Nightmare

[puja]

Chapter 16

Jack paced up and down the hospital corridor as he waited for Martha to come out of the examining room. She had only been in there twenty minutes or so but for Jack, it seemed like twenty hours. Jack wanted to see Martha; to see how the examination went but he also wanted her to come out of the room for another reason. Whenever he was alone, he kept on thinking about his earlier presumption- that perhaps Mason has something to do with Martha’s predicament. It was then that a Nurse appeared from the room and said to Jack,

“The examination is now over and both Martha and the Doctor have called you in” she said.

“Thanks” said Jack as he made his way into the room.

Jack entered the room and sat down at the desk next to Martha. Martha was still adjusting her shirt when Dr. Young spoke,

“Martha, we’ve done a blood test and I know the wait is long but I’m afraid it will take up to a week for the results to come back. From the physical assessment we have not found anything out of the ordinary. There is a small bruise on your hip but that can be from anything, you may have walked into something and it has resulted in a bruise. We also conducted a test to which will show when you last had sexual intercourse. Now, I believe you are currently in a relationship where you are sexually active?” said Dr Young.

“Yes” replied Martha.

“Well, we also have a sample from Jack and this will let us know if the samples are matching. If they don’t match, then that will mean you have had sexual intercourse with another person. I hope I am explaining this satisfactory?”

“Yes, I understand” said Martha.

“Excuse me a moment, I will just go and see if those particular results have come back yet”. Dr Young then left the room.

“Jack, I’ve noticed that you’ve been really quiet since we left the police station, is something bothering you?” Martha anxiously asked.

“Yeah, but I’m not sure if you want to hear it” Jack admitted as he took Martha’s hand in his.

“What is it Jack? Just tell me”.

“Mason”.

“Mason?” she said. “What about him?”

“I’m not sure what it is, maybe it’s a gut feeling, but…I’ve just got this feeling that he…he may have something to do with this” he said.

“But why? Why would you think that?” Martha said sounding confused.

“It’s a number of things really. Macca has mentioned a few times how he doesn’t like or trust him. And, the other night when you thought he was trying something on…I remember thinking at the time that maybe he was and he was just trying to cover himself” he concluded.

“I told you, that incident was a misunderstanding and we both apologised for that. Plus, last night before all this happened, he was at Noah’s and he was being really nice. Even Beth said so” Martha said defensively.

Jack was starting to feel a little angry and although he tried to bite his tongue, he couldn’t stop his outburst, “Why are you sticking up for him? For all you know, he could have done this and you’re sat here defending him” he said, slightly raising his voice.

“Jack, please” Martha said as she was shocked by his reaction. “All I was trying to say was that don’t jump to conclusions without any evidence. Being accused of rape is not a small deal. I mean how would you-“

Dr Young entered the room. “I’m sorry, I hope I’m not interrupting anything but I’ve got the test results back”.

“No it’s fine, we’d just finished” said Jack in an uncompromising manner.

“Well, the test results do indeed indicate what we were suspecting. The seaman found does not match that of Jack’s so-“

“I was raped” Martha said bluntly. “So, what happens now then?”

“Well, I will send a written report to the station and you will have to come back in a week’s time to pick up your blood test reports. But that’s it for now” said Dr Young.

“Thank you Doctor” Martha said as she got up and exited the room, leaving Jack behind.

“Martha, please wait” Jack said as he was running to catch up with her as she walked through the police station car park. “It’ll take you ages to walk back, come on and I’ll give you a lift” he pleaded.

“No it’s fine, I’ll walk. I’m not an invalid” Martha exclaimed and continued her walk. Jack decided it was best to leave it, but he still was not convinced about Martha’s assertion over Mason. Jack needed to put things into perspective and the only way he could think of doing this was by talking to Beth. As Jack got into his car and left, Mason emerged from a small bush which was within the vicinity of the car park. He had been watching Martha’s and Jack’s every move; all day. Observing the events unfold right in front of him.

Jack walked into Noah’s and saw Beth behind the bar. He had to use the skills he received whist training to become part of the police force; to try and gain some insight from Beth on Mason. He didn’t like using these deceiving methods but he couldn’t let Beth suspect that something was wrong between him and Martha- least of all hinting about the rape.

“Hey Jack, why are you standing all the way over there? Come and sit down”.

“Yeah, sorry” Jack acknowledged as he made his way towards Beth. “Beth I heard you were busy last night, Martha was saying and if you don’t mind me saying, you look really tired”.

“It’s been really busy the last few days. I’m ok but until yesterday, I was getting a little worried about Martha. The job as become so demanding these days that I was worried she was running herself down. But since Mason has been coming in, they have become good friends”.

“Mason?” questioned Jack.

“Yes, he’s such a sweetie and so funny. He keeps both of us amused” said Beth.

“So has he been hanging around a lot then?” Jack queried.

“Erm…well he was with the Buck’s party yesterday and he was here the day before that and-“

“Thanks Beth, that’s all I needed to know. I’ve got to go now. I’ll speak to you later” said Jack as he hurried out of the bar.

“Jack, is everything ok? Why are you asking about Mason-“ Beth stopped, Jack had already left.

Martha walked along the beach. She couldn’t believe the way Jack was behaving. He doesn’t have the right to accuse anyone of something as vicious as rape, especially someone he didn’t know. Jack didn’t even know Mason. Martha felt that Mason was genuine and a nice guy. Martha looked up and saw a male figure walking towards her. The figure was still vivid but as he came closer, Martha realised who it was. It was Mason.

“Hi Martha, how are you? Has your headache gone from last night?” he asked casually.

“Er…yeah it has…thanks” she replied trying her best to avoid eye contact.

“Look Martha, I know why you can’t look at me right now. I know things happened really fast last night and I’m sorry if you regret it. Have you told your boyfriend? If not, it doesn’t matter. I promise not to tell him. I-“Martha interrupted.

“What are you talking about Mason? What do you know about last night?”

“Last night, what happened between us, on the beach”.

“You mean…” said a horrified Martha.

“We slept together last night. I mean, I came after you to make sure that you got home ok. I saw you on the beach and then you...you just came onto me. It wasn’t entirely your fault. I have liked you for a while but after seeing you happy with your boyfriend, I thought friendship was going to be enough. But, after last night, I’ve not been able to get you out of my head”. Mason explained.

“What…what the hell are you talking about?!!” said a horrified Martha as she backed away from Mason. “I came onto you?!” she screamed. “I love Jack, why would I cheat on him…why?!”

“That’s exactly what I thought but when you kissed me, I couldn’t help myself either”.

“STOP IT! Stop lying. Jack was right, you are behind this…you planned this whole rape. You are a jerk, I hate you, I HATE YOU!” she screamed.

“Martha, don’t say that. Maybe you can’t remember because of your headache. I wouldn’t do something like that” he said, trying to sound sincere. Mason moved closer to Martha but she ran away. Mason watched Martha running into the distance. Her figure became less and less apparent. “Now, that’s the first part of the plan completed, now for the second” he whispered to himself. Mason took out his mobile phone from his jacket pocket. “Hello, can I speak to Dr Simon Webster please. Hello, Simon, it’s me Mason. Mate, I need to ask you a massive favour…I really need your help…”

NEXT: Will Simon risk his career to save a friend?

Cracks begin to appear in Martha and Jack’s relationship…is Jack doubting Martha??

[puja]

Sorry for not updating for a while guys. I’ve not been too well the past couple of days so have not had chance to keep up with chapter posts’. But, here are the next two chapters.

The following chapter may contain inappropriate writing/description. I apologies if anyone takes offence.

Chapter 17

Mason had just spent the last hour explaining to Simon about his current predicament. Mason trusted Simon whole-heartedly as he talked through the sequences of the past couple of days. The two had arranged to meet in Yabbie Creek, in a subdued Café.

“I…I can’t believe my ears Mason! Why? What? Why did you do it? I know that you liked this girl but this is beyond an obsession!”

“Look Simon, I know what I did was wrong but I couldn’t help myself. I really, really like her and whenever I saw her with that boyfriend of hers’ it made my skin crawl! Look, I know I went about it the wrong but it’s now done. I can’t do anything to change it”.

