Chapter Text
After the breakup Hannah had no idea where to go. Garret's "we're done" was echoing round her head. She needed to clear her head but at the moment that felt like a totally impossible task. The horror of the day stretched out in what felt like a timeless expanse and there was nothing she could do to switch off the scenes replaying in her mind.
That's when she remembered her notebook, left in the tunnel after she'd followed Garrett off the ice. Maybe if she wrote about her feelings it would help calm her. She took a few shaky steps into the now dark and abandoned arena.
Across town Garrett had just pulled into the driveway of the house. He was not in the mood to talk to anyone, fearing that he was the enemy and would only cause upset to anyone he interacted with. He decided to head upstairs, lock his door and turn his phone off hoping for any way to get Hannah's scared expression as she looked at him off his mind.
As Hannah entered the players area she navigated to the tunnel retrieving her notebook. It was only on the way back that her worst nightmare occured. She turned the corner and faced eye to eye with Aaron Delaney. He looked terrible, sporting a massive black eye, split lip and splinted nose.
"Can't fucking stay away can you." He hissed as Hannah backed slowly into the wall. "Pathetic boyfriend not here to protect you now?" He mocked. But Hannah knew he was right, Garrett was the last person she wanted to talk to. The reality of the situation hit her, there was no way she could call someone without Aaron catching on. The chances of someone walking around the area at this time after a game were basically zero.
She was panicking, her breathing quickened as she tried to get away from the impending threat.
"Lying slut" he hissed stepping towards her. "I should have silenced you when I had the chance. Now you've fucked up everything."
"Pathetic coward." She retorted back, hoping it would buy her some time to think of an escape.
"I'm the coward." Aaron started laughing. "You're the one who sent her boyfriend on me rather than dealing with it yourself. Now I'm kicked off the team and there's one person only to blame for that."
Hannah saw the pure hatred in his eyes, the same eyes that stared down into hers on that terrible high school night as he ignored her pleased to stop. She'd been here before and she knew that this story didn't end without Aaron Delaney getting his way. She saw the flash of evil cross his eyes and realised that this was only going to end one way, with her silenced. Fearing no other options she decided to risk it. Taking a deep breath in as if she was about to cry she bolted towards the stadium exit.
Delaney was startled but immediately set off after her chasing her down the corridor. The 3 metre lead she started with quickly closing, obviously he was faster, she knew this and a sense of hopelessness came over her. Breaking out into a larger corridor she rounded the corner a fraction of a second before him, but it was too little too late.
Delaney finally caught up grabbing hold of her trailing hand and pulling her backwards towards him. Loosing the traction on the floor Hannah's arm buckled under the pressure as she slammed head first into the wall. She let out a scream as a trickle of blood escaped her hairline before she was out cold.
"Fuck" Delaney muttered to himself as he turned on his heels and headed out to the team bus as if nothing had happened. He didn't want to be caught up in this, knowing it would only make the situation for him worse. He didn't even look over his shoulder to see Hannah curled awkwardly in the corner of the corridor bleeding from a gash in her temple.
Hannah's phone started ringing, it was Allie sat in the apartment wondering what could have waylaid her friend. Allie was curled on the sofa, she tried calling twice more before she hit the person who would surely know Hannah was safe. However, Garrett's phone didn't even ring, firmly shut off and buried in the bottom of his kit bag.
I'm sure she's fine Allie told herself, she's probably out with Garrett and they're busy. But nothing she could do would shake the horrible feeling in her heart that something terrible had happened.
"Her location, I have her location." Allie said to herself. She pulled up the app showing Hannah's pin still at the arena. That's weird she thought, why would Hannah be at the arena. A terrible pit formed in her stomach as she decided to call the one person she knew could help.
"Dean, I think something's wrong with Hannah." Allie said immediately as Dean picked up the phone.
"Breathe Allie-cat" Dean smiled. "Why would you think that?"
"Neither her nor Garrett are picking up. And her location still says she's at the arena."
"That's weird" Dean agree. "Let's go, we should check on Wellsy."
"Thanks Dean" Allie breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'll be there in 5 to pick you up" Dean stated as he hung up the phone.
True to his word Dean was there 4 minutes later outside their apartment building in a Briar hockey hoody and a pair of sweatpants. Allie hopped in his SUV as they drove in silence towards the arena.
"I just don't get why she'd be here." Allie said.
"It's so unlike her to not respond either." Dean responded holding her hand over the dashboard.
