Chapter 12
After a few days, Ari heard the doctor tell a nurse she was recovering well enough to send home, but they booked the hospital therapist to come in to talk to her the next morning before telling Ari she can be discharged.
She still wasn't talking to anyone about what had happened to her. The police had an officer outside her bedroom at all times for her safety, as they continued to investigate.
"Um.. excuse me.. Officer?" Ari called out.
He turned in to look in her room. "Yes, miss?"
"I think I'm ready to talk now, but I'd like the doctor to be here too, can you go find him, please?"
The police officer nodded before disappearing to the nurses station to page the doctor.
Ari had pulled everything but the heart monitor off before she called him, cuddled under her blanket. She threw it off and hurried out the door in her gown and straight to the elevator. The officer would notice she was gone in a minute, so she needed to be quick about leaving.
On the first floor, she found some scrubs and left through the emergency exit, carrying the clothes. She didn't have shoes on, not her clothes from before, ID, phone were all back with the police.
She hid behind a big shrub close by, throwing the scrubs on and leaving the gown there. She left the hospital as fast and quietly as she could, hearing sirens coming closer in the distance. She thought about where to go, but she didn't know anyones number off by heart, and she had no other way to travel other than by walking.
She snuck around street to street, trying to find something familiar. After a few hours, she finally started to recognize the area. She was really close to diner that Miles worked at.
She headed there, only to find the place packed this people she didn't know. In her condition, she wasn't interested in bringing anymore attention to herself, so she skipped going through the front door and walked to the back. She didn't think it would take long for someone to come out.
It was, but when the door finally opened, it was Miles who came out with garbage. Ari let him throw the trash away before walking up to him. When he turned, he jumped.
"Who-! Ari! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??" Miles was in shock, staring at her, from bruised face to bare feet. "What happened!?"
He took her hand and dragged her inside to the kitchen. He was swearing up a storm while he dragged her to a chair, sat her down and called someone.
"She's here." Miles said to the person on the other end. "No.. She doesn't look okay."
He stared at his phone, after being hung up on. He put it back in his pocket, and found a blanket to wrap Ari in.
"Are you hungry, baby girl? Thirsty?" he rubbed her arms, feeling her shiver and she nodded.
Sid and Jonah came running into the kitchen from the front to find Ari, who was almost done with her chicken fingers and fries. Jonah came over first, picking her up into a huge hug. She cried out in pain, and he loosened his grip before putting her back down.
Sid was already lifting her shirt slightly to see the bruises and bandages all over her stomach and ribs. She stared at him blankly, not sure what he was going to do.
"I'm so sorry." Sid answered her gaze with guilt, fake or not, she reached up for him. He sighed with relief as he hugged her, picking her up gently and he carried her out of the diner and to the car.
Sid climbed into the back with Ari, after handing Jonah his keys. Sid put Ari's seat belt on and made her rest against him. He clearly wasn't planning to let her go anytime soon, as Jonah was rushing to get them home. She fell asleep again, after hours of running and still not being fully recovered.
Ari woke up in Sids bed. She saw Jonah was sitting over top of the covers next to her when she opened her eyes . She rubbed her head, and let out a giant sigh.
"Hey, sleepy head." Jonah smiled at her.
She gave a half smile back, and started to sit up. Jonah jumped to help her, though she would've been fine. When she was upright and had her pillows fluffed, he handed her some pain relief pills and water.
"What is it?" she asked, looking at the pills.
"Same shit they gave you at the Hospital, babe. When we got you back, we heard about the runaway from the hospital. Daniel had everything covered under his insurance, and asked the police not to investigate anymore. Can't say no to Daniel." Jonah shrugged.
"But why would Daniel do that?" Ari asked, taking the drink and pills as instructed. She didn't understand why no one knew where she was.
"You've been missing for almost a week, Ari. We had no idea where you were." Jonah sounded concerned.
"I don't understand, Jonah. Sid and Jackson knew where I was and what happened, why would they say they didn't know?" Ari answered.
"What are you talking about?" Jonah asked.
"Who do you think did this, Jonah? Emmett?"
Ari snapped.
"The police said that's where they found you! In Emmetts storage unit, barely alive! You don't remember?" Jonah was confused, concern growing on his face.
She frowned, falling silent, trying to think back.
"I.. Don't know.."
Jonah wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him.
"Get some rest. You still got a long road of recovery." Jonah relaxed, holding Ari close.
She wasn't going to complain, not with Jonah. He really didn't seem to know what happened. She adjusted, making herself more comfortable before closing her eyes and falling asleep on him.
When she woke up a while later, Jackson was sitting across from the bed in a chair. Jonah was still fast asleep under her. Her eyes met with Jackson's.
"I'm surprised you came back." he admitted.
"Where else I would go?"
She slowly climbed up off Jonah to sit up straight, Jackson came over and picked her up, and set her down on the chair he was sitting on.
"Hungry?" Jackson asked.
Ari nodded and he opened Sids door to talk to someone. When he came back, he moved another chair in front of hers, and sat in it, staring at her. Ari stayed quiet, trying not to watch him as he watched her.
"What's on your mind, kitten?" Jackson asked.
"Why doesn't anyone know what happened? Jonah says I've been missing for almost a week." Ari frowned over at Jonah, who was still asleep on his brother's bed.
"Because Sid does what I tell him too, and I said not to say anything." He said simply, almost impressed with himself.
Ari watched him silently, not knowing how to respond or what to do. It seemed like everything Jackson did had some kind of hidden plan behind it, which was extremely worrying to her.
"They really do want to help you, but I can't let them pay off your father's debt. They've made things so much more difficult by bringing you into all this without my permission.."
Ari understood that her tough girl attitude could be very frustrating to males, but throughout her life the consequences for it were nothing like Jackson's.
"I'm sorry." Ari said.
".. Not yet, you're not." Jackson said standing.
There was a knock on the door, Jackson opened it and came back to her with a tray of food, enough for her and Jonah, who Jackson yelled at to wake up as he left the room.
"You okay?"
Jonah asked with a mouthful of food.
"Yeah, fine." She said, not making eye contact and stuffing more food in her face.
Jonah knew something was up, but he left it alone, continuing to share all the food.
"Can I go back to my room when we're done eating?" Ari asked.
Jonah tilted his head. "Why?"
"I don't want to annoy Sid anymore. I'm capable of doing everything on my own in my room, Jonah."
"My ass, you are. You'll stay in Sid, or my room until we say otherwise, you got it? Not fuckin letting you out of my sight again."
"Jonah." Ari tried to reason with him.
"I SAID NO!"
He slammed his fist on the night stand, making Ari flinch. She got angry at herself for reacting that way and Jonah calmed down quickly, seeing her reaction.
"Did they..." Jonah looked down at her bruised thighs, starting to ask if anyone touched her while she had gone missing. She shook her head wildly.
"No. I just... I'm just tired.. I need to sleep."
She didn't wait for any response, she climbed back into Sids bed silently, and fell back asleep shortly after.