“So why get me involved? Why tell me?” Simon moaned in disgust.

“I’ve managed to get it into Martha’s head that she consented to the sex and that I didn’t force myself onto her. She is really confused at the moment and doubts herself and the reason for this is-“Mason was cut off by Simon who completed his friend’s sentence.

“Because you drugged her!” Simon shrieked.

“Sssshhhh mate, keep it down. Well yeah, that’s it basically. I followed Martha and her boyfriend and they went to the hospital. She’s had some blood tests done and if they get them back, it will show that she was drugged and…well, you’re an intelligent guy, you can figure out the rest” said Mason. “Look Simon, I need to know that you’ve got my back. You need to get hold of those results and change them or do something. It can’t look as though she was drugged!”

“Are you kidding me?! You know I can’t do that. I’m a doctor; that would go against everything I studied for- it’s an ethical misconduct and I can’t dupe my patients. They trust me. This could also have an effect on my livelihood Mason. You know that I’ve always dreamed of becoming a doctor and I can’t do anything to jeopardise it. I’m sorry Mason; I can’t and won’t do it. As a friend I will try and keep this disgusting secret to myself but if you had an ounce of integrity, you will go to the police yourself and explain” Simon contested.

“I had a feeling you would say something like that” Mason mocked. “You’ve been a goody-two-shoes for a long time but you haven’t always been, have you?” smirked Mason. Simon’s face dropped. “I didn’t want it to come to this mate but remember, I too am harbouring a secret and I’m sure your authorities would love to know what you got up to that night, two years ago when-“ Mason stopped.

“Are you blackmailing me?” Simon whispered who was reeling from Mason’s indecent suggestion. “You promised me that would remain a secret- just between the two of us- I can’t believe you would throw it back in my face. Eighteen years of friendship and it’s come to this?”

“I scratched your back, you scratch mine” grinned Mason.

After much consideration, Simon finally spoke, “fine, I’ll do it but I’m not happy about it. I’ve got to get back to the hospital”. Simon got up and without looking at Mason, walked away from his ‘friend’.

Jack had just left the Diner and headed towards the beach. His head was spinning with thoughts and he couldn’t get them out of his head. He hated it when he and Martha fought but under any other circumstances, the process of making up was much more pleasant. A small smile crept on Jack’s lip as he reminisced about the last time they had a petty fight. Martha was really stubborn and it was always left to Jack to make up. He didn’t mind though as they always ended up in each others arms. But, this was different- it was really serious- and Jack didn’t know what to do. The small movement of his lip that could have turned into a smile, soon turned into a frown when he heard a voice calling him, “Jack, wait”. Jack didn’t have to turnaround to see who it was. He recognised the voice instantly.

“I know that I’m the last person you want to see right now and I can understand that but I think it’s important that we talk” said Mason as he got within arms-length of Jack. “I don’t want to fight, I just want you to hear me out” he continued.

“First, I want you to answer a question” said Jack with gritted teeth, “did you sleep with Martha?”

“Yes I did but-“Mason was not given the opportunity to finish his sentence and the fierce impact of Jack’s fist met with his mouth- resulting in him being thrown to the ground. Mason let out a small cry in anguish but soon got to his feet. His mouth was dripping with blood but that didn’t stop Mason from calling Jack back (who had already turned around and had begun to walk). “Wait. Yes I admit I slept with her but it wasn’t all my doing. Martha came onto me” he said.

Jack stopped and looked back at the bloodied Mason, “what the hell are you talking about?!” Jack questioned.

“That night, after Martha finished her shift and was on her way home, I followed her to make sure she got home alright because she was complaining of a headache. As I approached her on the beach, she was stumbling and I got hold of her. She then started saying how much she liked me and that she was going to dump you. When she leant in to kiss me, I couldn’t help myself and I kissed her back. One thing led to another and…well I’m sure you can guess what happened”.

“You take that back, you sick pervert!” exclaimed Jack who now had hold of Mason’s collar. “I know that you’ve liked her ever since you’ve seen her and now you’re trying to shift the blame when the truth is that you raped my Martha!” he squealed.

“Look mate” said a petrified Mason who was beginning to get worried by Jack’s physical aggression, “I admit it, I have liked her for a long time and when I found out that she had a boyfriend, I was really jealous. But, the more I got to know her, the more I was content with and valued her friendship. The truth is what I am saying; she came onto me”.

Jack loosened his grip on Mason’s collar as he began to recall the times Martha stood up for Mason. ‘Could Mason be telling the truth?’ he thought to himself. Whenever he mentioned Mason’s name, Martha would clam up and get all defensive; almost like she was trying to hide something. Maybe…

“Look Jack, you seem like a nice bloke and that’s why you deserved to know the truth. Martha doesn’t deserve you, she’s been playing the two of us for a fool” instigated Mason.

“Oh and I suppose Martha deserves you” Jack sarcastically remarked.

“No, she doesn’t deserve either of us. She told me that she was going to leave you and then commends me to a vile act such as rape!” Mason ranted. “If you’re sensible mate, you’ll get out while you can” Mason said as he finally walked away and eventually disappeared into the distance.

Jack was still reeling from Mason’s allegations. He sat on the warm, golden sand and tried to diminish the thought planted by Mason. He was successful for a moment as he tried to think about work-related issues but he couldn’t maintain it for long. Jack was soon thinking about Mason and Martha together. It made his blood boil as he imagined Mason touching her; holding her; kissing and caressing her. Jack needed his questions to be answered and soon. He got up and cleaned down the back of his jeans which was covered in sand and headed towards his apartment.

Chapter 18

Martha had been sat in the flat for what seemed like ages; twiddling her thumbs and awaiting Jack’s arrival. She had thought about going out to look for him but the thought of bumping into Mason soon changed her mind and she stayed put. Martha was feeling really naïve and gullible for not picking up on Mason’s intentions. To an extent she hated herself for allowing the situation to develop but was also relieved that she was now aware. All she had to do now was to tell Jack and Macca that they were right about Mason- but that was easier said than done. Her trail of thought was broken as she heard the scuffling of keys at the front door (Martha had locked the door because of her insecurities of being alone). She looked up towards the direction of the door and to her relief it was Jack. Without a second’s hesitation; Martha shot up, ran towards Jack and wrapped her arms around him. Jack, however, did not return the obligation.

“Thank god you’re here Jack” she whispered as she cupped both her hands around his face. “You and Macca were right about Mason, it was him; he was the one that raped me and can you believe it- he had the nerve to come up to me and say that I encouraged him and…

“Hang on a minute” Jack said as he pulled away from Martha, threw his keys on the kitchen counter and sat down at the sofa. “You spoke to him today?” he questioned.

“Er….yeah” said a baffled Martha who was surprised by the lack of affection Jack was showing. “Almost two hours ago he came up to me at the beach and said that we slept together! I was so angry when he said it. He was just stood there lying to me in front of my face. I couldn’t believe it” Martha said.

“Well, I just seen him too; on my way home from the Diner, and he said the same to me- that you consented to sleeping with him” Jack replied in a monotone voice.

“I can’t believe this jerk” Martha said as streams of tears began to fall down her face. She made her way towards Jack and sat on his lap. It pained Jack so much to see her upset but at the moment he couldn’t do anything- not even comfort her because of his unsureness. Instead of holding Martha, Jack stubbornly kept his arms by his side. “Jack, he thinks he can break us but he’s underestimating how strong our relationship is; how much we love each other. Mason seems to be under the wrongful impression that by filling your head with lies, you will begin to doubt me…” Martha looked down at Jack’s expressionless face and a small fear crept inside her heart, “you…you don’t believe him…him, do you?” Martha stuttered. Jack looked up at her face and deep into her eyes which were still glistening because of the tears that had fallen. He jerked and this subtle movement was understood by Martha as she stood up and backed away from him. “Jack, you believe him, don’t you?” Martha insisted walking backwards away from him.

“Martha, I don’t know what to believe. The last twenty-four hours have been hell for me. My girlfriend can’t stand the idea of me touching her; then I find out she’s been raped; then her ‘rapist’ insists that she came onto him. I…I just don’t know what to do and who to believe”.

