Averys house was at least 4 houses down from where Roland was living and her room window faced the street where people walk along the side walk. And Avery just looked out the window as she kept her head on her arm as she loked out of the window and had decided to act a bit like Rapunzel and let her long hair hand out of the window for some fun. A she looked out the window she wondered what happen in classes, how much notes did she miss, did Roland even notce she was not in school, and if she was even ging to be able to go back tomorrow at all.

She let out a small sigh as she looked at her front yard for the grass was dead so it was a yellow straw feild, a bunch of gopher holes, and weeds had taken over the pathway to the house a bit making it almost look like the place was abandon since the hous needs a new coat of paintt but she knew that was not going to happen at all.

Slowly Avery started to feel weaker and weaker when she looked at the time to see that the school day was over before letting out a sigh as she let her arm soon dangle out the window before hearing her dad yell up the stairs. "Avery I am going out to get me dinner since you screwed up again no dinner for you and I only have enough for myself so no letting anyone in the house." He yelled as hhe left the palce and got in the car a bit drunk still and drove off to get him some food since there was no food in the kitchen now. Avery's stomach let out a loud growl and she only sighed knowing she could do nothing about it.

After just a minute of walking, Roland had taken many glimpses around the street so that he was able to locate a house that he would assume Avery would live in. Figuring that because of her condition, the fact that her father seemed to be a lazily type of human being, and that he was a very aggressive father as well, he should keep on the lookout for a worn out and broke down looking home. Afterwards, in such a short notice, he had seemed to have spotted an exact home that he had figured would be an old and broken down place, so he made the decision to go up to it and see of anyone was in there. He also noticed, however, that somebody left in a car after leaving the house he was fixing to go up to, so that just confirmed that either someone was in there, or the person that just left was in there and no one was home for now. But knowing Roland, he was very nosy when it came to these type of situations, and this one was a very important one that could not just be ignored and walked away from.

As he came up towards the front door, he first tried to find a doorbell, and when he had eyed it he decided to press it so that a noise would alert anyone who was inside to come to the door and see who was visiting. Much to his surprise though, it didn’t make any noise, meaning that the doorbell didn’t work and the only way for him to find out if Avery, or anyone for that matter, was inside was to knock. He did just that as he hit the door as loud as he could, somewhat carefully though because the door looked as if it was going to come off it’s hinges, and awaited to see if anyone would open it to greet him inside, or tell him to go away.

AVery sighed while she had her eyes closed enjoying the sun before it would go down until she heard someone knocking on the door. "Huh who is here dads friends dont come here unless it is poker night and we dont have enough money for his beer run." She siad as she slowly got up and made her way down the stairs which was not easy with ow the made her splint for her leg. But she made her away tthanks to the help with the old crutch she had found.

Once down the stairs she grabbed the doornob and opened it slightly to see Roland. "Roland? What are you doing here?!" She siad freaked for she has no clue when her dad would be back. "You need to leave now my dad could be back any minute." She said but soon coughed a bit for she felt weird but when she stopped blood was on her hand. "PLeas just leave before you get cought in the cross fire with my dad." SHe siad as she started to close the door.

After he had knocked on the old worn out door, awaiting for someone to present themselves, Roland stood for a few seconds until the door had opened in front of him, and seeing that Avery was standing inside while she opened it as well. A heavy sigh of relief was made from him when he saw her, and was very thankful that it wasn’t some man with a shotgun or some sort of killer awaiting with some brutal weapon in their hand, yet he was glad it wasn’t her father either. As they met face to face, he gave a small little wave to her while she was shocked as to seeing him at her place, following up by telling him that he needed to leave before her dad came back. Although she questioned why he was there, he had some questions of his own for her.

“I think a better question is, why weren’t you at school today?” replied Roland, as he questioned her so that he could find out to what could’ve happened after she left his place earlier. All of a sudden, Avery began coughing badly, only from what had looked like a normal case of a cold turned out to be a few drops of blood landing into her hand. Whatever had happened after their sleep over yesterday seemed to result into a disastrous event between Avery and her father, and Roland couldn’t help but to feel like he should take blame. As Avery spoke once more, saying that he needed to leave and began to close the door on him, he stopped it by placing his foot in between the opening so that she wouldn’t close it and he spoke up again.

“Avery,” said Roland, becoming very concerned to see what is wrong with Avery, and wanting to find out what her father had done this time, “What happened?”

Avery groaned hen he stopped the door with his foot and she just wanted him to leave her alone and let her rest. "iT was just another beating is all so please leave dad said he was going out for food and he can be back any minute." She said freaking a bit for she had no clue when her dad be back. "ANd I did not go to school because the beating was worst this time around and my leg is broken right now." She siad for the splint could be seen and her bruising was noticable also. She knew she lived in a dump for that was how dad got a great deal on it for the poor condiion it was in.

