The Poor Soul

She Speaks

(Ariel's POV)

I am kneeling on the ground with Ella's head in my lap, holding bunched up paper towels against her forhead. There is blood pooled on the ground around us, she's bleeding so much. What the hell happened? She was gone for five minutes, maximum. I really like Ella she seems so real and not fake like all the people who used to want to be my friend back in California, apperently when you have money and your mom has fashion lines she needs models for, that's all girls care about and try to snake their way in. Ella isn't like that, she's the best friend I have always wanted and needed. I already called my brother, the boys took the groceries to the car. I need their help, I don't know how to handle this situation. I have tears streaming down on my face, she passed out and idk what to do. Her pulse is faint but she is still breathing.

"Don't die on me, Ella." I cry. "Your my best friend. Please."

At that point the door opens and the guys walk in bickering.

"I don't think it's right to go in the girls bathroom." Aron complains.

"Surprisingly I have to agree." Justin says.

"Ariel said it was an emergency, just close your eyes." Travis replies.

"Dude what if it's a monthly emergency." Aron says with wide eyes. At that they all look shocked and start to head back out the door before I stop them.

"GUYS." I yell. "I need your help, please I don't know what to do." Then I start crying hysterically again. At that they all sigh and come rushing around the corner to me. When they see Ella and I on the ground they all gasp and look pale.

"What the hell happen?" Travis asked.

"Where is all that blood coming from?" Justin asks.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Aron says and runs to a stall, puking.

"What do we do?" I cry out hoping my brother will help me in this situation. Maybe they are in shock. "Her heads bleeding, she passed out and now her pulse is faint."

"Call 911." Travis says to Justin. Justin takes out his phone and starts dialing.

"Yes, hello. We are at Spartan Market down the road from Princeton University." Justin takes a deep breath. "There is a girl, who hit her head in the bathroom. She's bleeding and passed out." He listens to something they are saying and answers with, "I don't know what happen to her, can you just get us help." "Alright thank you." Then he hangs up.

"They are on their way." Justin breaths out.

"Are you okay?" I ask Aron.

"Yes. I'm good. Do you need someone to take over putting pressure on her head?" He asks while gagging a little from looking at me in the blood.

I shake my head no, "I'm good. Can you guys take my car home and then get us from the hospital later?" I ask.

"I'm not leaving you" Travis states.

"Me neither." Aron says. While Justin still looks in shock. Aron nudges him.

"We aren't going anywhere." Justin replies.

"We can't all go in the ambulance, just bring our food to my dorm room and then meet me in the hospital." I say. "I can't leave her, she's my best friend."

They nod in agreement, "After you two go in the ambulance, we will do that." Travis says.

A couple minutes later, two paramedics rush in with a stretcher and medical bag.

"I need you to step back ma'am." One of them says as I get up and walk back into my brothers arms crying in his chest.

"It's okay sis, she will be fine." Travis whispers in my ear.

The two paramedics shove a breathing tube down Ella's throat and hook up an IV, trying to assess the damage.

"We need to get her to the hospital right now." They say. They load her on the stretcher and I start following them till they turn to me, "Only family can ride in an ambulance with a patient." one of them says to me.

"I'm her sister." I say without thinking.

They look between me and her and I realize we don't look alike so I decide to speak, "She looks like our mom and I look like our dad, is that a problem?"

They shake their head no while I continue following them and I hear the boys snickering behind me for the way I talked to the paramedics. I get into the ambulance with Ella and we head to the hospital. Once we are there they rush her in and I wait in the waiting room while they run test, after an hour they finally call me into her room.

"Hello I'm doctor Johnson, are you related to Ella." Doctor Johnson ask.

"Yes, I'm her sister." I say. He looks between us a few times and I narrow my eyes at him.

He just shakes his head in amusement, "She had a brain bleed, we rushed her into surgery, she should be fine but we don't know if or when she will wake up. Brain injuries are a serious thing, miss. Also do you know how she got all the bruises on her?" He asks.

I look at him puzzled, "What do you mean? I mean she must have fell in the bathroom so I'm sure she got some bruise during that time."

"Yes she has a bump on her hip where she hit on the fall, but the rest are old bruises." He says lifting her gown to show me.

I gasp, "I didn't know they were even there." I say with tears in my eyes.

The doctor gives me a hug, "No one ever sees the signs of abuse. It's alright. Do you know her age?"

I nod my head, "She's sixteen but we live at the University."

"Okay" Doctor Johnson says. " I won't call and report this for now unless I see her come back still covered in bruises." I nod my head sadly at him, wondering how my poor friend got so beaten up and now considering that maybe she didn't just fall in the bathroom. He walks out giving me a sad smile, she obviously didn't want anyone to know so I cover her tightly with the blankets, to make sure no one can see. A few minutes later the guys walk in and I run into my brothers arms.

"She had a brain bleed and and and had to have surgery and and and .... " I start sobbing in my brother's chest.

"It's okay, Ariel, it's going to be okay." Travis says trying to calm me down.

"She's been beaten. So bad." I whisper to my brother but with my sob's I'm sure they all heard me.

