Clarity ~ m.c.

•Chapter 38•

Playlist:

Battle Scars- Lupe Fiasco & Guy Sebastian

Skyscraper- Demi Lovato

Human- Christina Perri

These Four Walls- Little Mix

****

***Michael's POV***

"10 minutes left Mr. Clifford." a nurse instructed me as I sat in a chair next to Lauren's hospital bed.

It's been three days since Lauren's attack and she still hasn't woken up yet. They moved her out of ICU, but are only allowing three to four visiting hours depending on when you got here, it was getting close to 9 o'clock at night now and according to the nurse I only had 10 minutes left. I've only left the hospital a few times only to go home to take showers, I would try to come back here but mum would make me stay home to get some sleep and to eat something.

"Alright." I sighed. I was holding her hand, but it stay put the whole time so thankfully she didn't think I was someone who was going to further hurt her because every time someone touched her she would freak out and scream even though she was asleep and start flailing her arms in defense.

I looked back over at Lauren; I looked at her hair they had tied up into a messy bun. Apparently she re-dyed it to a burgundy-cranberry color with the help of her teammates; it looked really nice I like the color a lot.

Looking down from her hair to her face the swelling had finally gone down, but she had a black eye, her lip was cracked from where they had been bleeding, and she had a bandage over her nose because it was broken as well and down her arms there were deep bruises too. She had breathing tubs coming out of her nose to help her breath as a precaution considering how extensive the bruising on her chest was. I could only imagine how her abdomen must look considering she had fractured ribs. There was even an IV needle coming out of her arm so the next time she woke up screaming morphing and or anesthesia would immediately be added into her bloodstream if her heart rate exceeded a certain rate.

"Michael." I quiet voice came from behind me, scaring me as I slightly jumped out of my seat. Turning around I found Mr. and Mrs. Court pulling on coats.

"The police have been done with the house for a day or so getting what they could, so we're going to head home." Mr. Court explained.

"But what about Lauren?" I asked.

"We told the nurses that it was okay for you stayed here for the night." He told me.

"Thanks." I said sitting back down in my seat. Mrs. Court tried to wake up Emily and Andrew but they were so exhausted they crashed around 7:30 and since they weren't getting up their aunt and uncle picked them up to carry them down to the car.

"Call us if anything happens." Was the last thing Mr. Court said before they waked out of the room.

Sitting in the hospital room, the TV was on, but there was virtually no sound, but I watched it anyway. The last time I saw on the clock was 10:30 before I finally drifted off.

*****during that same time*****

***Lauren's POV***

"You low life piece of shit! Where have you been?" My drunken father yelled at me as I carried my little sister in my arms and holding onto Andrew's hand as we walked back into the apartment late from returning from the gym.

"At the gym." I spit at him, closing the apartment door behind us.

"This is the fifth night you have been back late this week!" he screamed waving his hand that he held a half empty beer bottle in it at us.

"We're home before curfew." I said as I walked into my room I shared with Emily and Andrew, laying Emily down on her bed and guided Andrew into his, knowing it was going to be another night like any other.

Walking back into the main part of the crappy apartment we lived in my dad was livid, but then again when is he not when he's drunk? He started screaming and yelling at me about how I'm worthless and I'll never be good enough, antagonizing me like he always does until he says something that either,

a. Makes me cry
or
b. Sparks my anger

"You're a terrible sister! What kind of example do you think your setting for your brother and sister by coming home late!" he yelled at me.

Yep, there's the spark.

"I'm the terrible person?" I screamed at him. "You're the one who goes to bars every day getting drunk all the time, who barely pays the bills, who never feeds us and beats us or I should say me! You really shouldn't be talking about who's setting the bad example because you are exactly what not to do!"

After that outburst I could feel my cloths become wet from splatter of the liquor that was in the contents of his beer bottle as he threw it at me as it shattered against the wall I was standing in front of as I ducked out of the way. Then quickly feeling the burning sensation on my cheek as my dad back handed me across the face, snapping my head back that I got whiplash from the impact that was strong enough to knock me to the floor.

Feeling the sting run through my face I brought my hand to my face covering where he just hit me. I turned my face around to look up at him only to see the unsightly imagine of him bringing his leg forward, driving it towards my stomach. Before it was about to make contact with my abdomen my eyes shot open as I started screaming. My adrenaline started pumping through my veins and I could feel the pain rush through my body all over again.

Instantaneously I felt two arms present on my shoulders trying to hold me still, but I tried wiggling out of their grip.

"Wake up!" I screamed out loud, thinking I was still trapped inside the one of the many nightmares I've been having of my dad.

"Lauren!" I heard someone repeatedly calling my name, but the fear took over my body and I tried bury myself into what ever bed I was in, cringing at the touch, scrunching my eyes closed tighter waiting for the impact of the next blow.

Immediately I felt an overwhelming rush of numbness rush into my blood stream as I felt my movements become sluggish and my breathing become jagged and choppy as the unwilling compulsion to stop my movements took over my body.