Stay with me

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Ryans POV

After watching jake get thrown into the back of a squad car I speed off to the hospital. She can't be gone. I cant lose her. My phone has been ringing nonstop but I cant think about that. I just focus on getting to the hospital. I finally arrive and barely remember to shift my car into park before I run out of the car. I get inside and yell her name. The receptionist walks over to me and leads me to the waiting room and explains they are working on her right now but since I'm not technically family they can't give out anymore information. I throw my weight into the chair and sob. I hear faint screaming and see carolines mom run in the hospital. "Mrs collins!" She runs over to me and engulfs me into a hug. "Ryan, sweetheart what happened the 911 operator didn't say anything other than to get ti the hospital that it was caroline." She managed to get out all in one breath.

"She tried to kill herself." I pause wiping the tears from my eyes and rake my hands through my hair almost as if im pulling it out. She just screams. Clearly in shock. She grasps onto my shoulders and her legs buckle. We sit on the bench and I explain to her everything I saw.

"I just dont understand why she would do this. I knew she had a few issues with a couple of kids at school but i didn't think she was struggling this much.." she trailed off. I contemplate whether to tell her everything I know when I ask her "did she tell you who was her main tormentor?" She shook her head no. "I know everything that has happened to caroline. She didn't want anykne to know until we had 100% fool proof evidence. She swore me and jessica to secrecy. I will tell you everything but that is the love of my life in there fighting for her life. Something happened today and I want to find out exactly what. But something else happened that made her feel like she couldn't continue on. I have to break my promise. I hope she can forgive me, because she needs help and I have to tell you the truth" I say shakily. She just grasps my hands and looks me dead in the eye "ryan she could never hate you. Of course she will forgive you but I need to know what happened to my baby girl"

I stay silent for a few moments and she squeezes my hands. I take in a shaky breath and finalky unleash all of my secrets. "It was jake..i know cliche. Hes coles best friend but jake was her main tormentor. Him and madison from school. He would slap her a punch her tease her make her feel as if she's nothing. And the r**e? Yeah that was jake too. She definitely remembers but she swore us to secrecy. She knew with his parents being lawyers and having half of the police force on their side it would be her word against his. r**e kit or not he would have found a way to get off easy. And him staying with yall recently only increased the torment from just at school to school and home. He was always careful to do it when no one was watching. I made sure to interfere when I could but I couldnt be there 100% of the time. I almost got suspended this week for breaking his nose. I swear I am going to kill him. This torment got worse when cole left for Afghanistan. After the r**e he started getting more physical. Thats when we devised a plan. We were going to get him to admit it on video. When he moved into yalls house temporarily we set cameras up....." oh fuck...the cameras. They had to have caught something. "Oh my god, the cameras!"

"Ryan what is it? Keep going please"

"Mrs collins whatever happend today should have been caught on the cameras we set up in the house!" With that i start to run out of the hospital when mrs collins jerks me back.

"You go get the evidence but just so you know i don't blame you. You kept my babies secret. You earned her trust and loyalty and love when she needed it most. I cant imagine jake would do this but none of yall are liars. I believe you. I am disappointed you didn't come to me sooner but I understand you did it for caroline. Go get the footage. Don't tell anyone. Bring it to me. I will try to get ahold of her dad and brother and our lawyers. Im going to kill that son of a b***h for what hes done to my baby." She hugs me tight and sobs into my shoulder. She releases me and i walk out as jessica walks in i explain everything as best I can and let her know im going to get the cameras.

I got the cameras and pulled up carolines laptop. I input the password and plug everything in. The footage comes up and I scroll to the moment when I see any kind of action or movement. I see red. I grip the desk until my knuckles turn white. He is beating her, kicking her, she is spitting blood. I can hear her screams. And just when I think it can't get any worse I watch as this fucker forces himself into her again. Violating her again. I fast forward. I cant watch anymore. Just as im about to close the screen I see her sit on the bed with the gun in her hands. She looks so broken and scared. She's crying. She looks directly at the camera and mutters an im sorry. And I can hear my own screaming in the background and thats when she looses the last bit of hold she has and pulled the trigger. I slam the laptop shut. I swear jake will regret this. I stuff everything into a duffle bag and head back to the hospital. 