Justin clenches his fist and hits the table making me jump, "I'll kill who ever did it." Then he storms out of the room.

"I'll go stop him." Aron says and runs after Justin.

"I should probably help Ariel, you know how he gets when he's mad." Travis says, I wipe my eyes and nod in agreement.

"Okay" I say while giving him an encouraging smile. I then take a seat next to Ella and hold her hand, while I watch my brother leave after his friends. I put my head down on Ella's hand and whisper, "Come back to me, your my best friend, I'll keep you safe. I promise." Then I dose off.

(Ella's POV)

I woke up to a pounding headache. I can hear a beeping noise around me, but I can't open my eyes. it's like they are glued shut. Come on Ella, wake up. Get up you can do this. I slowly start blinking my eyes and look around. I'm in a white room that smells like cleaning supplies, with machines hooked up all around me. The hospital. I look around and see Ariel holding my hand with her head on the bed sleeping. Awe. She looks adorable. I just keep looking around until about ten minutes later I hear the door open and jump, whipping my head towards the door. Ariel jumps up and looks at the door, watching the three boys walk in.

"Hey" Ariel says, sighing in exhaustion.

"Hey sis you okay?" Travis says.

"Yea I just wish Ella would wake up." She says quietly but I hear her. I turn towards her and sit up. She jumps and wraps me up into a hug, a tight one.

"Oh my God, your awake. I can't believe it, I was so worried." She cries out, hugging me tighter. I tap her arm, because she's squeezing the air out of me. She pulls away alittle and smiles sheepishly at me, "Sorry" she mumbles. I pat her head and pull her in for another hug. She releases after a few minutes and sits next to me.

"What happen?" Travis asks.

Ariel sighs, "She's not going to talk to you guys. Ask her yes or no questions, or no questions at all." She turns to me. "Does anything hurt?" I nod and point at my head.

"I'll get the doctor" Justin says and walks out of the room, in less than a minute he walks back in the room with an older man.

"She says her head hurts." Ariel says.

"I'm happy your awake, I'll give you some pain medication for your head. I'm doctor Johnson, Can you tell me what happened?" Doctor Johnson asked.

I just stared at him, while he waited for an answer. I will not talk, I can't risk my friends or my own life.

"Okay, can you tell me why your body is covered from neck to toes with bruises?" He asks and I see Justin and Travis tense in my side view.

I just stare at him emotionlessly, waiting for him to give up on an answer.

"Maybe if I give you a few minutes you will be able to tell me." He sighs and walks out the door.

"Did you fall?" Travis asks. I shake my head no. "I didn't think so." He murmurs.

"Did someone hurt you?" Aron ask. I nod my head in agreement.

"Who did it?" Justin gritted out. I shrinked back and stare at him emotionlessly.

Justin sighed, "I'm sorry. " I nod to him and then turn away.

The nurse walks in and puts pain meds through my IV and exits the room after wishing me to feel better.

"Do you want to talk alone?" Ariel asks and I nod a yes.

"Can you boys go get us a coffee, from down the road though. Not the nasty stuff in the hospital." Ariel says scrunching up her nose. I smile and do a silent giggle in response. The boys nod and say they will be right back. They walk out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"Who did this to you?" Ariel asks with tears in her eyes. I debate on answering her even though she doesn't expect one you can tell that she was asking more to herself and also blaming herself, this isn't her fault though. I need to re assure her. I take a sip of the water next to my bed and then turn to her. She looks up at me smiling. "I'll protect you Ella. It will all be okay." At that point I know I can trust her and I can tell her the truth.

"My Uncle Ed Mead did this, he threatened you guys to me too and then slammed my head against the sink. He has beaten me since my parents died when i was two, in a car crash, specially if I ever spoke a word." I say in a whisper. She stares at me shocked for a good five minutes till she smiles widely at me.

"He will never hurt you again and your voice sounds like an angel speaking, it's memorizing. You should use it more. Do you want to go home?" She asks, excitedly.

I nod, "Yes please."

She smiles, "I'll never get tired of your voice. I'll go tell the doctor, you get dressed." She jumps up handing me my clothes and rushes out of the room. I quickly get dressed, being careful of the IV and when I'm done, sit on the bed exhausted. Ariel and the doctor come into the room.

"You ready to go home?" Doctor Johnson asks. I nod my head a yes. He starts talking my IV out and continues talking, "Your sister told me who did this and i already have pictures of all your bruises. I'll file a police report and he should be arrested in no time." Sister? I look at Ariel and she's smiling sheepishly at me. Of course she said she's my sister. I smile at her and then the doctor and nod my head in acknowledgement. He nods us a good bye and we start walking to the exit. When we are about to walk out the door the guys push the door open, starring at us wide eye.

"We are leaving." Ariel says and they all nod, speechless. She grabs my hand and pulls me to the car. "If you three don't get in, I'll leave you behind." The three guys scurry into the vehicle and I follow suit, buckling up and waiting for Ariel to start going. We get back to the dorms with fast food in our arms heading to our room. We go to our room and the boys bid us a goodbye while Ariel and I eat and then head off to bed. I'm exhausted. Hopefully I don't have to worry about my uncle anymore.