As they pulled into the empty arena parking lot Dean slammed his car into park and they both hopped out running for the entrance.
"Let's stick together." They agreed, I'm sure we'll find her soon.
They begun walking through the corridors calling out for Hannah but they heard no response, the stadium appeared completely deserted.
Heading round a final corner Allie let out a shriek as she saw Hannah curled into a ball against the wall. Dean immediately rushed over looking on in horror at the sight of Hannah's face half covered in blood and her right arm bent at an unnatural angle underneath her body.
"Oh god, oh god." Allie exclaimed bending over her friend. "We have to call someone."
"Hey Han, wake up for us." Dean compelled her his face white as a ghost.
"Try calling Garrett again" Allie said. "He might pick up for you."
But once again the line went straight to voicemail without even ringing.
"I'm calling an ambulance, she needs to be moved carefully, I'm concerned about her arm, it's definitely broken. And it's probably a police matter too." Dean stated glumly as he punched in the numbers.
"I'm calling her parents." Allie stated, "they should be here." Dean nodded but Hannah still didn't make a noise, lying there totally unresponsive.
Allie struggled to hold back tears as she explained the situation to Hannah's parents who assured her they would be on the next flight they could and they would be there by the morning.
"The ambulance is a few minutes out." Dean stated once they'd both got off the phone. "I can't believe Garrett isn't here, I'm going to kill that jackass when I see him."
Allie nodded as they both stared at Hannah, totally overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation currently playing out. Dean wrapped Allie into a tight hug as she begun to sob into his chest.
Once the paramedics arrived they immediately set to work stabilising her head and neck before putting her arm into a splint. Both Allie and Dean looked over faces flooded with concern at their unconscious friend.
"Where are you taking her" Dean asked following the stretcher down the hallway.
"Briar Hospital" the paramedics responded. "One of you can ride with us if you like."
"I'll stay with you, in case she wakes up." Allie responded. "I should update her parents" she said pulling her phone out."
"What should we do about Garrett?" Dean asked. "He should be here but I can't get hold of him."
"Fuck him." Allie said, "if he cared at all he would be here. What is Hannah called him for help and he didn't respond."
Dean nodded. "I'll try him again at the hospital."
Allie jumped into the back of the ambulance after Hannah blowing a kiss to Dean as the doors closed behind her plunging them into a suffocating silence.
"Please Han, please wake up. It's okay you're safe." Allie was pleading with Hannah holding her uninjured hand. At that moment Hannah let out a soft groan as her eyes begun to flutter open.
"Hey hey you're safe Han. We're taking you to hospital" Allie tried to calm Hannah down as fear spread across her face.
"Delaney" she whispered.
Allie looked confused. "Sorry Han I don't understand."
Hannah repeated herself a bit louder this time.
The paramedic turned around, "Delaney as in the guy who got attacked today on the ice."
Hannah nodded and suddenly a wave of understanding flashed across Allie's face. "Oh Han, I'm so sorry I wasn't there. You need to talk to police."
Hannah shook her head and winced as the skin pulled and the bleeding started again. The paramedic immediately started applying pressure to her forehead.
"We won't pressure her into talking to the police now. She needs medical attention and it's clearly been a long day for her." She smiled warmly at Hannah. "But I'll make a note in her paperwork and police can stop by once she's rested."
Allie nodded. "Yes yes, it can wait Han. You're safe here okay."
At that moment the ambulance swung into the Briar emergency bay. Allie hopped out and followed the stretcher through until she was stopped by security. "Sorry patients only. We'll call in family after we've checked her out."
"Please please, she was attacked. You can't leave her alone there someone needs to stay with her." Allie begged. The two security guards looked between eachother before relenting.
"Okay miss, you can head in to see her for now." Allie followed through the large double doors and rushed to Hannah's side as she was being set up on monitors.
"We're most concerned about the head injury. But there's a clear break in her right arm too." The paramedics were conducting the hand over as Allie rushed in and grabbed Hannah's unsplinted hand.
"We need to take her for an urgent CT. You'll have to go to the waiting room Miss. We'll call you back in when she's done." The doctor said ushering Allie through another set of doors.
At that moment Dean arrived in the waiting room after having abandoned his truck in the car park. He had just found a seat when he heard Allie's cries from across the room, he immediately jumped up as she came through a set of doors.
"Hey baby, talk to me. What did they say." Dean coaxed sitting her down in a seat.
"She woke up and they're taking her for a CT. It's bad Dean, she kept saying Delaney's name in the ride over. I think she was attacked."