“Who to believe?” Martha questioned. “I’m your girlfriend and you don’t believe me- that’s the bottom line” said an angry Martha. “And, when the hell did this become about you?! Newsflash Mr Jack Holden, the universe does not revolve around you! I WAS THE ONE WHO WAS RAPED! All I asked for was a little support from the man I love and…but he was doubting me the whole time?!” The strain of the argument was taking it’s toll on Martha as she collapsed on the floor- still uncontrollably weeping.

“Martha” Jack yelped as he took a few footsteps towards her but soon stopped because of her cries.

“Don’t you dare touch me!” she screamed. “Whatever feelings I had for you have now gone. I free you from any association with me, Mr Holden. You will now no longer be known as the boyfriend of the town’s slut!” she exclaimed through her persistent tears.

Both remained in the same position as silence filled the room. They had stayed like this for over fifteen minutes and would have remained to do so, had it not been for a knock on the door. It was Tony and Beth. The two, who were oblivious to the recent goings-on, entered the house hand in hand and were shocked to see Martha sat on the floor, still in hysterics.

“Martha love” Tony said as he rushed by her side. Tony was very fond of Martha and often referred to her as the daughter he never had. When Jack and Martha first got together, they told Tony first and he over the moon to say the least. Since that day onwards, Tony had secretly hoped that maybe marriage would be on the cards and that his son would make Martha a permanent member of the Holden family. “What’s the matter love?” he questioned again as he gently touched her forehand; Martha moved her hand away from Tony’s reach. Tony was shocked at Martha’s blatant reaction and looked up at his son, “what the hell’s going on here Jack?” he further queried, but there was no answer from Jack either as he looked on.

“Tony, maybe we should give the two of them some space” Beth intervened.

“No, don’t worry, I was just leaving” Martha eventually whispered. She refused Tony’s hand to help her up and left the flat without giving Jack a second glance. Jack just watched as he let his love walk out of his flat; and maybe his life.

Beth and Tony both looked at Jack as Tony again emphasised, “Jack, what in the hell has happened?” Jack let out a small sigh as he began to explain.

[puja]

One week later.

Chapter 19

One week had passed and it was the longest week in both Jack and Martha’s life. The two had done their best to avoid each other throughout the past week; Jack spent his time indulging in work as Martha just locked herself away in her bedroom. She would talk to no one- only Macca. Ric and Alf had expressed their concern over Martha’s recent behaviour but Macca kept his promise to his sister and brushed off the idea by suggesting that it was because of her split with Jack. Little did they know that it was only half the truth. Macca was now Martha’s rock. She had been complaining of sleep deficiency because she hated being in the apartment alone. Alf was often away in the City because of business and Ric was living with Sally. Although he didn’t need much persuasion, Macca agreed to stay with Martha. Their nights would often be spent sat in front of the TV, talking about their childhood and Martha falling asleep in her brother’s arms- this was the only time she could fall asleep; the only time she felt safe. The night before the hospital results, the ritual was still maintained but Martha had fallen asleep earlier than usual. Macca watched his sister sleep and wished he could make all her pain go away. He was annoyed with Jack and couldn’t believe he questioned Martha’s commitment to him. When Martha first told Macca what had happened with Jack, Macca wanted to go over there and punch his lights out. It was Martha who had to beg him to control his feelings and he knew he had to be strong; especially tomorrow. Martha needed her emotionally strong brother at the hospital tomorrow; not her emotionally weak brother.

Morning soon dawned and in no time Martha and Macca made their way to hospital. It was the first time in days that Martha had actually left the apartment and even though the sun was bright in the sky, a shiver quivered down her spine. The two waited patiently in the waiting room to see Doctor Young. Conversation was minimal but that was fine by Martha; the warm and comforting eye contact that Macca was regularly making was just enough. She smiled at her brother’s thoughtfulness and even though he had always been like this, Martha realised how much she had missed him when she moved permanently to the Bay. It wasn’t particularly busy at the hospital which Martha was thankful for. The last thing she needed was people coming up to her and asking why she was in hospital. It had been just over a week since the attack occurred and to Martha’s knowledge only she, Macca, Mason, Dr Young, some police officers and Jack were aware of what was happening and for Summer Bay; that was pretty good. ‘Jack’ she thought. She really, really missed him and wished he was right here by her side but her anger had not subsided; she was still furious with him and couldn’t understand why she still loved him. ‘Jack’ she again thought to herself but this time her reason for thinking about him was because he was standing there in front of her.

“What the hell are you doing here?!” Macca exclaimed as he rose from his seat only to be pulled back by Martha’s raising arm. Macca looked down at her and acknowledged her plight to not make a big commotion.

“I am here on duty Mr McKenzie” Jack coldly replied as he refused to look at Martha.

“How can you be part of this investigation?” Macca calmly asked. “You have been associated personally with this case, is it wise for him to be here?” he asked looking up at Sargent Harper.

“Constable Holden has assured me that due to not having a personal relationship with Miss McKenzie, he is now no longer involved personally, therefore, he stays on the case. If there is a problem then…”

“No, it’s fine” Martha replied gripping Macca’s hand tightly.

“Miss McKenzie, Dr Young is now ready for you if you’d like to follow me” said a Nurse. Macca and Martha stood up simultaneously.

“Do you want me to come in Princess?” Macca asked.

“Please” she said.

Macca kissed his sister on the forehead and led hr towards the room. Martha looked back at Jack but he refused to give into his feelings and he looked away in another direction.

“Martha, we’ve got your blood test results back and from the tests conducted, no traces of drugs have been found in your blood sample. As you are aware we also took a urine sample and they too show no other substances” finished Dr Young.

“But…how can that be?!” Martha said worryingly. “There must be a mistake. You have to do the tests again…I mean, even doctors get these things wrong, right?” she pleaded.

“The test results are 99.9% accurate Martha” Dr Young re-affirmed. “They are conducted by our most prestigious Doctors and by the latest technologies”.

“I understand that but I must have been drugged. I can’t remember a thing. If the blood and urine sample show nothing then what does that mean?” Martha demanded. “Oh, I understand, you think I am lying as well, don’t you Dr Young? Just because science has not proved that I was drugged it means that I wasn’t raped?!”

“Martha, I think you should calm down-“Dr Young suggested.

“No, I won’t calm down! I am basically being told that I have lied about such a sensitive area as rape and then I am expected to calm down?!” she said as she began to cry. “Well, I won’t waste your time anymore Doctor”. Martha got up and exited the room, being closely pursued by Macca.

“Princess wait, don’t go” Macca protested.

“Macca please…I just need to be by myself. Don’t follow me please” she wept. She brushed past Jack and before exiting the hospital, viciously attacked him by saying, “Well Constable Holden, your suspicions have been confirmed. I hope you are very proud” she said as she continued to weep and left the hospital.

“What happened?” Jack questioned as he looked at Macca.

“Like you care” he replied.

“Mr McKenzie, I would like to remind you that this is still part of a police investigation” emphasised Harper, “what did the tests show?”

“No traces of drugs were found in the tests but that doesn’t mean we have to close the case. We can still fight, can’t we?” Macca asked hopefully.

“I am afraid this has weakened your case. We have no legitimate or strong evidence to suggest that rape had taken place”, Harper paused. “The items of clothing which had been worn on that particular night have been destroyed and after the hospital completed a physical assessment, nothing out of the ordinary was found. The best possible advice I can give to you is to consult your lawyers”.

“But…but I found Martha that night. I saw what state she was in; surely that is a form of evidence?” Macca pleaded; hoping for a positive response.

“As the victim’s brother the Court may not place too much significance on your testimony. And because you didn’t see the alleged rape take place, it would not stand in the eyes of the Law. I can only reiterate what I said before, go and see your lawyer and seek some advice. We should be heading back to the station now. Holden” said Harper has he gestured towards the door.

“Look Macca, I just wanna-“but Jack was interrupted.

“There’s nothing you can say that will interest me so just go” Macca urged as Jack conceded and left with Harper.

