Trusting Happiness

5 - Return

Maya

"She did what? Could you not stop her?" "Maya, she wanted to get away, there was no way I could have kept up with her." "Carina that girl had breathed in a severe amount of smoke and you couldn't keep up?" "Maya! What am I supposed to say? Don't you think I tried? I am going in to tell Jo and Teddy that she is gone. Bye." She hung up on me. Fuck. "Maya what's going on? Is it something with Izzy?" "She ran away from the hospital." "WHAT?", both Vic and Travis were shocked. "I asked Carina to check in on her and she was just getting ready to run. Carina tried to stop her, but she ran off.", I explained defeated and sat down, we were in the locker room. "Maybe she will go back to the building!", Vic said suddenly. "Oh my god you are right, she will try to get the backpack, lets go!" All three of us jumped into my car and drove back to the building, the fire was out and police had shut off the building. I parked right next to the entrance. " Do you think she is already here?", Travis asked. "I don't know, Carina called me right when she had run off, it's a good 10 minute drive hear with a car, she might have taken the bus, Maybe." "What are we doing when we find her? We can hardly force her back to the hospital.", Travis asked further. "I don't know. I have no idea, I just know that we have to do something.", I said and Vic nodded. "Maybe Dr Wilson can help, it sounded like she was in similar situations when she was Izzy's age, she is afraid to be put back in the system, maybe she has an idea.", she suggested. "Good idea, I'll call Carina." "What is it Maya!", she snapped at me as soon as she picked up. "Carina we are at the building thinking maybe she will get back here, is Jo with you by any chance?" "Yes, one moment.", she said a little calmer. "Hello?" "It's Maya, we think that Izzy might try and get her backpack that she left in the burning building, we are here right now, but we have no idea how to get her not to run away again." "You are there right now? That's a great idea. I am sure she will go there first. I told her I would look out for her and warn her about CPS but I guess she didn't believe me or the hospital policies. I don't think she will agree to come back here, I am really at a loss of ideas, but she cannot be on the streets tonight, her blood levels did not look good yet, plus the exhaustion from running away, she needs to at least not be alone!", Jo spoke quickly and the three of us all had eyes on the building in case she would show up. "What about if I offer to take her home with me, do you think she would do that if she won't go to the hospital?" She paused. "Maybe. I always found it hard to trust anyone but she kind of knows you I guess, so it could be worth a shot." I inhaled deeply. "Can you put Carina on the phone again?" "Maya?" "I am sorry for speaking to you that way earlier. I am just really worried, if we find her and she won't go to the hospital, are you ok if I take her home to us for the night?", I spoke and she paused for a while. "Yes Maya, of course, I know you didn't mean it, I am worried too." "Okay we will try and find her, bye.". Travis and Vic both looked at me surprised. "You are going to take her in?" "Wouldn't you do the same?". "Good point.", Vic nodded and looked back at the building. "Should one of us get in there and try and get the damn backpack before she does something stupid?", Travis now said. "Damn you're right.", I nodded. Police was still patrolling and making sure noone was entering the building, luckily we knew them, so Travis was able to slip in and try rescue that backpack. Vic and I stayed back in the car, if she came she shouldn't see us or she might run again. I shrieked when my phone rang. Travis. "I found the backpack I think, Its pretty beaten up but she will definitely see that it's hers." "Perfect, maybe stay at the entrance though in casse you will see her first." "Copy.", he said. Just in that moment Vic yelled and pointed down the street: "There, there she is!". "God she looks so beaten up. Let's wait for her to get closer." I called Travis. "Travis, she is coming down the other side of the street do you see her?" "Yes.. yes I see her." "Okay, hide the backpack and pretend you are busy, we might have to try and get her between us so she can't run." "Okay I'll stay on the line." Izzy got closer to the building but made sure to stay away from police. YOu could see that she didn't really know what to do. Vic and I got out of the car as soon as she was between Travis and us. She now headed to a door that was a bit off the main entrance and where not as much police were, she looked around and suddenly stopped dead in her tracks looking at us. "Izzy!", I called out but she looked around to the other side where Travis was standing. "Izzy we found your backpack we wanted to bring it to you what are you doing here?", I tried it now. Slowly but surely we got closer to her. Travis was getting closer now too, holding up her backpack. "It's actually still pretty intact.", he said kindly and smiled at her. "What do you want from me?", she suddenly cried out. "We just want to make sure you're okay! YOu should really be at the hospital!", Vic tried it now. "Why do you even care!" she yelled and frantically looked around. "You made it out of that fire against all odds, we want to know that you are safe is that so hard to believe?!" I could see that she was crying now." "Come on, my car is right there, you don't want to be out here alone all night, I know that honey!", I tried now. Vic and I had gotten even closer now. There was only about 3 meters between us and her. "I can't", she cried now. "I can't go back to the hospital... I .. I just want my backpack." She looked so tiny now, her shoulders hanging and the pure look of despair written over her face. "Izzy we won't bring you to the hospital, I promise we will not alert authorities, we just want to know you're safe." She finally looked up and right at me. "Do you promise?", she asked quietly. I stepped forward. "I promise Izzy. You can come home with me, I have a guest room, we just want to make sure you're safe. Come here." I opened up my arms and stepped even closer to her. Finally she stepped forward and I pulled her into my embrace. She immediately sobbed and I felt her legs giving up on her. I had trouble keeping her up, but I managed. "You are safe. I've got you.", I reassured her while stroking her hair that was still ashy. I saw Vic and Travis exhaling and relaxing a bit, the three of us exchanged looks of relief. She kept on crying and crying. "Hey Izzy, let's get you into my car, okay?", she nodded but was stable again. I guided her to the car and Travis opened the back door for her to sit in. Suddenly she looked up at him again in shock. "Oh yeah here, your backpack, I got it out there for you.", he said and gave it to her. 6Hesitantly she grabbed it and pressed it against her chest holding on for dear life." "I .. are you really just taking me home to you?", she then asked, looking at me with wide eyes and I nodded. "Yes. I know you don't want to goto the hospital, I spoke to Jo and she said as long as you are not alone and out on the streets that's good." She looked like she relaxed a bit. "Is it okay when Vic sits with you in the back and Travis drives us to my house?", I asked now knowing that she had issues with men. She nodded and so we did just that. She coughed a few times during the ride but was silent apart from that. When we pulled into my driveway Travis got out first and opened up her door for her. She seemed to warm up around him, because she unbuckled and stepped out, still clenching on to her backpack. "Travis you can take my car to the station to get yours if you want to.", I offered and he nodded looking at Vic. "Oh I will help get Izzy settled in she said and so Travis left the three of us and we entered my flat. "This is my flat, I live here with my wife Carina, I think you actually met her at the hospital.", I said and waited for her reaction. She just stood there in the hallway and looked around before looking back at me. "I .. I'm sorry .. I ran away from her, she seemed mad." I laughed. "Oh no she isn't dont worry! Come on, I will show you the guest room." She followed me down the hall into the spacious room that was Andy's before. "I can.. like .. stay in here tonight?", she asked carefully now and I nodded. "Absolutely." „ Are you sure? I mean... I could probably find somewhere else to stay.", she said and coughed. "No Izzy I want you to stay here, so that I know you're safe tonight.", she stillt didn't look convinced.