Petal Peak (undergoing major editing)

Chapter Thirteen

A few hours later...

Violet walked slowly into the hospital room, then sat down beside the bed. She listened to the steady beeping of the heart monitor. "Shawn? Can you hear me?" She asked softly, putting her hand in his. "You're a tough cookie, you know that?" She chuckled at that, trying to keep her visit lighthearted. "Which is how I know that you'll make it. And you'll be okay, I just know you will."

Shawn didn't look like he was in any pain at that moment, maybe because he was sedated and hadn't woken up yet.

She sighed. "I wish I had healing powers," she spoke up softly. "Then I'd heal you in a heart beat! You won't be as crabby as Eddie is after this, will you? I know he's only crabby because his back is hurting, but I just hope that you won't be like that." She brought his hand up to her lips, softly kissing it. "You warned us that this would happen, and I'm so sorry for not believing you sooner."

***

Ryman clutched the rope tightly in his hand, as he looked around the house. "Come out, Gray! I know you're out there!" He called out, walking around the yard. "Get out here!" He once again glanced around. "My patience is wearing thin with you!"

No one answered, so he decided to head back into the house, but when he got back inside, Rachel was lying in the floor knocked out. He threw the rope down, then walked into the kitchen, grabbing the sharpest knife that he could find. "No more Mr. Nice Guy!" He called out. "To you or Emma!"

He swung the closet door open. Empty. The cabinets were all empty. He groaned to himself, then slowly walked out of the kitchen towards the next room. "You're dead when I find you! Both of you are!" He called out.

He heard footsteps behind him, then spun around in time to be met head on with a frying pan. He collapsed to the ground.

***

Violet had her head resting on the bed, and her eyes were closed. She was startled awake when she felt his hand close around hers. "Shawn?" She asked, glancing at him.

Shawn had his eyes slightly open, but he wasn't looking at her. "Vi?" He asked softly, finally glancing at her.

"I'm right here," she promised him. "Did you see what happened to Emma? Did you talk to her or anything?"

He struggled to sit up. "She.." he had to think about what happened in the building. "She was.. I don't know.. I.. I don't remember if I talked to her or.. or not.."

"Sh.. it's okay.." she said softly. "I shouldn't have even asked."

"Wh.. what happened?" He asked, after a moment of silence.

"You fell out of the 8th floor window," she told him softly. "Somehow you fell on your left side, that still confuses me how you managed to do that. Most people fall on their heads or backs." She was trying to lighten the mood. "Do you happen to know why you fell out of the 8th floor window? Was you pushed?"

"I.." he tried to think back to what happened.

Then Violet and Emma walked into the room. "Don't do this, Ryman!" Emma called out. "I'll come with you willingly.. but you have to let my sister and Shawn go.."

Shawn glanced at her. "You can't, Em!" Which earned him a smack from Ryman.

Ryman glanced at her, then shook his head. "I can't. But I am glad that you two are here now.. I love you, Em," he whispered. "I have always loved you."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "No, you're obsessed with me!"

"He was there.." he whispered, his voice was so soft that she almost missed what he said. "Ryman was there.." But whatever came after that was still fuzzy in his head.

"Ryman was there?" Violet repeated. "Are you sure?"

"I'm.." He paused again, clearly unsure of what he had just remembered. Did it really happen or maybe it had been a dream?

She frowned, wishing that she hadn't asked him that. "Hey, it's okay. Emma is going to be okay too. I promise." She sighed. "Can you remember anything else about our time in that building?"

He thought back again. All he could really remember was being nervous that something was going to go wrong, pretty much like what happened. He slowly shook his head. "No.. I.. I can't remember anything else.."

"Let me go back to my original question. Do you remember why you fell out of the window? Was you pushed? Did you jump?"

"I.." he tried to focus. The room had been filled with windows which he thought was creepy. "I don't know, okay?! I.. I don't remember!"

She was slightly taken aback by his sudden outburst, but she didn't blame him for that. She was being kind of pushy, maybe because she was worried about her sister. "Did you at least see Emma there? Please, just think back. I need to know."

"I think so.. but I don't really know.. you were there too.."

"I was?" She asked in confusion. "I don't even remember going up to that floor." She sighed. "Did you talk to her?"

"I don't know. And the answer to your next question is I don't know along with the one after that and the one after that." He pulled his hand out of hers, then glanced over at the opposite wall, hoping she would take the hint that he was done talking.

She sighed softly. "Why are you being so short tempered with me right now? I am only searching for answers."

"Everybody wants answers." He shot her a painful glance. "I would help you if I could, but I can't. I don't know what else you want from me. Why ain't you out there searching for Emma? That's where I would be if I could. Your sister needs you."

"But so do you!" She insisted. "Eddie and Dom are looking for Emma right now, I wanted to make sure you was okay. But I didn't know you was going to develop an attitude."

He opened his mouth to say something to that, then closed it again. "I.." He shook his head, then glanced back over at the wall. "Please leave."

"What?" She glanced back at him. "Shawn?" She sighed when he stayed silent. "You're kicking me out? Fine. I'll go." She stood up, grabbing her purse. She walked towards the doorway, then paused to glance back at him. She wanted to say something else, but decided against it as she walked out of the room.