[puja]

I know I’ve just posted chapter 19 but I’m in the flow at the moment so thought I’d post the next! Chapter 20 is probably the shortest chapter so far in this fic; it’s a little teaser…enjoy!

Chapter 20

Martha sat at the cliff top that held so many great memories for her. This was the place where it all began; the place where she shared her first kiss with Jack. Since that day onwards, the cliff top had become, unofficially, ‘Jack and Martha’s point’. They often came here to spend some time with each other and because it was a rather secluded part of the Bay, not many people could disturb them. The last ten days or so had been such a living hell for Martha, she hoped it was a nightmare that she would eventually awake from but it wasn’t, in fact, it was a living nightmare. In the last couple of days, Martha had even contemplated leaving the Bay to get away from it all; the pressure and the burden of recent events were almost becoming unbearable. But something was always holding her back- she whittled it down to the idea that running away would make it seem as though she had been lying and that definitely was not the case. What hurt Martha the most was the lack of trust Jack had shown. Even Jack rejecting her would surely have not hurt as much as this. Had their whole relationship been based on no trust? Was it so superficial and this whole ‘rape’ scenario just tipped it over the edge? Martha tried her utmost to get these thoughts out of her head but it was becoming impossible. She knew that the only way to change her feeble luck was by proving her innocence- but this was easier said than done. But, just then, an idea was slowly beginning to fit into place in her mind. She knew what she had to do.

Macca was already back in the apartment; anxiously waiting for Martha. When Martha finally arrived, he was slightly taken aback by her surprisingly cheerful mood. Martha sat her brother down and explained that the reason for her mood change was because she had conjured up a plan to prove her innocence and excitedly went into in-depth detail.

“I’m not sure Princess, you’ll be putting your self in danger” said a less than ecstatic Macca.

“Oh come on Macca, its full proof. If I need to prove and remove the mask of Mason, I need to take the risk. Anyway, you can be there when it all happens. You need to be there. I won’t have to worry knowing you’ll be right behind me, literally. Please, please Macca. I can’t do this without you! We’ve got an opportunity to send this creep to jail for a very long time and we can’t let it go to waste, please” she said, trying to stop the nervous tremor that was beginning to distinguish in her voice.

“Ok, fine, I’ll help but I’m still not 100% convinced that you need to put yourself in danger like that. And also, from what you said about your plan, a few eyebrows will be raised; even by people who don’t know about the rape. Can you put yourself through it? And what about Jack?”

“What about him?” Martha angrily shouted. “He thinks I was cheating on him so why not confirm his suspicions? Anyway, Jack and I are over, this has got nothing to do with him now. Forget about that now, he need to go over the plan and through all the details; covering all the angles.

Martha and Macca spent the next two hours discussing and debating the plan as it finally was agreed upon.

“Right” Martha proclaimed. “The plan is put into action from tomorrow. Tonight, we relax” she said, trying to cover up her growing insecurities but she couldn’t let Macca suspect. She had to be strong.

[puja]

Sorry for the long wait guys; hope its worth it…enjoy!

Chapter 21

The next couple of hours seemed to fly by; much to Martha’s dismay, and it was soon the next day. Martha believed it was necessary to make an early start as it would relinquish any thoughts she may have of backing out of the plan. As much as she wanted Mason to pay for what he had done, she could not help to feel nervous and insecure. The very idea of seeing his face sent shivers down her spine, let alone… ‘Stop doing this to yourself Martha; get a grip’ she thought to herself. Martha was beginning to get annoyed at the fact that she was allowing her imagination and thoughts get the better of her. She had to motivate and conserve all her energies on one thing and one thing only; punishing Mason. She looked across the room and saw that Macca was still asleep. The two of them had fallen asleep on the sofa the night before whilst going through the final preparations of executing the plan. Martha was so thankful for Macca’s support and if she needed extra motivation then it was that; staring in her face; her brother. Macca had stuck by her through thick and thin. Not only with regard to Mason and the whole catastrophe that he brought with him; but Macca had always been like that since they were young. With that thought in mind and being careful not to wake Macca she left the apartment and headed to the place where she knew Mason would almost definitely be; the beach.

Martha arrived at the beach and quickly scanned across the golden sand; there was no sign of him yet. She took off her sandals, carried them in her hand, and started to walk along the beach. Martha liked the tingling sensation that she was feeling as the warm sand indulged on her feet. It seemed like it had been too long since Martha felt that tingling sensation. The last time was probably when she spent the night with Jack, the night before her world turned upside down and it was because of Mason. Even thinking his name made her blood boil as her mood changed from being relaxed to frustrated.

“Thinking of me are you?” came a sarcastic voice from behind Martha. Martha recognised it instantly and as much as she wanted to turn around and wipe the smile off his face; she had to remain within her limits.

“Actually I was” she said turning around, smiling at Mason.

Mason was slightly taken back by what seemed like a cheerful Martha as this was not the reaction he was expecting. He was expecting rather the opposite in fact. “Errrr…right ok” said Mason who was not sure how to react.

“Don’t sound so surprised. Look, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately and I’ve realised that I was in the wrong. The past couple of days have been horrible and it has been mostly my fault so I would like to put things right. I was thinking, maybe we could…”

“Yes?” Mason instigated as he liked the direction the conversation was flowing.

“Well I thought that perhaps we could go for a drink or something” she shyly said.

Mason tried his utmost to come across as calm as possible but he couldn’t help the way his reply came out, “yeah that would be awesome. I mean great, yeah, I’d love to” he shrieked.

“Meet me at Noah’s, at 8 o’clock? I’m not working so we can spend the whole night getting to know each other properly, without any interruptions” Martha finally concluded.

“Great, I’ll look forward to it. It’s a date then” said an excitable Mason as he gave a wink and walked away.

As soon as Mason was out of sight Martha shuddered at what she had done. She couldn’t believe she had arranged a date with her rapist. Martha consoled herself as she kept reminding herself that it was all part of the plan and it was going to perfection. All she had to do now was to go and inform Macca of the progression and psyche herself up for the forthcoming date.

From a distance a bemused Jack looked on. He had witnessed the whole interaction but had not heard what the two had been talking about. What he did see; he didn’t like. Even though he was at a distance, he could clearly see both Martha and Mason smiling at each other. It was hard for Jack to miss Martha’s smile; it was the smile that had initially won his heart. Watching the two of them together and seeing them laugh was the hardest thing Jack had ever endured. Their interaction had more or less confirmed Jack’s fear; Martha had cheated on him.

Evening was soon upon Summer Bay as Martha was back in the apartment getting ready for the most pivotal night of her life. She was sat at her dressing table applying make-up. After applying the final touches she stood up and looked at herself in the mirror.

“You look beautiful” said a voice from behind. Martha turned around and smiled at the warm comment given by her brother. “It’s a shame it’s being wasted on that jerk” said Macca. Macca walked up to his sister and took her in his arms, “I just want you to know that I think you are incredibly brave for doing this. I hope we can nail this pervert and send him to prison for a very long time”. He looked down at Martha and into her eyes which were beginning to swell with tears. “Hey, come on, I didn’t want to make you cry” Macca softly whispered as he brushed away the tears that were falling down her cheek.

“Thanks” said Martha as she gave him a kiss on the cheek, picked up her handbag and left the apartment.

Martha arrived at Noah’s and looked down at her watch, 7.50pm, she was ten minutes early and when she looked around the room, she was thankful that Mason had not arrived yet; she needed a couple of minutes to prepare herself. Martha walked up towards the bar and sat on the stool.

“Hi Beth, can I have a water please?” she asked.

“Sure sweet, oh my, you look stunning don’t you? Jack’s a lucky man-“Beth stopped in her tracks as she realised her mistake. “I’m sorry love; it’s just a force of habit. I know that you and Jack are no longer together now” she said, rectifying her mistake.

“It’s alright Beth” Martha said as she sipped her water and tried to laugh off the mistake but inside her heart was performing cart-wheels. Whenever Jack’s name was mentioned she always felt like that; she still loved him.

“You know that he still loves you and misses you so much” Beth mentioned.

“Beth I-“

“Look Martha love, I’m not trying to defend him and I can’t even imagine how you felt when he accused you of something as vile as-“Beth was interrupted by Martha.

