Twelve Days The Beginning - By Jade Reyner Page 0,167

to pull out onto the main road, she automatically glanced in her rear view mirror to ensure that the car behind her had also slowed down, the last thing that she needed right now was a rear end shunt. The car exiting the picnic area had by now pulled out so they each held up their hand in the universal ‘thank you’ signal before she once again checked her rear view mirror before commencing her turn – and in that second she stopped breathing. Completely.

Her heart began to pound painfully against her battered ribs as she recognised the vehicle approaching behind her. She felt a cold sensation run from her head all the way through her body as she finally realised why Vaughn had been so protective of her and why Sean had been told not to let her out of his sight. And why she had felt like she was being followed.

That was because she was being followed.

The car now slowing almost to a stop behind her was one that she knew intimately well and belonged to the one person that she feared most in the world. The car behind her belonged to Dale and as she instinctively floored the accelerator in a futile attempt to get away, the last thing she remembered hearing was the sickening crash of metal against metal as she lost control of her car and ploughed straight into the vehicle coming down the road in the opposite direction.

-

This time when Elise woke up she knew that she was in hospital; there was no mistaking the sterile walls and scratchy bed linen, the bright lights and the beeping monitors. She was also suffering no memory loss this time and knew with absolute certainty where she was and why she was here.

Although she had been knocked unconscious, the accident hadn’t been too bad overall because she hadn’t been travelling at great speed and she had first woken up whilst being lifted into the ambulance. The paramedics had been able to reassure her that no one had been hurt in the other vehicle - she had just glanced off the side of the other car and they had been able to stop safely a short distance later. Her car however, hadn’t fared so well according to the paramedic and Elise feared that due to its age, it was more than likely that it would be a write-off.

She also clearly remembered Dale being at the scene, desperately trying to get to her and being held back by the police as they allowed the paramedics to do their job. He was doing a really good impression of the devoted and concerned husband, so much so that he had managed to talk the ambulance crew into letting him on board. The second he stepped into the back however she had screamed as loud as her battered ribs would allow and the paramedic had instantly removed him. Having Dale in such close proximity to her had triggered a panic attack and she vaguely remembered the ambulance crew giving her an injection of some kind which had calmed her down, and before she knew it, she had been fast asleep again.

She was wide-awake now though and relieved to realise that she didn’t actually hurt anywhere, other than her ribs which were still healing. Looking around the room, her eyes settled on the call button by the side of the bed and she pressed it in the hope that it would call a doctor or nurse who could tell her exactly what was wrong if anything.

Within a few seconds, a nurse came in followed by a very relieved looking Vaughn who rushed to the side of her bed and immediately grabbed her hand.

“Jesus Christ, Elise, you have to stop scaring the shit out of me. What the hell did you think you were playing at? You could have been killed – again.” He was angry and rightfully so.

The nurse began fussing with some of the monitors and wires and then checked her chart at the end of the bed.

“You’ve been very lucky, young lady.” She said, “Considering the nature of the impact, you’ve got away with just a handful of cuts and scrapes so we only need to keep you in for a few more hours to make sure you don’t have another bout of concussion.” Vaughn must have told them about her recent injuries.

“Thank you.” Elise said and then turned to Vaughn. “I’m sorry, baby, really I am. I didn’t realise. I