Dean's face fell in horror before settling firmly on rage. "Delaney did this. Garrett fucked him up pretty good. I assume he'd be down for the count."
"I don't know Dean, I assume Garrett's attack has something to do with why Hannah was attacked. She never properly told me the story but I think she was raped in high school, at a party. And if I had to guess based on what went down today that Delaney had something to do with it." Allie said, the pieces clicking into place.
Dean's whole face went red. "It would explain why Garrett punched the guy. Hell I would do so much worse in the circumstances. But why the fuck would Garrett then leave her, alone, while that monster is wandering the halls." Dean said, seething with anger mainly at Delaney but also at his friend.
"She was alone, with him. She must have been so scared. Oh my god" Allie started bawling, horrified by what she'd heard. "I'm going to call him. I can't fucking believe the guy." Allie pulled out her phone, trying Garrett's number for what felt like the hundredth time tonight. Once again the phone didn't ring. Garrett was in his room trapped in a bubble of self-loathing totally oblivious to the horrors of the night.
Allie's phone buzzed with a text from Hannah's parents.
Boarding our flight. We'll be there in 2 hours.
She breathed a small sigh of relief.
The next hour was torturous, Allie found herself begging staff for updates and hearing nothing. People shuffled in and out of the waiting room but nobody stopped by to update them.
"I'm calling Logan." Dean stated after a paralyzingly long pause. "He needs to drag Garrett's sorry excuse of an ass here." He begun typing away at the keyboard locating Logan's contact.
The phone rang a few times before Logan picked up.
"You good D?
"No, Hannah was attacked. We're in hospital and Garret's nowhere to be found."
"What the fuck do you mean."
"Can you find Garrett and bring him here. I need to talk to him."
"Yeah mean of course. Shit, is Hannah alright?"
"We don't know, they won't let us in. They were running a CT to rule out brain bleeds and her arm is definitely broken."
"Fuck, that's not good. Alright I'll be there asap dude. Fuck"
Logan hung up the phone immediately tearing upstairs to Garrett's room. He didn't even knock just flung the door open and marched over to the bed. Garrett was sat, radio blaring staring straight into the wall like he wanted to murder it. He was totally ignorant of the world around him until Logan slammed the off button of the radio.
"What the fuck man." Garrett grumbled.
"Get up, get up right now." Logan demanded his voice cracking.
"I've had a bad day dude. Leave it." Garrett responded shortly.
"Fuck your day. Hannah's had a worse day than you." Logan stated getting angry now.
"Yeah well me and Wellsy are done. I ended things, she doesn't want to see me." Garrett scoffed.
"Fuck dude. Hannah's in the hospital right..." Logan couldn't finish his sentence.
"Hospital, what do you mean hospital." Garrett's voice started cracking open. "Tell me she's okay."
"I don't know man. Allie and Dean are there but they've not been allowed in there. They asked me to get your sorry excuse of an ass."
"Fuck" Garrett said as he jumped from the bed and immediately started pulling clothes on. His hands shaking violently. As he sat on the side of his bed pulling his shoes on the tears started to escape him.
They jumped in Logan's truck, refusing to let Garrett drive and headed off to the hospital in silence. As they pulled into the car park Garrett jumped out of the car and started heading towards the entrance when he was stopped by a voice.
"Garrett, we assumed you'd already be here." Hannah's Dad said as he held the taxi door open for her mom. They both looked horrified and totally exhausted.
Garrett didn't have a response, he knew that if he had a daughter in the same situation he would unleash hell onto her boyfriend. "I'm sorry. Shit, I should have been there. Then this wouldn't have happened." He shook his head as the guilt consumed him.
Hannah parents looked at him with distain as they rushed together towards the entrance, Garrett and Logan following just behind.
"We're the parents of Hannah Wells. She was brought in last night" they enquired at reception. Allie bounded up to them immediately upon seeing them come through the doors.
"She's out of CT. They're about to reset her elbow but you'll welcome to go through and see her." The receptionist confirmed pointing to a door to her right. "Room 224. It's just on the right."
Hannah's parents gathered their things and headed in the direction. Garrett tried to follow behind but her dad placed a firm hand on his chest. "Just family for now please."
Logan and Dean held Garrett back as he watched her parents disappear down the corridor.
"Let me go. Let me fucking go. I need to be there." Garrett was inconsolable and pushing away at the arms holding him back.
