me and then tried to kiss me and i stopped him. He kept trying to get me up against the wall. I kept fighting him off and he kept hitting me. And then i managed to get here. Ugh my head hurts. Everything hurts Millie." she saying a very weak voice.

"Oh Joanne. I'm so sorry lets have a look at your head and then i will sort you out once we manage to get you inside." i say. I was so glad she could remember my name as it meant she still had a memory. Her head hurting was a really bad sign. I think she had had a concussion. Her head is fine there is a bump but its ok. I help her up and she trys to walk but everything is so tender. I lift her up, shes heavy but its not far to the door.

We get inside and i place her down on the sofa. She growns as she lifts her self up into a better position. I grab the first aid kit from under the sink, a drink and some pain killer. I hand her the drink and pain killer as i open up the first aid kit. Even looking at her as a causality she looks bad never mind thinking about my Mum here.

I start to clean up her wounds. She is cut in some places. "Stefani, how did you get cut?" i ask.

"When i kept fighting and it was clear to him that i was not giving in her started to hit me with some thing sharp. Like barbed wire or something. I don't know. I was too distracted." she says.

I clean up the cuts and band aid (put a plaster on) them making sure it is water proof because a bath is next in order. She is less pain now the pain killer has kicked in. I move on to looking at her bruises.

"Joanne, how long have you been outside? Why did you not shout?" i ask her.

"I didn't want everyone fussing i was just going to wait for the pain to pass and then mop myself up. I didn't want you to know either. You are 14 Millie. This is so unfair that people have to know these things happen. I had been there 20 minutes or round abouts." she says.

"Stefani you better not have been bloody trying to protect me from the fact people are assaulted. I do go online and i don't have child settings on. I was hit and thrown around at home. I know what this feels like. He never tried to get me because i was a girl, he had a loyal wife. But i don't need someone who thinks i need shielding. I need someone that knows when to ask for help." i tell her sternly. I am sort of annoyed that she thinks i need protecting.  "Now please recount better what happened now you are with it more."

"I know I'm sorry. I am just a mess, look at me..." she looks ashamed. "I didn't want this to be how you saw your mum."

"Joanne you are not just my Mum you are my best friend so please cut that rubbish about you being a mess. This is not even your fault. What really happened?" i ask because i need to know if anything else could be wrong with her.

"Well i was on my way home by foot as i just wanted to feel the city. Then this man who was like 40 came up to me and said i was hot. He put his hands on my waist. I just removed them and said no thanks. He was pushed me against the wall and started to try and kiss me. I pushed him away. We were in a back street so he was sure no one was going to see. He was such a big strong man. I really had no chance but i did not get taught to fight for nothing. He was now mad too. I don't want to recount the rest but he had his hands all over me. I kicked him and then he started to hit me and started to call me things. I just deflected the words but he could hit hard. He then found, yes, barbed wire and started to hit me with that." she grabs my hand.

"Joanne, sorry." i say. "Lets get you in the bath. You could do with washing it all off. You going to be ok if i go run it?" i ask.

"No A don't go. I'm gonna come with you." she says.

"Ok well I'm not too sure how you are going to do that. You feel like you can walk now? Your legs haven't got any bruises on."

She gets up slowly and walk to the bath room. She sit on the side of the bath whilst i run it and add the bath products that say 'relax' or 'sleep'. She needs both. I sit with her whilst she has a bath and help her out. She still has fear in her eyes.

"Good news: the meeting went so well the album is being announced so soon. We are so nearly done in the studio. We have a few more sessions in England and then we should be done Millie. We can really get the show on the road." she says excitedly trying not to think about everything else this evening.

"I know i know its great. We are going to actually thrash this. And i can't wait to travel around with you. We are going to actually do it together." i tell her.

She pulls PJs and we curl up in her bed together.

"I know we are going to do this. And in the shortest about of time i need you to do this album. Before i really knew you i didn't know if i could release the album because it was too close to my heart. When i was making it and thinking about my Dad's past i thought about you more than ever. I knew it would be so emotional and my fans are not really used to that. But now it will be easier because you are not in my past anymore." she whispers.

"i love you." i tell her.

"And you know its gonna be so strange for my Gran to meet you because from what my Dad has said you are so so like Joanne. All the notes you always leave, the sense of humour you have. You are going to have to meet her tomorrow before we fly. Warning she may cry. Dad says even the way you phrase things is the same." she says.

"Wow. I think Joanne is going to chance so many peoples lives you know Germanotta." i tell her.