you're the only thing that's keeping me alive

chapter 10

I tell them my strange tale, leaving out the part involving saving Tony and point out my face on the photo. I tell them William was wronged and I want to set the record straight, but will need the photo as proof. I feel that it's the least I can do. Catherine tells me she had an older brother who was named after his uncle William and he had hanged himself, aged 30, after an illness. I feel my face drain of colour. Is it some sort of curse?

I ask Tony to take me to the local police station so I can explain what happened. I now have photographic proof of who I am and I hope it's enough. Maybe they'll think I'm a lunatic and lock me away though. My head is so muddled by it all. I feel tears in my eyes and can't control my sobbing. Tony sees how distraught I am and asks me what's wrong. I tell him I'm scared they'll think I'm crazy. He pulls me into a hug and within minutes I start to feel exhausted again. He sees my eyes rolling and takes me back to Vic and Danielle's place. He carries me up the stairs and I feel him lie me down on the bed, before pulling the blanket over me. I'm too exhausted to say anything and I'm shaking with cold again. I hear Tony leaving the room then nothing.

I'm woken up later on by Danielle softly shaking my arm. I look up and see she has a lot of bags.

"Tony told me you've been asleep a while so I thought I'd check on you. Are you feeling ok?"

"I feel fine. I just got tired" I say, smiling.

"Well, I went shopping and I got you some stuff" Danielle tells me, a huge grin on her face. She starts opening the bags and pulls out dresses, skirts, jeans (she told me what they were called), t-shirts (and those), pyjamas, under clothes, shoes - almost as much as was in her own room. I look at her, stunned.

"Is this all for me?" I ask. I must surely be mistaken. She just nods and grins again.

"I don't know if I can accept all of this" I say. "I've no way of paying you back."

"It's a gift. I don't want you to pay me back darling."

"Why though?" I see she's looking a bit sad.

"What's the matter? Don't be sad on me now."

"You remind me so much of my little sister and I miss her so much" she says, a tear escaping her eye.

"What happened to her?" I ask.

"My parents won't let me see her. They don't approve of me dating a musician. They'd prefer for me to be dating an accountant or doctor or someone else so they told me I wasn't welcome there while I was still with Vic and stopped Kiersten from contacting me. She's a lot like you in her kind hearted ways."

I wrap my arms around Danielle and give her a hug. I hold her for a few minutes and suddenly I'm exhausted again. I feel my eyes growing heavy and again, I'm out for the count.