“Hang on a minute, Jack told you what happened?” Martha asked in a harsher tone.

“He didn’t want to love but that day when Tony and I came and when you left, we had to force it out of him”.

“Tony knows too?” Martha protested.

“Yes love but like I said, we had to force it out of him but look at him” said Beth as she pointed at Jack and Tony who were sat at a table, “Jack’s been drinking himself silly since you two have split. If he’s not drinking he spends all his time at the station trying to forget his problems but it’s not working. He’s been here the last three hours drinking and there’s not anything that I can say or Tony can say to make him stop.

Martha’s heart sunk. It killed her to think what Jack was doing to himself. She watched him as he picked up his alcoholic drink and drank it all in one go. Martha looked over towards Tony and watched him, in vain, try to make Jack understand that drinking was not the answer, but he was refusing to listen. Martha was just about to open her mouth and say something to Beth when Mason came from behind.

“Hey” he said as he kissed Martha on the neck which instantly made her quiver. Mason was too engrossed in his happiness that he failed to notice Martha’s lack of enthusiasm. “You look absolutely fantastic” he complemented as he looked up at Beth and slyly asked, “Can we have your best and most expensive bottle of champagne please!”

“Celebrating something?” Beth said as she tried to remain civil and remove the look of disgust from her face.

“Well, you could say that. This might just be the start of something very big and very special” Mason grinned as Beth handed him the bottle of champagne. “Come on, let’s go and get a table and start the night as we mean to finish it” he said looking at Martha, who could only just manage a weak smile. Mason took Martha by the hand and led her away towards an empty table. Martha turned back and looked at Beth. She did the only thing that she could and instinctively, without thinking, mouthed, “Sorry”.

[puja]

Chapter 22

The first couple of hours of the date had been largely spent with Mason talking and Martha not really paying attention; she was too worried about Jack. Jack had noticed the two of them as soon as they had arrived at Noah’s and all he could do was watch on; watch on like a hawk. Although Martha tried to fight it, she too could not help but maintain eye contact with Jack. Sometimes she would even allow a small smile to creep on her mouth but would soon realise that if Mason noticed, then all her hard work would be scampered.

It was now reaching 11.30pm and although Jack had restrained himself from approaching Martha and Mason’s table, he could no longer control his urge. Jack staggered towards the table and was closely being pursued by Tony.

“Come on son, you don’t need to be here” Tony pleaded as he tried to get Jack to leave.

“No dad, I’ll be a good boy. Anyway, I’ve come here to talk to my girlfriend. Whoops! My…my mistake, my ex-girlfriend” he giggled. Jack pulled up a stool and sat between Martha and Mason. “So Mason…you are c…certainly one lucky guy. I mean, it took me a good number of weeks to get a date with Miss McKenzie here, and you’ve…you’ve managed to get in there straightaway!” Jack stammered. “Now, I know you’ve already got the other already sorted…” Jack then moved closer towards Mason but instead of whispering, he shouted, “the sex bit” he giggled.

“Jack!!” shouted Martha as she stood up from her seat and tried to stop her tears from flowing.

“Oh, don’t turn on the water works Martha” Jack said coldly, “those tears don’t fool me anymore and they shouldn’t fool anyone else either. In fact, I’ve got an announcement to make”. Jack swiftly got up from his stool and whilst maintaining his balance, went and stood on top of the wooden seat. Tony tried in vain to usher Jack down but he was having none of it. “Can I have everyone’s attention please?! Turn that damn music off someone!” The music was switched off and the whole room was filled with an eerie silence. “Right, well I know how gossip spreads in this town so instead of hearing it from…from other people…people, I would like to inform everyone that myself and…and Martha McKenzie are no longer a couple. We…we’ve not been broken up a week but she’s already dating her alleged rapist. Yep…yep…yep, that’s right folks, you heard right. Mar…Martha told me that she was raped by that fellow sat right next to her and now she’s out on a date with him! I’ll let…let you all decide what kind of a girl she is…but that’s it…it. That was my big announcement! Thank you all for listening and I hope you all enjoy the rest of your night!” Jack finally concluded as he stumbled off the stool and returned to his table and resumed his drinking whilst staring at Martha. Martha had not stopped crying throughout the whole of Jack’s ‘speech’. She couldn’t believe he would stoop so low. Martha felt everyone’s eyes on her; the eyes were like daggers that were being aimed at her and they were so painful. With every ounce of fight and spirit she had left, she eventually spoke,

“Mason, can you take me home please?” she softly spoke.

“Ermmm, er yeah sure” he stuttered as he too tried to come to terms with Jack’s antics. With that the two left Noah’s. Jack watched as Martha left with Mason and he instantly regretted what he had done.

Martha and Mason arrived back at Martha’s apartment. They had walked home and during the travel Martha was able to slowly and eventually take in what had just happened at the bar. There was not much conversation between the two of them on the way to the apartment but that’s how Martha wanted it. She wanted to eclipse everything that had just occurred at the bar and concentrate on the plan.

“So” Mason said as he undid his jacket and sat down beside Martha “that was a little heavy” he said trying to sound sincere and sympathetic.

“Well, that’s Jack Holden for you” she said, trying to make a joke of the situation but inside, Jack’s words were piercing her heart. “I don’t know what I saw in him in the first place. But, to be honest, all the things he was saying were right”.

“What do you mean?” Mason asked

“I am going out with someone who used forcible methods to get me” she said wearily, trying to look at the expressions of Mason’s face.

“What? I thought…I mean I didn’t…not…” said a shocked Mason.

“No…no Mason, don’t worry” Martha said as she shuffled across and sat closer by him. Martha gently put her hands on top of his and continued, “Look, I know what you did and although it’s taken me a while to realise it, I now know you did what you had to do to get me. I mean, I was madly in love with that jerk Jack that if you tried to come onto me in an ordinary situation, then I would have just knocked you back”. Martha moved in even closer as their knees touched. Mason felt a jolt of excitement shoot through his body as Martha placed her hand on his thigh. “Mason, we can get past this and develop this friendship into something special but that can only happen if you are willing to let go of the past. To me, the only way we can get past this is if we talk about it and it’s out in the open” Martha suggestively concluded as she caressed Mason’s thigh.

“Yeah, yeah, you are right 100%” Mason squealed excitedly. “I know what I did was wrong and drugging you in the first place and then taking advantage of you wasn’t the right way to go about it but like you said before; it was my only way. I had to get that copper out of the way and sleeping with you, without you knowing, was the only way I could think of doing it. I know that since then, you’ve been through a lot and I’m genuinely sorry for that. But, now I can make up for it” he said gleefully. Mason raised his arm and placed it on top of Martha’s shoulder where the straps of her dress were. He moved even closer and stroked the strap with his hand and because of this movement; the black strap began to fall. “We can and we will get through this” he sleazily suggested as he pushed his lips onto Martha’s. Martha clenched her teeth as tightly as she possibly could to stop his tongue from sliding into her mouth. Mason continued to persist and just as he was about to get through, Martha backed away.

“Wow!” she said, lying through her teeth. “I do really want to give this a go but I need to take things slowly. I hope you understand” Martha calmly instigated.

Mason gave a smile of content and replied, “yeah, I completely understand, that’s fine. Tonight’s progression has gone a lot better than I first anticipated anyway, so I won’t push my luck” he joked. “Look, I’ll get going. I’m glad we’ve sorted things out and I’ve enjoyed tonight; especially the latter part” he grinned. “Here is my card with my number and address, give me a ring tomorrow?” Mason asked.

“Yeah sure” said Martha as she managed to put together a fake smile.

“Tomorrow it is then sweetie” Mason said as he again forced his lips on hers but this time, he managed to slip his tongue in. “Bye” he said as he winked at Martha and left the apartment.

Martha locked the door behind her and as soon as Mason left, she began to rub her lips to get rid of Mason’s touch. Just as she was doing so; Macca emerged from Martha’s bedroom. Martha looked up at her brother hopefully and asked,

“I hope you’ve got it all on tape because I’m not going through that again” she said in a slightly shaky tone.

