Hell To Pay

Burning Pages

"So... You think you heard something?" Dave is chewing his steak while listening to Chris talking. "Yeah, sort of. I mean, that could be my imagination because Taylor clearly didn't hear anything but still..."
"But what if it's really the case? You two should go back there after this and try to talk to her again. We might get another response."
"Yeah, maybe a better response than telling Taylor to shut up." Nate can't help but giggles on his own words. He can imagine Sam's voice when she said those words.

Clearly all of them hope that what Chris heard wasn't only his imagination but an actual sign of her consciousness. Especially for Taylor, he just wants to see her to open her eyes again.

Back to the hospital, they run into Josh who seems quite frantic which makes them all feel anxious about what happened. Taylor tries to calm him down before ask anything to him. "What's going on?"
"Sam...she wasn't in her room. Some of my clothes are gone, which means she might use them to run away from this hospital. So....I ask the front desk about that and one of them said that a woman with her description was actually going out, sitting in a wheelchair with a man behind her. And I have no idea who is this guy...."
"You mean someone took her? Or....Maybe it's Chad? I mean...."
"No Taylor. I called Chad and he said he wasn't even in the hospital today.. and I don't have any guts to tell him that his sister is now missing with someone that no one knows about." Josh slightly became panic and frustrated as he thinks about bad things that could happen to Sam.

••••••

"Where do we go?" Sam just sit there in a wheelchair while they walk around the park. "You don't remember anything before you woke up in hospital?"
"No. What are you talking about?" She tries so hard to recall things before she opened her eyes but can't make any. "Did I miss our anniversary or something?"
"No, Sam. You didn't. I'm just... thinking if you can umm... remember... anything before that."
"I can't. Why you keep asking?"
"Nothing..." Fred kneel down to face her and put both his hands on her cheeks. "... we're going home, okay?"
"Alright. Whatever you said."

••••••

Before Josh or Taylor can call Chad to tell him what happened, he showed up in a rush. "Chad? What are you doing here?" Josh nervously ask him but Chad is just too panic to answer. He looks over here and there. "Are you two were here all the time?" Chad ask them which makes both Taylor and Josh sweaty. "Umm... About that..." Taylor lowered his voice and then Josh says it. "Sam isn't here. I'm so sorry, I should've stay all the time."
"Chad, it wasn't Josh's fault, me and the band supposed to look after her while Josh was looking for something to eat. This is on me.." doesn't matter what both of them said, Chad seems to not paying attention. "Did you guys see if she's out alone or not?"

"How did you find...."
"Listen Taylor, if she's out there with Fred. She will be dead. You hear me?"
"What are you talking about?" Josh can't get what Chad just told them. "She didn't try to kill herself, he did." Taylor can't believe what he just heard. "What? I mean... How did you know that? And... If that's true, what are we doing here? We should be out there looking for her." Taylor is about to leave them but Chad stop him. "No. Neither of us would go out. If Fred see one of us, it would screw everything. Police is already looking for him. I hope they find her fast." Chad looks down, and Taylor know how much Chad scares for his sister's life. But out of the circumstances, they're glad Sam wasn't trying to kill herself in the first place.

Now, all they can do is wait in Taylor's place since it's the closest place from there. They wait hours and hours while keep their phone on stand by.

••••••

"Why we're here in Florida?" Sam looks around at the house that is totally unfamiliar with her eyes. "I bought a new house for us. I prepared this for years." Sam smiles wide when he says that, putting her hands on his cheeks. "I don't need this big house. Can we go back to our old apartment? You being honest and sweet, is all I ever want. That's all."
"Do you think I am?"
"Of course you are. We dated for years and never you flirting with another woman. That's impressive." It seems like she can't even remember the time when he cheated on her twice, so it means she also doesn't remember of what he was doing before she got into hospital. His whole plan to do his unfinished work is now on hold and decided to play along.

"Anyway, you wanna eat something tonight? I can buy some for you." He takes his keys including the house's key so she would not run away. "Umm.. I'm not hungry. It's just I feel kinda dizzy. Can you get me paracetamol or something?"
"I'll try to find some. Stay here, okay?"

••••••

"I can't do this anymore.." Taylor looks at the clock and feels like they should've done something rather than wait. "I know, we all do, Taylor. But police is already out there and I don't want to being clumsy enough and screw their job." Chad seems can't hold his patience anymore but still trying to.

Chad can't stop tapping his toe while both Taylor and Josh is calling everyone they know if maybe they saw her somewhere.

"This is Chad.  Who is this?" His face turns as he pick up the call. "Where the hell are you?"
"Why you sounds panic? I'm here with Fred in Florida. Guess what, he bought a home and asked me to move in with him." Chad quickly mute the call and look at both Josh and Taylor. "something is definitely wrong with her."
"Why did you say that?"

"She's in Florida, with Fred. But she sounds so happy, I don't understand."