"Let her see her parents." Dean muttered. "You weren't there, you weren't even there for her."
"Don't you think I know that. Fuck, I left her because I thought she wasn't safe around me, because I was the problem. And then, when I'm not there she's attacked. And I'm the problem again, because I can't even keep the girl I love safe. I knew Delaney was somewhere nearby and it didn't even cross my mind. I didn't even stop to think. And now the love of my life is in a hospital bed with stitches getting her broken arm reset because I couldn't step up and protect her like a man." Garrett sunk into the nearest chair, his whole body shaking as Dean, Logan and Allie exchanged worried glances.
Hannah's parents shuffled down the corridor to room 224.
"I think you were too harsh on him." Hannah's mom said. "He's clearly beating himself up over it."
"Too right he is. He wasn't even here, we arrived before him when he was five minutes down the road the whole time. What kind of boyfriend does that." Hannah's dad was unforgiving.
They both went silent as they entered Hannah's room. She was propped up on a mound of pillows with a line of stitches along her hairline covered with a neat bandage. Her arm, still crooked was swollen to twice it's usual size and purple from her shoulder down towards her fingers.
"Oh Han, how are you feeling." Her mom rushed over grabbing her uninjured hand.
"You've had painkillers right, they need to give you something." Her Dad said planting himself in the seat next to her bed as he stroked her hair.
"I'm fine." She gulped. "And yes, I've had painkillers".
The doctor rounded the corner. "Look Hannah. You've got a dislocation to your elbow but the force of the dislocation broke the top of your radius, that's the main bone in your forearm. We need to reset the dislocation but be cautious to avoid further damage to the bones around the joint. I'm not going to lie, the reset is going to be extremely painful. We've got you on the maximum doses of medication but you're still likely to feel it."
"You're so brave sweetheart. You've done such a good job. Just squeeze my hand for me." Hannah's mom said.
The doctor called in another nurse to stabilise the top part of her arm. Hannah was already sweating face clearly torn with anguish at the light pressure.
The doctor counted down. "3, 2..." On 2 he pulled her arm down and straight. Hannah let out a blood curdling scream and immediately grabbed at her arm. The doctor gently placed her forearm across her lap. "You did so good Hannah. I'm going to call in the technicians to put you in a cast which should make you more comfortable."
In the waiting room Garrett heard a muffled scream. The whole group winced as Garrett took them by surprise legging it down the corridor towards Hannah's room. Not wanting to alarm her he peeked through the glass window embedded in the door and locked eyes with her puffy bloodshot eyes. He couldn't take it any more, he'd been sat around absent mindedly for too long, it's time he took ownership of his mistakes. He gently pushed open the door.
Three sets of eyes immediately locked onto his, sharp and unforgiving. But Garrett was only focused on one person, Hannah. Her tears were fresh and her face flooded with pain as she clutched desperately at her right elbow. Garrett could barely stand upright, wracked with guilt at the pain he'd caused both physical and emotional.
"I think you should leave Garrett." Hannah's dad was the first to speak already stepping in front of his daughter.
"Please, please let me stay. If Hannah's okay with that. I messed up, I should have been there." Garrett tried to peer round her dad's shoulders to lock eyes with Hannah, however, she was completely avoiding his gaze.
Hannah shook her head. "Not now Garrett, we broke up, I need some space." She said trying to choke back the tears of pain.
Dean and Logan had silently entered the room behind Garrett. "Let's go G, give her some space." Logan said tugging on Garrett's shirt sleeve.
"I'm here Wellsy, for anything." Garrett said glumly as he was dragged from the room. The moment his feet left the room he froze. "I can't leave her again. Fuck I can't let her out of my sight. What if he comes back, what if someone hurts her." The tears were falling fast from his face as he slid down the wall of the corridor, face in his hands.
"Look, she doesn't want to see you but that doesn't mean there's not stuff you can do. We need to file a police report and they're going to want your statement about what happened on the ice. Let's go to the station and make it as easy for Hannah as we can." Dean suggested leading Garrett towards his car.
The boys drove in silence to the Hastings police station. The police had been notified of the attack but had been advised to wait a few days to take Hannah's statement. Thankfully the station was quiet and when Garrett offered to give a statement first they were very happy to hear him out. Once the statements had been taken Dean called Allie for an update from the hospital.
"They've just let me in to see her. She's got a large cast and sling but we're just waiting for final x-rays to confirm the positioning. Don't bother coming back, we'll take her back to the apartment once we're done."
