Secrets

Chapter 8

Miranda's POV

I woke up screaming. I sat straight up, trying to catch my breath. I felt like my heart could pound out of my chest. I woke up confused and covered in my own sweat. I had no idea where I was. My room was dark, and I couldn’t see anything. I could feel a sense of panic and unease rise up in my stomach. Just then, someone came running into the room, screaming my name. I recognized the voice, but there was nothing I could do to reassure myself that I was safe.

The person that came into my room was talking to me in a soothing voice. They were petting my hair back, telling me that I was safe and that nothing could hurt me now. I started to relax. They told me that they were going to give me something to help me calm down. I nodded. Even though I didn’t know what was with me, I felt like I could trust them. There was a slight prick in my arm. I instantly started to relax.

When I woke up, I was a lot calmer. I could see the light from the window shining through into my room. I looked around and realized that I was still in my hospital room. I didn’t like being in the dark. I reminded me too much of where I had been. I shivered at the thought. I didn’t want to go back there, but I knew that if I wanted any chance of getting myself some justice, I would have to face that fear. I slowly got out of my bed and stood up. I was finally stable and no longer had an IV or was hooked up to machines constantly. I slowly walked over to the door of my room. My leg was still in a cast. It didn’t hurt too much to walk.

Emily came running over towards me. I smiled at her. She looked nervous but tried to give me a reassuring smile.

“Feeling better sweetie? You were up earlier and were in quite a state of panic.” She grabbed my arm, trying to help me stand a little better.

“I am. Can I go for a walk in the garden?” I smiled at her. She was shocked that I was talking, everyone was. I didn’t want it to be a big deal.

“Of course! Want me to come with you?” She smiled at me, holding my arm to keep me steady.

“Sure.” I smiled the best that I could. I really wanted to be alone for a while to think things through before I talked to the detective. “Emily, do you think that you could call the detective for me today? I think I’m ready to give my side of what happened.” I could feel my knees start to shake with the thought of reliving everything. But I owed it to myself and any other girl that he could have done this to.

“Of course, sweet heart. I’ll do that as soon as we get back.” She smiled at me. She knew that this was going to be a hard day for me. But I knew with the support of my family, that I would be able to make it through.

We walked slowly down the hallway. The hospital was in the shape of a big square and in the middle, there was an area for patients to get outside and enjoy some fresh air. That seemed like the perfect spot to try and gather my thoughts. Emily held the door for me as I stepped outside. The sunshine hit my face and warmed my skin. I smiled instantly. This was the first time I had been outside since I got here. It was exhilarating.

Emily helped me over to one of the tables that was sitting in the sun. I smiled, this made me feel safe. After everything that I had been through, being deprived of sunlight was something I was never going to take for granted again. Emily was quiet. She was watching me for a few moments before she stood up.

“Hey sweetness, I’m going to go call the detective and get myself a coffee. Would you like anything?” She smiled sweetly at me.

“Can I please get a hot chocolate? Maybe some pancakes too?” I smiled and my stomach growled. I really hadn’t eaten much since I’ve been here. But I knew that if I wanted to get through today, I was going to need my strength.

“Of course. I’ll be back shortly. Are you going to be alright by yourself?” I smiled and nodded. I knew that she was just worried about me and didn’t want me to feel like I was alone. “Alright. You stay right here. I’ll be back soon.” She smiled at me and walked off.

I sat there in the sun. Feeling it warm my skin was amazing. I could almost feel it soaking into my body. It was quiet in the garden, no one was out here yet. I hope it stayed that way, at least for a little while. It was so nice not hearing a ton of machines beeping at you or people sticking their heads in your room. It was nice to be by myself, outside. I closed my eyes and just tried to take everything in. I could hear the birds chirping in the trees. I could smell the fresh scent of the flowers from the garden.

“Hey sweetie. I’m back.” Emily’s sweet voice rang in my ears.

I turned around towards her and sat up at the table. She sat down and set a tray of hot chocolate and pancakes in front of me. They smelled amazing. I grabbed my fork and knife and started digging in. These were amazing! Emily watched me in amazement as I devoured the pancakes. She smiled at me when I looked up at her.

“I called Detective Martin. He said he would be over shortly. Are you sure that you’re ready for this? This is a really big deal Miranda.” She looked concerned.

“I need to get my side told. I need to make sure this creep doesn’t do anything else to anyone else. I need justice, Emily.” I had a serious look on my face, but smiled. I wanted to reassure her that I was ready to do this.

“I also called you parents and Leena. They said they would make sure that they were here before Detective Martin got here.” She smiled at me. We both silently enjoyed our warm drinks and stared around the garden for a while.

After about an hour or so, Emily helped me back up to my room. Leena came running over to me and helped me sit in a chair. It wasn’t necessary, but I knew that she wanted to help me. I smiled up at her. Mom came over and gave me a big hug. Dad just kissed me on the check. My room was silent. I think everyone was afraid to talk. They didn’t want to overwhelm me. I appreciated it, but I didn’t want everyone to treat me like I was broken.

“I love you guys. But you don’t have to worry about me. I want to tell my side.” Everyone stared at me for a moment. “I’m not broken. I know you guys want me to be okay. Telling my side and getting justice is going to be good for me.” They just nodded.

“I couldn’t agree more Miranda. It’s great to see you up and out of bed.” I looked over and saw Detective Martin in the doorway. He took a few steps in before shutting the door. He smiled at me and came over to have a seat. I could only smile at him.

“Afternoon Detective.” I said in a small voice.

“Please, call me Daniel.” He smiled. He pulled out a note book and a pen. He was silent for a moment. “Please, start whenever you’re ready. But remember, the more details you can give me, the better of a chance we have to lock this guy up.”

The room was silent, and everyone was watching me intently.