Hide and Secret (Wattys2015)

(26) Jill's POV

I was in a hospital room, white, plain, and clean-smelling. I hated hospitals because of what might have been inside there before me. There could have been a little girl who had been burnt to a crisp in a fire sitting in my very spot. Or it could have been an old man who had a heart attack.

It was just way too sad, thinking about everything that could have happened to the people who were once in this room.

I was brought into this room for a check-up and a police questioning. Our parents had been notified, so they were waiting outside in the waiting room.

I hadn't seen the other girls since the ambulance took us all away. I hoped that they were okay. Serena was the one who had managed to call the ambulance, so she probably didn't have any injuries that hindered her ability to do things.

The only one I had worried about was Taylor. She had been unresponsive when we were rescued out of the car. Judging by the lump on her head, I think that the impact of the car hitting the tree had made her head hit the dashboard or something. Maybe that had knocked her out. Maybe she had a concussion. And then, I thought of the worst.

Maybe she was dead.

Despite all of the issues I'd had with Taylor as of late, I still hoped that she was okay.

The doctor came first. He inspected me, and and quickly deemed that I was okay physically. "What about Taylor and Serena?" I asked, nervous about what his answer would be.

"Taylor is still unconscious," the doctor told me. He had glasses and a bushy mustache that made me think of a caterpillar crawling on his upper lip. "Serena is okay, and she's already been examined and questioned. She's in the hospital waiting area with the boy who showed up with you."

Theo had been the second person that Serena had called, after 911. He had showed up immediately, and I was expecting some sort of awkwardness between the three of us. I had confessed to Serena on our way to the hospital that Theo and I had kissed recently. She told me that she already knew. Taylor must have found out and told her. Serena said that she wasn't angry at me. Apparently she wasn't angry at Theo, either.

"Are the police going to come in now?" I asked the doctor.

He nodded.

Good. I had a boatload of stuff that I wanted to tell them.

As the doctor left, a text came in from my phone. Feeling sick, I read the text to myself.

Rat me out and you'll end up just like Taylor... But worse. While Taylor has a small chance at living, you won't when I'm through with you if you spill the beans.

I gulped, then pocketed my phone just as a well-built man with thinning hair and a clean-shaven face came in dressed in police wear. "Hello, Jill," the man said, holding out his large, meaty hand for me to shake. "I'm Officer Carson, and I'm going to ask you some questions, okay?"

I nodded, not saying anything as I mulled over my options. I could tell Officer Carson about what was happening with the sender and risk getting killed. Or I could play it safe for now and stay mum about it all.

Officer Carson began to ask questions. "Go over the events for me, right before your car got hit."

I thought about the question before starting to answer slowly. "Well, we were driving home..."

"Driving home from what?" Carson interrupted, scribbling something on a notepad.

I hesitated, for two reasons. One, because I was uncertain what to do. Two, because Serena and I had never gone over what we were going to say when and if we were questioned. What if Serena had said something different than what I was about to say?