"In what car Allie-cat. Yours is at the apartment and her parents got a taxi."
"Oh shit, yeah you're right. We can just call a taxi once we're done."
"No way, she deserves better than a taxi" Garrett's voice came over the call.
"I agree. I'll drop Garrett and Logan back at the house and come back to pick you guys up." Dean said shushing a complaining Garrett in the process.
"Thanks baby, I'll see you soon." Allie chimed.
"Absolutely not, I should be there. She's going to need help on the stairs." Garrett started complaining.
"I know you want to help, but she's made it clear she doesn't want you around at the moment. She's in pain, she's vulnerable and she deserves the space she's asking for. You need to stop blaming yourself." Logan placed a hand on Garrett's shoulder.
"How, if I'd not broken up with her or lost my temper she wouldn't be in the hospital right now. Sounds pretty like my fault to me." Garrett growled.
"Seriously G, it's a horrible horrible situation. But you aren't the one who attacked her. That" Dean gulped before continuing. "Monster is the enemy. And you need to focus on respecting her boundaries and supporting her recovery."
Garrett nodded as they swung into the hockey house driveway.
"Out out, I'll look after her G. Don't worry." Dean said ushering the boys out the car.
Garrett and Logan headed inside and Garrett immediately set about in the kitchen. "If she won't let me be there I'll at least make sure she's fed." He said while pulling ingredients out of the fridge.
"That's a good idea man, Tucker get down here." Logan shouted as he pulled on an apron and set to work grabbing containers they could use.
Meanwhile in the hospital Hannah's arm was fully encased in a hard plaster cast from just below her right shoulder to her knuckles. Her swollen fingers just visible at the edge of the large black sling the heavy cast rested in.
"Based on these images the dislocation has been set and very fortunately the bone isn't displaced. This means that six weeks in a cast should make you good as new Miss Wells." The doctor said showing them a black and white image with a clear crack running across the bone near the elbow. "I want to see you again in two weeks when the swelling's down so we can switch your cast. Otherwise keep it iced and elevated. Your painkillers are in this bag here, to be taken with food."
Hannah nodded gently, careful of the bandage over her forehead. The sling was heavy and digging right into her neck and shoulder.
"Okay sweetheart let's get you home." Hannah's dad smiled as he offered a hand to steady her as she stood up from the bed. Hannah rocked unsteadily the pain in her arm radiating up her shoulder was throwing her off balance and throbbing head was not helping.
Fortunately Dean's car was idling just outside the exit. Seeing Hannah flanked on all sides by her parents and Allie he jumped out the driver's seat and rushed round to open the passenger door.
"Let's get you in here Wellsy, the back is cramped and I don't want anyone putting pressure on that arm." Dean gently helped her in leaving Allie to reach across and do up the seatbelt before clambering into the back next to Hannah's parents. Normally Hannah would have complained no end, stating her independence but she was too exhausted to say a single word, just staring straight through the windshield.
The process of getting Hannah up the stairs to her apartment wasn't easy. Originally determined to do it herself, Dean had taken one look at her clammy, pale face on the first flight of stairs and immediately lifted her into his arms, careful not to jostle the sling. Once in the apartment he placed her down onto the sofa before excusing himself.
Hannah's parents immediately started fussing around her making sure the sling was comfortable with her mum helping her change out of the jeans she had been sporting to a pair of baggy sweatpants.
Once Hannah had managed to drift off to sleep a gentle knock came from the door. Allie cautiously opened it to Garrett, Logan and Tucker all stood holding a pile of takeway boxes filled to the brim with home cooked food.
"Garrett knows how unsuccessful one handed cooking is." Logan stated, thinking back to their Freshman year when Garrett sustained a broken collar bone during a game.
"We wanted to do anything we could. I don't need to see her if she's not comfortable but I just need to know she's doing okay." Garrett said as Allie still guarded the door.
"Come in." Hannah's mum whispered. "She's just gone to sleep but this home cooked food is exactly what she needs. Thank you." She offered all the players a smile.
They gently dropped the boxes off, playing Tetris to get the boxes to all fit into the fridge. "Help yourselves." Tucker smiled at Mr and Mrs Wells. "You must be starving."
True to his word Garrett left immediately his eyes staying locked on the rise and fall of Hannah's chest as she snored gently on the couch until the apartment door gently closed and he headed back down the stairs towards his car. He hated himself for leaving her in such a vulnerable position but he wanted to respect her boundaries, even if it makes himself miserable.