I walk in and jessica and her mom are talking to what looks like a nurse. As i walk up to them i hear her say "she's still in surgery but she's a fighter. We are working on getting her stabilized and have the best caridothoracic surgeon in the state working on her. We will keep you updated" with that she walks away. We walk to the bench. "I have everything. Ive watched it. It is the stuff of nightmares.." i say solemnly. "Ryan.." mrs collins warns. Jessica just grabs my hand and nods. "He r***d her again and beat her so bad. I dont know how the beating alone didn't kill her." I say so quietly. She doesn't say anything. She's clearly still in shock from it all. So many emotions pass through her eyes. Eyes that look so much like carolines. Finally settling on what seems to be anger and determination she says "show me" i walk them to an empty room and proceed with showing them the proof.

COLES POV. 2 days after the shooting. 

I've been on edge with this deployment. Everything going on at home surely doesn't help. I've been getting regular letters from my family and jessica. They're honestly the reason I'm able to keep going on here. Im about to head out on a mission. I load my gear into the humvee as im approached by a few decorated officers. I salute them and wait for them to explain why they're here. "Sgt collins you need to come with us" knowing it's no use back talking someone higher up than myself I grab my s**t and follow them along like a puppy. No im a God damned German shepherd. They lead me to an office and see my dad sitting in a chair by himself. "Dad what is going on?" He shrugs and tells me he doesn't know but you can see hes nervous. Him being a commander its nerve wracking seeing him rattled. We sit alone for about 5 minutes before the door quickly opens and shuts. We stand at attention as the chaplain and a few other soldiers come in. This cant be good. "Who died? Everyone from my unit is accounted for" i say quickly. My dad doesn't say anything he just eyes everyone in the room

"You need to sit down. Both of you." The chaplain says. A grim look on his face. We both sit and he just stares at my dad a d area rolls down his cheek. I know they're both friends but what the hell is going on? "Were sending you both stateside effective immediately" he pipes up. "Why what happened?" My dad asks. The chaplain doesn't say anything. "Bill you need to tell me what the f**k is going on now" I freeze. My dad never cusses. Especially around decorated officers, let alone bill

"Its Caroline. We got a call from your wife. Shes been trying to reach yall. But with you all off and on mission these past couple of days she hasn't been able to reach you" he states.

"What happened to my sister?" I finally speak up

"She attempted to commit suicide. She shot herself in the chest with your fathers pistol. She is in a coma on life support. They don't know if she's going to make it. You need to go home. We are sending you boys out asap." I cant even fathom his words. There has to be a mistake. She would never. Would she? Not even 30 seconds after the chaplain tells us this my dad breaks down and sobs. I rush to him and hold him up. I hug my father as tight as I can while he cries. Both of us cry. The chaplain places a hand on both of our backs and starts reciting the lords prayer. Halfway through i pipe up. "Did my mom say why? Why she did it? You said she's been trying to call us" i didn't think it could get worse but the chaplain looses even more color in his face. My dad seems to have snapped at this pojnt and has turned his sorrow into rage. He pins the nearest person to him to the wall which happens to be an staff sergeant. I grab my dads arm but he shrugs me off and he growls out dangerously low. "Someone better tell me everything they know and now before I lose my last stand on patience" even I recoil in fear.

"All we know is that she shot herself in the chest and that your wife said she was r***d. She left letters for everyone." I punch a wall and run out of the room. I get to my bunk and start piling s**t in my bag. Leaving a mess behind me wherever I go. I feel a hand onnmy shoulder and throw an elbow back clocking whoever it is in the nose. I hear a grumbled ouch and a thud. I turn around and see my best friend clutching a bloody nose. Instant regret. "s**t I'm sorry. I just got the worst news and you snuck up on me" i say. "Actually I didn't ive been calling your name for 5 minutes but I guess you didn't hear me. Your dad told me what happened and i wanted to see you before you left. Im here for you man. You're my brother and I got your back." He give me a hug and slaps my back. Time to go home see my sister. Whoever did this to her, im coming for you and i won't show merc