Learning To Trust Again

The next evening Jake made his way to the hospital as promised. Walking into Todd’s room he was more than a little surprised to see Rebecca sitting next to the bed. Given her attitude when he’d spoke to her last night, he was sure she’d have avoided being there knowing that he was planning to visit. ‘Hi’ he said quietly he eyes fixed on her face.

But Rebecca just looked away and mumbled ‘hi.’

She hadn’t intended being there when Jake arrived, but Todd had insisted she stay. He wanted her to go and find Jemma as soon as they knew what had happened. Rebecca wasn’t any keener on going to look for the girl than she had been to see Jake, but knew it was either her going, or Todd would. He needed to stay in hospital, he still wasn’t fit enough to even be out of bed, so she had no choice.

Jake turned to the man in the bed ‘hey Todd, how you feeling?’

‘Like I’ve been run over by a truck’ Todd said. He had watched the other two with interest, one searching and the other avoiding. He concluded that nothing had changed. Good. He was worried when he had asked Rebecca to contact Jake it may have reopened the connection, but he was pleased that that didn’t seem to be the case. If he hadn’t been so desperate to find Jemma, he would never have asked his sister to contact the other man, but Jake was the only possible point of contact he had. Jemma had been there with him the night he’d been attacked, Jake must have seen her, unless Simon had forced her to go with him and if that’s the case he may just need Jake’s help to find her. Not interested in making small talk or being polite, he got straight to the point ‘Jake, Rebecca told me you arrested Simon.’

‘Yes. He’s been charged’ Jake replied.

Todd then asked the question uppermost in his mind ‘do you know what happened to Jemma? She didn’t come to the hospital and I haven’t been able to contact her.’

Jake looked at Rebecca for a minute with a worried expression, but she was keeping her eyes averted. So turning back to the man in the bed he said ‘I’m sorry Todd, but I had to arrest her too.’

‘What?’ Todd exploded, ‘like hell you did. She didn’t do anything.’

Wary Jake looked at Rebecca again. She was looking at him now but her expression was stern as she waited for his explanation. The thought crossed his mind that he probably should have told her all this before. But he honestly hadn’t thought of it when they were talking, the last time he was at the hospital. If he was honest, his mind had been elsewhere when he had filled her in on Simon’s arrest. He had been so busy hoping for some sign of a softening of her attitude, he’d forgotten all about Jemma. He hoped she wouldn’t hold this omission against him too. He didn’t think he could take it if she hated him even more than she already did. Not to mention that this time, whether she believed it or not, the omission was completely unintentional.