Grandmia's Perfect Russian Princess

Chapter 7: Love at First Flight

2 days later- Kellan Baptist

Annae hadn't woken up in 2 days, I refused to leave the hospital and my mother had gone to the airport because Annae's friends Charley and Eva had taken an emergency flight back from Germany, they didn't want to leave Annae on her own.

Grandmia had come to see Annae yesterday and her mother didn't bother to even call us, just to check if her daughter was alright. At the moment her dad was in there with her, when he first laid eyes on her battered body he started to cry. Love and regret shone from his eyes, it made me wonder how a man could leave his daughter, especially with a woman who hated her so much.

My phone buzzed just as Niall came round the corner, obviously it was the end of his shift and by the small smile he had news. As Niall took a seat next to me, I flipped my phone open and glanced at the next mum had sent me, 'Just outside' was all it said. I sighed in relief.

Charley

I got of Mrs. Baptist's car with Eva falling behind me, we got the news yesterday that Annae had been badly injured and was in a slight coma type state. The guy-Kellan-said that maybe familiar people would help her get through it, I step into the hospitals busy reception and look around, letting Mrs. Baptist lead the way inside and to Annae's room.

A dark browned haired boy stood up and kissed Mrs. Baptist-Kara-on the cheek, then took a look at us. Next to him was a totally gorgeous blonde haired boy, with blue eyes and a straight nose, my heart started beating faster and any thought I had in my head seemed to drop out my ear and onto the floor.

Kara turns to us and smiles. "Girls these are my sons, Kellan," she points to the brown haired one and then points to the blonde. "And this is Niall, he volunteers here at the hospital and has been keeping us posted on Annae's condition. You may go in and see her now." She gushed.

Niall caught Charley staring and gives her a grin, Charley turns her head and blushes. Eva gives her a knowing look and walks to Annae's door.

Eva slowly opens the door and steps in, I follow right behind her and choke back a sob. Pipes and drains coming out of all parts of her body and her skin was pasty and the most pale I have ever seen it. She looked like the living dead, I look over at Eva and burst into tears.

"She doesn't deserve this, she was always nice and she took care of us. Why did this happen to her, Eva?" I choke out between sobs, Eva hugs me tightly and shakes her head.

The hospital room door slams open and Kelsey rushes in, Belle and Kenna walking just behind her, the room was kinda crowded with sobbing people. It was getting too crowded for me and I rush out the room, feeling dizzy and like I was going to faint. Kellan and Kara were gone, maybe to get changed or the cafeteria. I really couldn't care less, one of bestest friends was in a horrifying state and I was losing my cool. I sobbed into my hand and took a seat in one of the blue plastic hospital chairs. Someone slid into the one next to me and sighed, I turn my head slightly and a sob gets caught in my throat, Niall reaches into his pocket.

"She's going to be okay, ya know." His smooth Irish accent sliding through me like the notes of a well-tuned piano, I turn slightly and take the tissue he holds out for me.

"Thank you," I whisper in a shaky voice.

He nods and takes my hand, pulling me up from the plastic chair. "Come on, I think you need some fresh air and I need to get outta here."

I follow him out of the hospital and into a sleek, black Toyota, even his set of wheels was hot. I shake my head and shove the tissue into my jeans pocket. "I've just...just never seen her so vulnerable and weak, she was always the headstrong one out of our group and she was the glue that kept us together." I straighten up in the leather seat and exhale a long breath. "I've never seen her like this and...I can't anything about it."

Niall glances at me and then looks back at the road. "I take it you don't know how this happened?" He asks, I shake my head and he groans. "Maybe you shouldn't know then."

I give him a sharp look and close my eyes for a second. "Her grandmother said she fell down the stairs."

He gives a short, disgusted laugh and smirks ruefully. "Grandmia would say that, always wants to protect her precious little daughter. That old bat doesn't even know, doesn't know what goes on inside her daughters house! Do you know what happened to Annae's brother?"

I stare at the road ahead. "He moved away." I state in an emotionless voice.

"He was taken away, social services took Annae's brother away because Andrean was an unfit mother and couldn't look after him. He was taken away last year and now lives with two of the loveliest people in America." He grounds out through clenched teeth, I turn my gaze to him and my jaw becomes slack. "Annae doesn't talk about her life at home, only Jen and I know what goes on and that's only because she let it slip when she was little. She doesn't actually know that we know, she thinks it will hurt Jen. I only found out because I heard the screaming one day, that's why I left home I couldn't stand what that woman was doing to Annae."

I look at him and see his hands gripping the stirring wheel, knuckles turned white and face pinched and taught. "What was happening at her home?" I ask my voice a whisper.

"Annae was being beaten and her brother would have been too, if she didn't protect him. This has happened before, she has been to hospital before because the beatings became too brutal. But she never complained, never said a word and she always blamed it on her clumsiness, saying she fell down the stairs. I tried to do something, the police never believed me and Grandmia called me an insolent child and a crazy man. I tried to help." Niall stops the car at a ridge near the edge of a small cliff. He jumps out the car and walks to the edge, his hands balled at his sides.

I stare at him in horror and realisation hits me like a ton of bricks, memories assault me and I feel like an idiot.

2 years ago

I look at Annae and frown, her left eye was swollen and red, her lip split open and a gash was going down the length of her cheek. "Hey, are you okay?" I ask her, she nods and smiles her grey/green eyes flash with humour.

"Word of advise, when playing with your siblings, don't turn your back. My brother pushed me and I fell down the stairs. I'm okay, don't worry about me." She turns to look out the window and I simply smile, she can be really clumsy sometimes.

1 year ago

Annae steps onto the bus and limps her way to us, her cheek bruised and she holds tightly to her ribs.

She said she was fine, that she fell over and down a flight of stairs.

It was always that excuse of stairs, she always fell down the stairs. Why didn't I realise that she was being beaten?