Macca walked up to his sister and put one arm around her whilst using the other to play the footage from the video camera which Macca had recorded. “It’s all there Princess, that scumbag is only a free man for a couple of hours max now. When you see him next he’d have already spent a couple of days rotting in a police cell and that will become a permanent residency address”.

Martha let out a sigh of relief as a small tear rolled down her cheek, “then it’ll be finally over, won’t it?” she asked as she looked up at her brother.

“It sure will Princess” Macca replied as he comforted her.

“Mac, we need to get that tape to the police station as soon as possible. Come on, let’s go now”.

“Yeah sure, but only I will go. You’ll be seeing enough of that place in the coming days and weeks. You rest now and I’ll go give this is and come straight back. Deal?” he smiled.

“Deal” she said.

Macca put on his jacket and took the tape in his hand; being careful not to knock it or anything. He gave Martha a comforting kiss on the cheek and exited the apartment.

Macca got outside and breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn’t show too much emotion in front of Martha but he was so glad the plan went accordingly. Macca had reservations about the plan in the first place; not only was it putting his sister in physical danger, but also emotional. He looked around the night sky; it was absolutely silent. Macca shut his eyes for a moment as he imagined what things would be like after this whole nightmare was over. His thoughts were disrupted by what seemed like leaves scuffling. Macca dismissed it as a fragment of his imagination and made his walk to the police station.

At the side of Martha’s apartment was a large bush and amongst the bush, a figure appeared who had been watching Macca: it was Mason. Mason smiled at himself as he took out his mobile phone and dialled a number.

“Hey yeah, it’s me. The brother is heading for the police station with the tape. He’s only just left the apartment so he’ll reach you in about ten minutes or so. You know what you have to do. Make sure you do the job properly. From where you are now to the police station is only a further ten minute journey. So, what ever it is you have to do, do it before he gets to the station and destroy that tape” he remarked.

“You are so clever mate” said the voice from the other end, “if you hadn’t have kept on spying on that girl the last couple of days, you would have never known about their plan!”

Mason laughed, “Yeah, I do occasionally surprise myself with my extreme brilliance and arrogance too. Actually, I got quite a thrill from spying at them the last couple of days; maybe I’ve found a new career path” Mason joked. “But, getting back to business, I want the job done perfectly and if it’s not and I go down; I’ll take you down with me” he said unremorsefully.

“Yes boss” said the voice.

Mason ended the call and whispered to himself, “Never mess with the best, Martha dear, because the best don’t mess”. Mason chuckled to himself as he slowly made his way to his apartment; without a care in the world.

[puja]

Whatever you say Tessa! lol

Chapter 23

Martha was sat in her bedroom waiting for Macca to return. He had been gone for approximately an hour which Martha thought was reasonable- considering the significance of the evidence. Sat on her bed, Martha began to think what the coming weeks had planned for her. She was not naïve and was aware that the majority of her time would be spent at the police station or in court. Also, she understood that the case would not be able to continue without it becoming public knowledge and in a small town like Summer Bay, it was almost inevitable. To a degree, Martha was so tired that she wasn’t sure if she would be able to handle the pressure of the next few weeks but, she had been like that since this whole ‘nightmare’ started. Somehow, however, she was always able to find some fight and energy from somewhere to come through all the obstacles that had been thrown at her; and the next few weeks were not going to be any different; she would fight to the bitter end. With all those notions and thoughts escalating in her head, Martha was soon fast asleep.

The following morning Martha woke up to the sound of her alarm clock. She switched it off immediately and rubbed both of her eyes to try and see what the time was. The clock read 11am. ‘Jesus, I slept like a baby’ she thought to herself as she made her way out of her bedroom and into the bathroom. Martha came out of the bathroom showered and dressed and ready for the day ahead of her. She was just about to walk to the fruit bowl and pick up an apple when it suddenly dawned on her- how could she have been so stupid. She had completely forgotten about the events of the night before. ‘Macca’ she thought to herself. Martha turned back round and knocked on Macca’s bedroom door.

“Mac, are you awake? It’s me, can I come in?” she asked. There was no response. “I hope you’re decent because I’m coming in” Martha joked as she turned the door knob and walked into the room. Macca was not there. She looked at his bed and it didn’t look as though it had been slept in. “Mac?” Martha quizzed as she moved towards the dinner table to see if he had left her a note or something- there was nothing. Martha picked up her mobile (which she usually kept on silent during the nights) to see if Macca had tried to ring her but again, there was nothing. Martha was starting to worry. She tried to ring his mobile several times but there was no answer. ‘What should I do?’ she thought to herself as panic started to take over. Martha decided that the best thing was not to stress out too much and that there was probably a simple explanation for this. With that, she decided to go and look for him.

After an hour and a half of relentless looking, there was still no sign of Macca. Martha had looked every that she could think of; the beach, the Diner, Noah’s but he was nowhere to be found. It was then that Martha had a terrible thought, ‘what if he didn’t make it to the police station with the tape at all? What if he’s hurt…or worse?’ Martha tried her best to relinquish such negative thoughts but she couldn’t stop them from taking over; no matter how hard she tried. The only way to get answers to her

questions, Martha thought to herself, and to put her mind at ease was by going to the police station and finding out for herself.

“There you go Constable Holden, I think you could do with this” smirked Lara as he handed Jack a mug of coffee. “And look, it’s in your favourite mug” she teased.

“Thanks” replied Jack groggily as he tried to get over his hangover.

“It must have been a special occasion for you to drink so much last night; especially when you knew you had the early shift the following day” Lara pestered.

Jack didn’t reply; he didn’t know what to say because he didn’t remember much of what happened. All he knew was that he hurt and embarrassed Martha and for that, he was really sorry. “Errrr, I don’t really-“but before he could finish, he was stopped in his tracks by the appearance of Martha.

“Hello Martha, what brings you here?” asked Lara.

“Errrr…I’ve come to…erm…have you seen…did Macca come…here…have…”

“Hey, calm down. I can’t understand what you are trying to say, come in here” Lara said as she led Martha to an interview room. They were quickly pursued by an anxious Jack. “Look, sit down here, take a deep breath and slowly tell me what the matter is”.

“Macca, my brother, did he come in here last night?” Martha asked hopefully.

“Why would Macca come here?” Jack queried. Martha looked at him and then looked back at Lara.

“No, he hasn’t. I was working the night shift and have been at the station all night; if he had of come, I would have seen him. But why…” Lara was faded out.

“Oh no” Martha gasped as she leant back on the chair and shut her eyes. Tears began to trickle down her face. Jack instinctively took a few steps closer towards Martha to comfort her but soon realised his mistake. Instead, Lara rubbed her back and asked,

“Martha, what’s all this about? If you don’t tell us, we won’t be able to help you”.

Martha took a deep breath and started to explain, “Macca and I, last night, were able to get some evidence to prove that Mason had attacked me…me. Macca was supposed to bring the evidence to he station last night. I was back in the apartment waiting for him but fell asleep. When I…I woke up this morning he wasn’t there. I’ve tried ringing him a number of times; looked everywhere but I can’t find him; I don’t know where he is” she wept.

“When you say evidence, what do you mean?” Lara instigated.

“Well, I managed to track Mason down and convinced him to go out on a date with me. We went to Noah’s last night and afterwards he came back to my place. I said to him that if we were going to give this relationship a go then we had to be completely honest with each other. I…I told him that…that I had no hard feelings about the attack. He then confessed to it and we got it on tape…Macca was with me all the time and he video taped Mason’s confession!” she explained.

“Oh, and he just happened to confess it all, did he? I mean, he didn’t get suspicious or anything?!” Jack asked, sounding unconvinced by Martha’s analogy. He didn’t want to come across at sounding harsh but that’s the way it came out, and the way Martha took it.

“No, I slept with him first Jack and then he confessed. Is that what you want to hear?!” she screamed.

“Hey, you two, calm down. Martha, I’m sure that’s not what Jack meant. But, how could you and Macca have been so foolish? You’ve to an extent, taken the law into your own hands. We are the professionals; you should have left it to us” Lara responded.

