When I opened my eyes, I was in a room, staring at a white, boring wall like any other. I saw daylight streaming in from my right and I turned my head a little to look out the window and the pressure on my head increased slightly but it was endurable.

The sky had finally cleared up, but it seemed to be late afternoon already because the sky was slowly turning more pinkish and purple and even though the sun was already setting behind some other buildings the light seemed unusually bright and I had to squeeze my eyes shut for a couple seconds.

My whole body felt numb and it was hard to concentrate. It was almost like my head was stuffed with cotton wool and everything felt fuzzy. Trying to remember exactly what happened caused the pain in my head to return so I just kept lying still looking around the room.

There was an annoying beeping sound, coming from the monitor next to me, showing my heart rate and it was unusually loud.

I realized that there was also a venous cannula inserted in my hand and suddenly I felt sick. I knew it was stupid but ever since Lainey’s death I couldn’t stand hospitals and everything that was connected to them. Even more so, since Charlie’s diagnosis. My rib cage hurt a little, whenever I took a breath, but the pain was a lot worse earlier. The ringing too, wasn’t gone yet but it was silent and in the back of my head.

I tried not to think about everything too much but suddenly Malcolm’s face appeared in my head and I gulped while I remembered a few blurred details. Damien, our talk, Charlie, and then how we had driven back to our house. And then a big black truck in the front of our house. I gulped while the pressure on my head increased again but at least I still had a clear vision and the room wasn’t spinning.

The door opened and I tilted my head slightly to see who was entering the room. It was Doctor Thomas. When he saw that I was awake he smiled a little.

“Oh, well look who finally woke up. You really took your time, didn’t you?”, he asked jokingly, and I smiled a little.

“Where are Charlie and Damien?”, I asked then, my voice still rough and croaky, and I took a look through the open door, but I couldn’t see anyone.

“Well, Charlie had his chemotherapy just now. He is a little tired, but he cannot wait to see you so I thought I would go and check on you. How are you feeling?”, he asked, and I shrugged a little.

“Not too well, to be honest. I feel like I can’t think straight anymore and there is this weird pressure on my head. Everything kind of hurts and I am trying to remember everything that happened, but I just can’t…”, I croaked, and he nodded.

“Your memory should return pretty soon. I talked to your doctor and it seems like you have a pretty severe concussion, but you’ll be okay and there probably won’t be any long term affects. But I didn’t mean just physical. How are you holding up with everything else?”

I swallowed and looked down on the floor.

“There is just a lot going on. I mean with Malcolm coming back, Damien and the fact that he wants me to pack my bags and move back to New York and also with Charlie. I know he is trying to be brave, but… I just want him to get better.”

I tried to breathe steady and calm, but it was hard with so many things swirling around in my head.

“You are going back to New York?”, he asked surprised, and I nodded again.

“It is where his family and job are and I mean I can’t really say no to that after I just told him that I kept his son a secret for almost 5 years so yeah, I am going. I mean I don’t really have a choice here.”, I admitted and sighed.

“He just wants the best for Charlie. And for you too. Also, he seemed to be pretty reasonable, considering the circumstances.”

I couldn’t help but notice that he sounded a little reproachful which meant that he too, probably knew that it had been just today that I had told Damien the truth.

“Yeah, I guess he has handled the whole situation pretty well.”, said vaguely and remembered our conversation in the park. I didn’t know how I would have reacted, but I was the last person that had the right to accuse Damien of anything.

“Anyways. He also seemed to pretty worried about you.” I flushed.

He had? Even though my body felt numb there was a little tingling in stomach.

“Where is he?”, I asked after I remembered that Doctor Thomas hadn’t answered me earlier. He grimaced a little as if he weren’t sure if he should tell me, but then he started talking.

“He is speaking to police about what happened at your house.”

I raised an eyebrow and for a second, I got mad because he had called the police without my consent but then I remembered.

He had been here, Malcolm had come here and talked to Charlie. God knows what could have happened and Charlie wasn’t just my son. He was Damien’s son too and for Malcolm to go to prison was in our all’s best interest.

“Okay. Good. Do they want to talk to me too?”, I asked and for a short moment Doctor Thomas seemed to be surprised by my reaction but then he nodded.

“Yes, they do but they will have to come back tomorrow. Your doctor’s order. You are pretty battered, and you need to get some more rest. I will send Charlie in later after your doctor checked you through again.”

