Swords and Sweaters

The Past

Betty's POV explaining what happened with her dad.

Being here makes me think of that horrible month. My crazy ass father killed fifteen people and then took me, and all of my family across the country none of us knowing that we were living with a murder. Polly was still alive when that happened. I remember when we left, Mike picked me up and helped me pack as much of my things as I could in a suitcase, before lifting me into the car and going to get Chick and Polly. My mom and dad were already in the car and I remember dad... Hal yelling at me for sleeping. I mistakenly reported that it was his fault for getting us up at three in the morning to leave the state, but he didn't like that. By this point he had already become physically abusive. He had been for months secretly before then, and then he did it in front of my mom, and then Mike, and then Polly and Chick. Sometimes I ask him why me, why not the others, but he only says that, "it has to be me". Finally Mike came back in with Chick and Polly, and sat them both next to me in the back. After driving without stopping to sleep or eat real food for days, we made it to California. The place was beautiful, until I saw a picture of Hal on the news, calling him a murderer. I made sure not to say anything to anyone until I was sure that we were away from him. We had finally bought a house and moved in one day when snuck into Mike's room in the middle of the night. Hal had gone out that night to gamble and drink with his friends so i knew that we would be safe. I told Mike first and showed him the picture before he told mom and Polly and Chick. The day after we told them, Polly ran away in the middle of the night, and I ended up in the hospital for broken ribs. Mike tried to stop Hal, but he just couldn't. He knew that no matter how hard he tried, it would only make it worse for me. So at some point, everyone stopped trying. It became my normal to be up at one in the morning and lock myself in the bathroom to wrap up all of my new wounds before they all got up in the morning. It was like that for a while. Until Hal finally broke and hit me so hard they say I passed out. My mom started to scream and tried to stop him but he hit her too, worse than he hit me. When I woke up, we were all in the hospital, but Mike and Polly. After Mike attacked dad and knocked him out, he called the police and told them what his real name was. They brought us all to the hospital and poor little Chick had to wait all alone in the rooms with us. Mike left to go look for Polly, and when I woke up after a bit, mom was in surgery, and dad was in a coma. Even though Hal was a monster, he was our dad. I remember the screams of Chick and I when mom flatlined for a minute and they had to take us out of the room. We both screamed until I stopped and pulled Chick to me. I had to be the big sister. The only person that I talked to for almost a mont was Chick. My mom and Hal were the hospital for a month before they took Hal to jal and let my mom out. Without anywhere else to go she took us back the home in California and waited for Mike and Polly to come back. I hadn't seen or heard from them in months. Until one day Mike came back home with Keegan and Abby, then Juniper and Dagwood in his arms, and Polly nowhere to be seen. That is the part that hurts me the most. I never got to see her have the babies, she never even told me that she was pregnant before she left. I didn't get to see Jason try to fight for her, and I didn't get to say goodbye to her when she died. Mike never told me what happened with Polly and Jason while he was gone. The only thing he would tell me is that they were both dead and that it was all Jasons dad's fault. I still don't really know where they were all those months, or why he didn't bring her back. I think that's why I am so upset by what Jug is doing. Because I know all too well when you only talk to one person. All he is trying to do it protect me and protect his little sister. I get that. I get the feeling that If you say anything to anyone but them, they will take them away from you. Or the fear that they will know how scared you are and they will be terrified to. Our biggest responsibility is to keep them safe. That's why we're quiet. We have to keep them safe.

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Thought it might be a good idea to explain why Betty has a hard time with FP in the hospital.