Chapter 4

I awoke in a strange bed. I looked around the room, realizing I was in hospital. Mum was sat in a chair next to my bed, asleep. Why was I in hospital? Then I remembered.

"MELISSA." I shouted as I sat up. Mum quickly awoke and stood up, trying to calm me down as I tried frantically to get the covers off me.

"Sophie, Melissa is fine. Please try to calm down."

"Where is she? I need to see her?"

"She is pretty shook up, a few minor cuts and bruises, but her parents are looking after her. It is you we are worried about; you've been asleep for 3 days now."

"What?" I had stopped moving and looked at mum. Suddenly she started to cry.

"I thought I had lost you, I have been so scared. The doctors did scans but could find nothing wrong." I was so relieved to know Melissa was ok, but I needed to see her first. What had happened that night had obviously scared her. But was it the attack or what happened to the boy. I looked at mum with confusion, trying to remember that night, to figure out what I had done. It was not hard to realize what had happened. I had lost it, I had lost control, let my anger take control of my power. I was responsible for my actions. Now the question arose, what happened to him after he hit the wall? I was afraid to ask, as I knew mum and others would have questions for me, questions I did not know how to answer.

"What happened to the boy who attacked Melissa?" Mum looked down at the floor, she seemed afraid to answer the question. "Mum, tell me?"

"At the moment, he is still in a coma."

"A coma, oh god no." I said, almost crying.

"What happened to him Sophie? Those involved are saying very little about the incident. The police are involved and neither Melissa nor the other boy knows how he acquired such a serious injury. Do you know what happened?"

"He was going to rape Melissa, I had to stop him. So I pulled him off. I was so angry I lost my control. And now my actions have put him in a coma." I was still stunned by the news of what my powers had done, and my answer was confusing.

"I can't imagine the rage you must have felt to do that to him. His friend just keeps saying how he hit the wall hard. Melissa states that she remembers him on top of her, pinning her down. Then he wasn't."

"I really never meant to hurt him; I just needed to help Melissa. I had to do what I could, you must believe me." Now I was crying. I felt aggrieved for my actions, at what I had done.

"Sophie." she said as she cradled me in her arms. "I know you never meant to hurt him; you were helping your friend, protecting her from a very bad thing. Anything could have happened to either of you. Just thank god you are finally awake and safe. The police do need to talk to you I am afraid. Ryan, the boy in the coma, his father is pressing charges. However, with yours and Melissa's statements, I am afraid it will be Ryan that comes out of this worse."

"Am I under arrest, I did not mean to hurt him." I repeated my innocence, even though I felt responsible. If only I had better control over my powers. Maybe I should never leave the house again; I was not safe among people.

"Shush now, nothing will happen to you. Ryan and his friend attacked you, and if you had not stopped him, I hate to think what would have happened. Ryan has quite a record with the police and I believe the police are completely on your side."

After mum helped me settle, she called a doctor. The doctor performed some tests on me and asked some questions. He believed my sleep or coma had been induced by shock. After I begged the doctor to let me go home, he very reluctantly agreed that I could return home, demanding that my mum, observe me for the next 24 hours. Once I had dressed and security had removed Ryan's father before he hurt me, I was taken home by mum. Melissa was at my house, waiting for me when I arrived. We held each other tightly as we both cried, relieved we were both safe. I constantly whispered apologies, while Melissa told me not to apologize for helping her. She reminded me that I had saved us both.

A police detective appeared later, asking me to explain what had occurred, for the boys to attack us as they did. I told him about what happened at school. Explaining that I had told the principal about what they had done, that they that had broken a window at school, by throwing a brick through it. Moreover, that they wanted revenge because I had told the principal. I tried to give as much detail of what happened after school when they attacked, how they grabbed Melissa first, then me. However, it was difficult; I could not hold back the tears any longer. I told him Ryan had Melissa on the ground, and what it seemed he was about to do, then I got angry and pulled him off.

"This is the part where everyone's memory is a bit hazy. How did you manage to do so much damage to him? It doesn't seem possible."

"I can't really explain, I just felt angry and needed to help Melissa. One second he was on her, the next he was not. I don't really remember what happened in between." In part, I was not lying, as I do not know the specific instruction to move Ryan they way I did.

"That is all anybody is saying. You, Melissa and the other boy, Brad, tell me the same story. Ryan had Melissa pinned down, what sounds like an attempted rape, against Melissa's wishes. Then he was on the floor, on the other side of the road, 20 feet away, knocked out." He blew out a breath in frustration, but realized with three identical stories he could do no more. He looked around the room at mum, Melissa and then me. "Ryan came out of his coma about 30 minutes ago. And after I have successfully questioned him, we have enough statements to press charges against Ryan."

"Really, is he ok?"

"A bit groggy, but as yet I am not able to speak to him; but I will in the morning. His father is charging you with assault, but as it was in self-defense, I do not think we will uphold his complaint. I may need to speak to you again in the future?" I nodded that it was ok. Mum let the detective out and soon returned to give me a well needed hug. I looked over mum's shoulder at Melissa. She looked at me as if she had a question for me, and I knew what it was and how to answer her.

"Mum I need to lie down. Do you think it would be ok if Melissa stays with me tonight?"

"Sure if it is ok with Melissa?" Melissa nodded. "Could you please watch her tonight, I will also nip in every few hours to check on you both, Doctors orders." Melissa promised she would and then followed me upstairs. Once the door was closed, the question was quickly out.

"What really happened Sophie?" she asked to my back. Was it time to tell her?

"Do you trust me?"

"That is not what I asked." she said. I guess she had been waiting 3 days to ask me this, so she was probably rather impatient. She hated not knowing things.