In Omnia Paratus Book 3

Bad news retold.

"Richard send you?" Victoria asked as Lily walked into her office.

"Pretty much, he said I could see Jenna." She shrugged.

"Alright, come on." She stood up and lead Lily to her room.

- - - - -

"Hey." Victoria said appearing at the door.

"Is Dad here?" I asked.

"Not quite yet." She smiled as she let Lily in.

"Hey," Lily smiled.

"I thought--" I snapped.

"There's an exception." Victoria smiled and closed the door.

"I just want to speak to my dad, Lil." I smiled at her.

"Alright, well I'm here to keep you company until then. Do you remember who I am?" She asked suddenly.

"Of course Lily. You're my roommate." I nodded. "My bestfriend."

"Best friend yes. We're not roommates anymore, we just have rooms next to one another remember?"She smiled.

"Sure, yeah. Of course how could I forget." I smiled.

"Do you remember what year you're in?" Lily smiled back uneasily.

"Uh... Year... Univer...sity?" I asked unsure.

"Yes, yeah uni." She nodded happily. "What year?"

"1..." I saw the look on her face and changed my mind. "No wait. 2." I smiled.

"Yes!" She smiled.

"Great, so we live together. With anyone else?" I asked.

"You don't know? We live in a house with lots of other people." Lily encouraged.

"Uh... Matt?" I asked.

"Yes.... You don't know who we live with do you?" She sighed.

"No flipping idea." I laughed.

"It's alright." Lily nodded. "I'll check with Victoria what to do, but I'm sure I can just tell you all about them and then you might remember."

"Sure, I think that will work." I smiled, but I suddenly filled with fear that I'd forgotten all my friends. "I remember Lucy and Olivia." I said before Lily could leave.

"Oh cool, we don't live with them. They... well I never actually told you truth what happened with them." Lily admitted.

"What?" I frowned.

"I told you that they went to the same university as us but because they did different subjects to us they were on a different campus and you never questioned it. Truth is, they told me not to tell you they didn't get in. Or they got in but for a crap degree so they went somewhere else for uni and they haven't been in touch since." Lily explained.

"So why did you lie to me?" I asked.

"Because they thought you would lecture them into staying and doing a degree they didn't want to do. Because you're pretty keen on Ashford and you thought going elsewhere was pointless." Lily explained.

"Right. So who do we live with?" I wondered.

"I can answer that once I speak with Victoria." She smiled before leaving quickly.

- - - - -

"Her dad is about to go in and break the worst news of her life to her all over again. We can talk about introducing her to her flatmates another time." Victoria said. "He's just signing in and then going to talk to her."

"Alright," Lily sighed walking off back to the group.

"Dave Coleman, Hi." Victoria said walking up to her father.

"Hi Victoria, can you show me to Jenna?" He asked.

"Of course. Uh probably best just you though at the moment." She glanced across at Rachel holding Violets hand in one hand and carrying Grace in the other arm.

"Sure." Rachel smiled taking the other two to a cafe or something.

"Right so, just a warning she is more confused than we thought, she doesn't even know who she lives with at University." Victoria explained walking to the door with him.

"Alright, so I just have to explain what happened to Ellie and she'll remember?" Dave asked.

"She might remember. Possible this will all be brand new news to her and she'll be as upset as she was the first time. But you've got to explain about Rachel and Violet and Grace and that should jog her memory of recent event and she'll remember that way. But we can't know for sure." Victoria explained. "Good luck."

- - - - -

"Dad!" I smiled as he walked in the room. "I was expecting Lily." I laughed.

"Well I'm not Lily." He laughed coming by the bed and sitting down on the stool.

"Did mum come to the hospital too? I know she doesn't like them but I'd love to see her." I smiled across at Dad but his face went grey. He looked down and I watched him almost cry. "Dad?"

"About your mother..." Dad started slowly and I was really confused. "Jenna do you not remember about almost 8 years ago when you were 12, Ellie, your mother she passed away."

"I don't remember that." I breathed. "Did that happen.. is mum dead?" I panicked.

"Yes honey." Dad said.

"She..."

"It's alright." He breathed leaning forward and grabbing my hand.

- - - - -

"She's crying." Lily breathed standing next to Victoria looking through a tiny crack in the blinds at Jenna being told the worst news all over again. "I never got to see how upset she was the first time round when her mum died. She must have been so upset."

"Well imagine being told your mother had died right now." Victoria said.

"Yeah I get it. It would be sad." She breathed. "Maybe we should come back tomorrow. It's getting pretty late now and we aren't going to put any more bad news on her for now."

"Sounds like a good idea, I don't know what Richard will have to say about that though." Victoria scoffed.

"Well he'll have no choice." Lily moaned walking away upset because she just watched her best friend be told the worst news and cry for as long as she did.

"We're going home." Lily appeared in the waiting room.

"What?" Everyone said. "We already said we're staying."

"No, we're going. I've just watched her be told her mother is dead and its heartbreaking so nobody tell me we need to stick around and confuse her anymore. She needs to sleep and we will see her in the morning." Lily explained.

"Alright." Richard agreed looking at everyone else. "We should go. She needs time."