“Well, that’s what I did the first time round and in the end, I was just made to look like a liar. I knew I was raped and instead of putting that pervert in jail, you all made me question my own sanity! Only Macca supported me and believed me and now my brother could be…” Martha was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“I’m sorry to interrupt you guys” said the constable “but the Sarge told me to give you two this case. A male in his early twenties has been found beaten up to a pulp. We are looking at it as an attempt to murder. The Sarge wants you down at the hospital as soon as. The couple that found him were able to ask his name before he lost consciousness…Michael McKenzie”.

Martha gasped and in one swift movement, got up from her chair and ran out of the station, nearly knocking the constable behind her. Jack and Lara looked at one another and closely followed Martha out of the station; heading towards the hospital.

[puja]

Chapter 24

“Where is he? Is he ok? Can I see him?” Martha hastily asked Nurse Julie as she arrived at the hospital.

“The doctor is with him at the moment; he’ll be able to tell you more”.

“Julie, please just tell me straight, what are his chances?” Martha pleaded as she sat down on a chair and was soon joined by Lara and Jack.

“Look Martha, like I said, the doctors will be able to tell you in more detail but when Macca came in, he was suffering from severe head injuries and-“

Doctor Young then came out of the room where Macca was currently being looked after, “it’s ok Nurse, I’ll explain. When Macca came in, he did gain consciousness for a little while which was a positive sign but he was unable to stay awake as he went into cardiac arrest. We managed to keep him with us and after conducting some tests we found a hairline fracture in his skull. Even though he is stable, unfortunately we don’t know whether he will make a full recovery. I’m afraid it’s a waiting game; we won’t know much until he wakes up”.

“But he will wake up, won’t he?” Martha asked hopefully.

“We’ll have to wait and see. Excuse me, I’ve got to go and see another patient. You can go in and see him but brace yourself; he looks very weak. If you’ve got any more questions then please ask the Nurse to page me” concluded Dr Young.

“Thank you” whispered Martha as she made her way to Macca’s room.

Martha went in and carefully closed the door behind her. She pulled up a stool and sat beside her brother. Martha wept as she couldn’t stand to see her brother’s condition. He looked pale and weak as it seemed that it was only the machines that were keeping him alive. He had pipes leading from his nose to the machines; from his heart to the machines. Martha took Macca’s hand and clasped it with hers. Jack also made his way into the room but Martha was too busy talking to Macca to notice.

“Mac…Mac I know you can hear me. Mac…please wake up, I really need you- more than ever. For my own selfish reasons I need you to be here with me; by my side like you always have been. Do you remember when we were kids? I always used to get my own way. Everyone said to me that I was so stubborn because I had three older brothers who would do anything for me and everything I demanded. I guess it was true. You guys never made me feel like an outsider. I mean…I was only three years old when I came into our family and not once did I feel overlooked or minor. I’m going to be stubborn again so that means you have to wake up Mac…please, please…” Martha stopped talking as her emotions took control. Jack couldn’t see her like that and as much as he feared a backlash, he couldn’t help himself. He walked up to Martha and bent down on his knees. He freed his arms and to his surprise, Martha obliged as she fell in his arms and started to cry even more.

After almost five minutes of remaining in the same position, Martha broke free.

“Sorry” she said as she took the tissue Jack had offered her and rubbed her eyes.

“What for?” he asked.

“For…for just now. I didn’t mean to…just sorry”.

“Look Martha, I-“Jack paused.

“Why are you still here? You need to go and arrest that jerk before he does some more harm” she said sternly.

“But we haven’t got any strong evidence to suggest that Mason carried out this attack. We can’t act on assumptions, you know that” Jack implied.

“Evidence? Evidence? What more evidence do you need? Fine…if it’s evidence that you need then I’ll get it for you!” she shrieked as she took out a small card from her packet; took a look at the address on it and left Macca’s side and the room.

“Martha, wait” Jack said as he hurriedly followed her.

‘This is it’ Martha thought to herself as she stood outside the house which address was written on the card Mason had given her the night before. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. There was no answer. Martha knocked on the door again but this time, more fiercely and this resulted in the door being answered by Mason.

“Hi gorgeous” he said with a sly smile on his face. Without saying a word, Martha raised her right hand and slapped it across Mason’s face. The slap was conducted at such speed and strength; it left a hand print on Mason’s cheek. “I like it when you play hard to get” he said, trying to control his anger. Martha put her hand in her jacket pocket but quickly took it back out again.

“I can’t believe you. I hate you so much! It wasn’t enough for you that you raped me but now you may have taken my brother away from me! I was so happy before you came- I was with the man I loved and everything was great. Why?! Why?! What did I ever do to you? I…I”.

“Look sweetheart; whatever Mason wants…Mason gets. From the moment I saw you, I fell in love with you. When I saw you with that boyfriend of yours and saw how happy you was, I realised that the only way to get you was…well you know…forcing myself onto you”.

“Love?!” Martha laughed, “you treat someone you love like this?! What I don’t understand is why get Macca involved?”

“Because sweetheart, you got him involved! You see, I was aware of your little plan that you had conjured up with that brother of yours. If you haven’t figured it out yet- I was spying on you! So, I was aware of your plan and before Macca could take that tape to the police, I sorted him out” he gloated.

Martha looked on horrifyingly. Just as she was about to open her mouth and retaliate, another voice spoke.

“Well, you’re not all that clever Mason and now you’ve slipped up” said Jack as he emerged from a bush near by. “I’ve heard everything that I need to and that will lock you away for a very long time”. The sound of police sirens soon enriched the street. The police came out and took Mason away.

Martha slumped down at the steps of the front porch and buried her head in her hands. Jack perched down with her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Martha…I am so sorry. I can’t believe I didn’t trust you. I know me saying sorry isn’t enough but I don’t know what else to say”.

“You hearing Mason’s confession might not be enough. I managed to get the confession on my mobile phone as well” she said placing the phone in his hands. Martha then stood up and headed towards the direction of the hospital.

[puja]

First of all, I just want to apologies for the long wait! It has been a mixture of waiting for results, getting results (I passed them all!! Waaahooo!) and looking for a job. I hope it’s worth the wait! Chapter 25:

Chapter 25

“Martha, please wait, we need to talk” Jack shouted from the top of his lungs as the sound of traffic was drowning him out. It had been almost ten minutes since they had left Mason’s house and not once had Martha turned around to see Jack. But, Jack was not going to give up so easily. He knew how much he loved her and was willing to do anything to get her back; even if that meant following her like a lunatic up a busy street.

“Jack, I’m not interested in what you have to say. I’m heading to the hospital to spend some time with my brother. I don’t need this right now” she retaliated.

After relentless pursuing Jack finally caught up with her, grabbed her by the elbow and spun her around until she was facing him directly- eye to eye. “I know you probably think that we don’t have a chance but I know we can get through this Martha. The last couple of weeks have been hell for me; not being able to see you, touch you, kiss you. Never in my life did I think I could feel like this about someone but now…now that I have, I don’t want to let you go…I love you” Jack warmly pleaded.

“This love you so proudly claim about, where was it the day I begged you to believe me that I had been raped?! Where was this so called love when you suspected that I cheated on you?! You know Jack, before all this nightmare happened, I had been dreaming about and planning our future. I would often watch you sleep and think how lucky I was to have found you. I mean, as sad as it sounds, I had even pictured us getting married; visualised what my wedding dress would look like; how many children we were going to have…” Martha paused and just let out a somewhat sarcastic smile, “Well it shows how deluded I was” she said as she freed her arm from Jack’s grasp and continued with her walk.

“Martha we can still have all that; all that you had dreamt about. I promise that if you give me this chance, I will not give you a chance to complain or ever let you down…I mean that wholeheartedly” replied Jack. Martha stopped in her tracks and looked back at Jack. She then took a few steps closer towards him and said,

“Let me just ask you this. If, and I mean if, we got back together, we would need to make a complete fresh start. Would you be able to forget it? The last couple of weeks, would you be able to erase it from your memory? Remember Jack, now that you know the truth you also know that I am damaged goods. Can you honestly say to me that you will be able to look at me and touch me in the same way as you used to?” Martha stopped talking and was continuing making eye contact with Jack. Jack couldn’t take it any longer. He loved her so much but wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to forget. He knew that deep in his heart that Martha was the victim in all of this but there was something; something subconscious in his mind that was stopping him from saying he could forget. Eventually, Jack broke away from the eye contact and focused his concentration on the busy roads.