I nodded and closed my eyes again when Doctor Thomas left the room.

I tried to sleep but whenever I closed my eyes Malcolm’s face appeared in my mind again and it scared me. Even thinking about that he could have hurt Charlie made me want to scream. I felt the numbness leaving by body and the pain came back slowly, but steady. I didn’t know how long I just laid there until a woman I her mid-50s came in. I opened my eyes and she smiled warmly.

“Sorry, it took me so long. There were some other patients I needed to see. How are you feeling?”, she asked, and I told her the same things I had told Doctor Thomas.

She checked me through and after she left a nurse came in and gave me some more medications. Whatever it was kicked in pretty fast and I was dosing off.

At least until I suddenly heard the title song of Captains of the Caribbean buzzing in my ears and I jerked which caused my ribcage to ache again but the numbness of by body slowly came back and it didn’t hurt as bad as I would have expected.

For a few seconds I was confused where the sound was coming from but then I remembered that it was the ringtone of my phone, that was somehow lying next to my bed on a little table, together with my wallet.

I saw Celia’s name on the display, and I gasped. I had completely forgotten to call her! She must have been so worried! Moaning in pain when I turned, I grabbed the phone from the table and then laid back down, taking a few deep breaths before I answered the phone.

“Ally?”, she asked when I picked up the phone, her voice higher than usual. I had originally promised her to call her as soon as I had spoken to Damien, but I had totally forgotten about it.

“Hi Celia.”, I answered, and my voice was still hoarse.

“Where are you? I drove to your house and I saw the door standing open. There was blood on the floor. What the hell happened?”, she screamed, and I flinched. Her loud voice worsened my headache.

“I am in the hospital. Malcolm came back and there were some other complications.”, I said like it was nothing and Celia was silent for a couple of seconds.

“Celia?”

“I’ll be there in 15 minutes. No, wait. 10 minutes. Don’t go anywhere.”, she demanded and without another word she hang up on me. I wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Doctor Thomas and my other Doctor as well, had given me strict orders not to leave my bed.

I wanted to wait for Celia, she had a right to know what happened and I did everything to keep my eyes open but somehow they kept shutting. I didn’t even last for 5 minutes before I fell asleep and the world turned black again.

The next time I opened my eyes Damien was sitting on a chair next to me. It was already dark outside. I cleared my throat and he looked up. When I saw I was awake he smiled a little.

“Hey.”, he said and suddenly my guilty consciousness was back.

We were probably supposed to be in New York already. Damien looked tired and he was still wearing the same suit as this morning. And was that blood on his sleeve? My blood?

I swallowed and bit my lip.

“I am sorry.” He looked up in confusion.

“For what exactly?”

“For all of this. For not telling you earlier, for only telling you because we need money, because I know that is pathetic, for Malcolm, for ruining your plans of leaving today, for the thing that happened in the elevator, for being an emotional wreck and for everything else I did wrong in the last 5 years. I know this isn’t any easier for you than it is for me.”, I answered, and Damien smirked a little which made my tummy all warm and tingly again for some stupid reason.

It was probably just some weird side effect of the pain killers.

“My parents have been waiting for a grandchild to spoil for so long. They can wait a couple more days and we won’t do anything that could risk yours or Charlie’s health.”, he responded, and I smiled back at him a little. I was wondering what his parents were like.

“So, when do you want to leave then?”

“We won’t leave unless you feel comfortable enough to get on a plane and unless we have the okay from your doctor. Also, Doctor Thomas seems to have a lot of expertise. Charlie is in good hands here, so we are not in a rush.”

I nodded.

“Doctor Thomas is great. I think he has even received a couple of awards. He is an amazing doctor.”, I said giving him a weak grin and we both said nothing again until he got up and grabbed my pale hand.

“I am sorry too Ally. All of us make mistakes. Heaven knows I do. You and Charlie have been through so much… Just- Just promise me that you won’t lie to me anymore. Everything would have been so much easier if you had been honest to me from the start.”

It seemed to be hard for him to admit that and I squeezed his hand a little.

“You are right.”

He let my hand go and stood up.

“Rest a little.”, he said and then he left and even though I probably hadn’t done anything besides resting and sleeping all day my body still felt sore. I was just about to close my eyes again when the door slammed open and Celia stormed in.

I had totally forgotten that she had to be here too.