Chapter 40

I awoke to beeping. I was laying on something soft and what felt like a blanket was laid on top of me. It smelled like medicine. There was no doubt, I was in the hospital. They found me. Happiness surged through me followed by a wave of pain. 

Using as much effort as I could, I was able to open my eyes, just enough to see. I was indeed in a hospital. Everything was white and there were beeping machines on my left. An iv was stuck in my left hand and there was something clipped on my finger. James was sitting in a chair on my left. He had his glasses on and was looking at some papers. Probably work stuff. Tessa was sitting in a chair in the far left corner fast asleep. But to my surprise, Myles, Chris, and Marley were all sitting on a couch next to Tessa, each doing their own thing. Looking back towards James, I realized that he looked exhausted. Without warning, tears stung my eyes. 

“Dad…” I whispered, my voice hoarse. He looked up but didn’t look at me. Instead, he looked towards the other side of the room. 

“Did one of you say something?” They all shook their heads and he looked back to his papers. I said it again, this time louder. 

“Dad…” 

This time, he looked straight at me and a single tear fell from my eye. “Sera...” 

I watched as he scooted to the front of his seat and grabbed my hand. His eyes filled with tears as he looked me in the eyes. By now, everyone was looking at me with tears in their eyes. James brought my hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss there. Tessa walked up to my left and placed her hand on my cheek before moving a stray hair out of my face. 

“Mom…” 

Tears ran down my face non-stop at their loving actions. James wiped the tears from my face but more replaced them immediately. He stood and placed a kiss on my forehead. 

“You’re alright, sweetheart. We got you, you’re safe now.” I nodded. 

“I was so scared… It hurts…”

Myles stood up and walked to the door. “I’ll go get a nurse.” I watched as he walked out. As he disappeared from sight, I turned back to James. 

“What happened?” He smiled and sat down, grabbing my hand again. 

“Well, right after you turned on your gps they sent cops and an ambulance out to your location. They found you passed out still gripping your phone. The ambulance brought you here. Meanwhile, the cops went to the cabin and waited for your father to return. Once he did, they caught him and he's being held until his trial.” My tears, which had almost stopped, continued again full force. 

“They...caught him?” 

“They sure did,” Tessa said. 

Myles returned with the nurse and she checked me over, injected something into my iv, and left. 

“How..how long was I gone?” James and Tessa both looked down upset. 

“You were gone for five days, Sera,” James said. 

“You’ve been here for two,” Tessa added.

“And what’s the damage?” 

“Mostly just bruises and a few cuts. But two of your ribs were broken.” James admitted. 

“I thought so.” 

At that moment, a police officer knocked on the door frame and entered. He introduced himself as Officer Henderson and explained that he needed to take pictures of my injuries as evidence. As he did, he asked me to explain what had happened as he recorded it. When I was done, James and Tessa asked him questions about the trial, but there was only one question I had. 

“Will I have to testify?”

Officer Henderson smiled at my question, while James and Tessa looked worried about the answer. 

“Absolutely not. We have enough evidence already. He’s going to be put away for life and you’ll never have to see him again.” 

The three of us released a breath at the same time. He wished me a speedy recovery and then left. Tessa and my siblings headed down to get some food while James stayed with me. He declared, “There’s no way I’m leaving you alone.” 

As we sat there in silence, I began to drift off. Several moments later I heard footsteps. Too tired to look, I just kept my eyes closed. It was probably just Tessa and them anyway. I listened as they pulled up a chair on my left and then I felt them take my hand. Curiosity got the best of me and I groggily turned my head and opened my eyes. 

“Mason…” 

He gave me a gentle smile while tears filled his eyes. Leaning forward he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. 

“Get some sleep, I’ll be here when you wake up.”