“I…I’m not sure” he solemnly whispered as a small tear droplet trickled down his teeth.

“I didn’t think so” Martha said as she gave off another sarcastic laugh. She turned back round and watched as the busy roads got even busier. Martha then walked to the curb of the road and looked down at the road to try and cross it. She took a step out onto the road but her mind was so full on hurt and anguish, she didn’t realise that a car was just coming around the corner; full speed. Jack looked up and to his shock, saw the incoming vehicle.

“Martha!!” he instinctively screamed. Martha looked back towards Jack’s direction and saw the car racing towards her. But, it was too late. Martha had no time to react and the fierce motor crushed Martha’s body. “NOOOOOO!” Jack cried out in anguish as the entire moving vehicles stopped and looked on in horror. Jack ran towards Martha’s lifeless body and put her in his lap, “Martha, Martha, come on, talk to me sweetie. It’s Jack. I can’t feel her pulse; she’s not breathing. Someone call for an ambulance, hurry!” he yelped.

“I’ve already called for one mate, its coming” said a motorist.

“Hey Martha, did you hear that, an ambulance is on its way. Come on Martha, stay with me. The ambulance will be here any moment now and we’ll take you to the hospital and you’ll be fine; you’ll see” he said as he cradled her in his lap.

“Coming through, paramedic coming through” said a male paramedic who was being accompanied by a doctor.

“Right, I’m doctor Stone, who’s this?” he asked as he crouched beside Jack and Martha.

“This is my girlfriend Martha, Martha McKenzie. Please help, she’s not breathing and there’s so much blood and…” said a hysterical Jack

Doctor Stone checked for Martha’s pulse and found nothing. He looked at the paramedic and shook his head in disbelief. “I’m sorry” he said, “I’m afraid Martha is no longer with us. She’s not breathing and has not been for a while now. She has lost too much blood and…”

“No, no, no, please don’t say that. Please keep trying. You don’t know my Martha; she’s really strong and definitely a fighter. If you just…” but Jack was cut off before he could continue further.

“I am very sorry” said the doctor, placing his hand on Jack’s shoulder, “She is dead”.

********************************************************************************

*****************

“Noooooo” Jack screamed in anguish as he awoke from his sleep. “Martha, Martha” he quietly whispered as he brushed the sweat that was dripping from his forehead. Suddenly, someone entered Jack’s room.

“Jack, Jack are you okay? Jack, look at me” said the male figure as he sat down at Jack’s bed.

“Dr Leroy, I had that dream again” said Jack who was still panting from his dream.

“Yes Jack, is it the same dream you’ve been having since you were admitted here, about a month ago?”

“Ummm, it is. But why do I keep on having that same nightmare. It’s always the same; all the time. My…my Martha being taken away from me”.

Dr Leroy let out a small sigh, “Jack, we’ve had this same conversation for over a month now. You know I don’t like being harsh but Martha has been dead for over a month now and you’ve been in this institute for the same amount of time. You keep re-living the time you spent with her; especially the last couple of weeks before her death. The reason for this is because you haven’t let go Jack. You’ve got to face it; she is no longer with us”.

“No…it’s not true. It can’t be. I mean…what is this place and why am I here? This is a loony bin isn’t it? I’m not crazy; not crazy I tell you” Jack protested as he lashed out in anger.

“Jack, please calm down. Look, have a drink” said Dr Leroy as he took a mug from ontop of Jack’s drawers.

“Give me that” Jack snapped as he fiercely took the mug off Dr Leroy and placed it in the exact position it had been in; the same position it had been in for the last month or so. “I’m sorry Doctor, I didn’t mean to get physical but you know that I get angry when you keep on telling me that my Martha is dead. I mean…” it then dawned on Jack that it was in fact true. But, he didn’t want to indulge on that and just as he was about to change the subject, Dr Leroy intervened,

“One of the ward-boys who was on night duty told me that he saw you walking around the room last night, around about 11.30pm, what was the matter?”

“I had the nightmare again, the one where…and I woke up and thought about Martha. I was all hot and sweaty but as soon as I thought of her, I dozed off back to sleep. But, I had that nightmare again and…when…when it gets…gets to the part when…when she dies in my arms, I always wake up” Jack said as he tried to fight the tears that were falling.

“Jack, that’s because you haven’t let go. Your ‘nightmare’ begins from the time you and Martha were happy, then you met Mason, then the problems you both endured until you eventually reach the part where she dies. Jack, this is the same dream you’ve been having for over a month now…I don’t know how else to say this but…”

“Why are the windows in this place so high up?” Jack asked the doctor. Since Martha’s death and when Jack was not asleep, his attention span had been getting shorter and shorter. He would often start talking about one thing but in mid conversation, would get bored and change the topic. “And why do they have bars across the window? It stops the sunlight from getting into my room” he innocently claimed.

“You know why Jack, it’s for your own safety. Now listen, I’ve asked your dad to come in today and he should be here any time soon. I’m sure he’s looking forward to seeing you, it has been a couple of days since he last…” Dr Leroy stopped talking as he looked up at Jack who was already in daydreaming. Dr Leroy understood that it was probably about Martha as he got up from the bed and left the room.

“I’m glad you could make it Mr Holden” Dr Leroy said as he shook Tony’s hand and gestured for both him and Lucas to sit down. “I’m afraid my inviting you here is not for the most positive reasons. Actually, Jack’s behaviour has seemed to have gotten more erratic since the last time you came to see him” he said.

“But that was only a couple of days ago, and you said he was improving” Lucas questioned.

“That is true Lucas but you’ve got to understand, after what your brother has been through, it is not unusual for him to have these ups and downs” informed the doctor.

“So, what does that mean?” queried Tony.

“Well, with your permission, I was wanting to up his medication dosages; just for a couple of days to see if there are any improvements”.

Lucas looked up at his dad and could see the reluctance in his eyes. “Doctor Leroy, you are the expert. I don’t like the idea of pumping drugs into my son but if you think it could genuinely help…well…I have no objections” Tony sighed. “I just want my son back; the one who always used to laugh and joke. The police officer who loved his job and was dedicated to fulfilling his duties. I just…”

“No dad, I don’t want anymore medication” Jack screamed as he entered Doctor Leroy’s office. “I’m not mad dad, I just want Martha back, please dad, I don’t want the medication. Everytime I’m given it, it makes me forget about Martha for a long time. The drugs are so powerful; they just take control. I don’t want to forget about her dad, please, please. I promise, I won’t be badly behaved anymore. I’ll make sure I eat and sleep on time. I promise I won’t even try to escape from this loony bin, Just please don’t make me have anymore medication dad” Jack pleaded hysterically as he fell to his knees.

“Ward-boy, please take Holden back to his room and stay with him” ordered Dr Leroy harshly. The ward-boy came in and grabbed Jack by his arms; restricting his movements. Jack initially began to put up a fight but then stopped as he remembered his promise.

“Look dad, I’m not putting up a fight anymore. I’m keeping my promise to be good but now you have to keep yours” he said as he waved Tony and Lucas behind and left the room.

Lucas could not longer control his emotions as he burst into tears. Tony tried to best to comfort his son but the truth was, he needed someone to comfort him. Tony then helped Lucas to his feet and headed towards the door. Before leaving, Tony stopped and looked back at Dr Leroy,

“Do what you have to do; just give me my son back”.

With that, Tony and Lucas exited the building.

THE END

Right guys, that’s it! That’s the end of this fanfic ‘Nightmare’. I restrained myself from letting you know that it was the last chapter; I wanted to keep you guessing.

I just want to say thanks for all the nice and positive comments throughout; they have been definitely been appreciated, and I mean that.

I hope you enjoyed it because I certainly enjoyed writing it. I know the ending was a upsetting but I wanted to do something a little different. I would love to hear your opinions for one last time.

Puja xx

Comments