"Now you know so please go." She said but now weakly and lost her grip on her crutch and fell to the ground and could not push herself back up and coughed more and she coughed up more blood again. It should that Avery had more then just broken bones that she was also bleeding internally a dangerous problem that could kill her. "Why am I coughiing up blood I never done that before." SHe groaned as she tried to sit up but it hurt to much to do so.

Roland was becoming more worried after seeing not only the crutch Avery had by her side, but the coughing of blood as well, so he had assumed that she wasn’t of the best condition again. When she replied after he asked what had happened to her, saying she was of just another victim to her father’s abusive violence, only to add of a broken leg as well, he had became speechless. The thought had passed in his head on how it was his fault, letting her stay with him for one night and just trying to be nice because of all the torture she was being put through, so it made him rethink on helping her and instead just leaving her so that she would be at a safer and less vulnerable state from her dad. Then, all of a sudden, she had fell to the ground.

As Roland watched as Avery suddenly collapsed to the floor, as well as coughing more blood, he rushed over to her as he tried to aid and assist her as best as he could. While she was on the ground, he got on his knees next to her so that he could see if she was ok and maybe help her back up, scanning her up and down to make sure that the fall did not make any type of bruises or cut on her body. He placed his hand behind her head to rest, comforting her from all the sudden pain that had began to take place from her fall. Then, a worriedly expression developed on Roland, seeing that her condition was becoming more serious and that was in need of help immediately.

“Avery,” said Roland in a surprised and upset tone, “Are you ok?”

Avery had tears falling down her face for she was scared and looked at him when he asked if she was ok. "I...I don't know I never been this weak or coughed up blood before its all new." She said in pain as she breathed a bit heavy as she stayed on the floor in pain for her leg was not helping. "But I am forbidden to go to the hospital because I was nt here to pay for my dad's poker debt with my body he had to give up a good chunk of his welfare checks so we can't afford another set of medicale bills from me.' She said t him not really moving mush for her body just felt to heavy to move anymore.

"I think my body is finally giving out on me from all the beatings and maybe my life span might be coming to an end maybe." Avery said for she knew one day after a few more of her fathers beating her body will finally give up and just shut down on her and then she would just die. More tears justfell down her eyes for she was hoping to graduate high school at least but starting to thiink that if she were to die at least she would finally be free from all this pain and misery.

When Avery replied to his question saying that the pains happening to her now was something she has not experienced, she also added that was not eligible to go to a hospital for help due to not being home for her father’s gambling affair. All of this had Roland become upset, feeling that because of her not being home like she should of, the intense beatings could have been avoided and all could have been a little bit safer for her at least. She had also added on that because of her sudden fall and coughing of blood, she was starting to slowly lose function of her body, basically meaning that the abuse was taking it’s toll by killing her at a slow pace.

As the tears were slowly falling down her face, Roland watched and felt nothing but guilt and sorrow. He then began to look around the room as he tried to find a sofa or something suitable for her to lay on and relax herself so that she might feel better. Once he spotted one, although it was very worn down looking, he immediately swung her arm around his shoulder so that he could lift her and bring her over to the seat. “Hold on to me Avery,” said Roland as he picked her up and carried her over to the worn out sofa, then sat her down gently on it so that she could become comfortable and hopefully feel better.

After he sat her on the couch, Roland backed up a little and began to act unstable, being full of worry and guilt. He kept going back and forth, pacing nervously as he blamed himself constantly for Avery’s injury. “It’s all my fault,” he said to himself, “All of this is my fault.”

Avery looked at him after he moved her over to the sofa as she sta there while breathing heavy while watching him pace back and forth saying it was his fault. Avery looked at him and smiled a tad at him. "it is not your fault Rland you were just trying to help me and to be honest this is not so bad for everytime dad does not want to pay cash he would just send his gambling friends into my room and do things to me that a teenager should not experience until after marriage." SHe said to him in a heavy voice. 'And then being scared for life and even more isolated then I was before or worst pregnant." SHe said to him as she sat there slowly starting to lose conciousness.

"Roland is the room suppose to get fuzzy and dark." She said for she was starting to slip into darkness as she coughed again and some more blood came out again as she rested on he couch and slowly started to close her eyes and was close to no longer be concious and all she felt is fear. "Rland is it ok to still be scared to die for apart of me does not want to die for some odd reason." SHe said as a few tears escaped as she closed her eyes and lost conciousness.

Once Avery lost conciousness someone knocked on the door. "Hello Police we are here to check the residence." man said for the neighbors heard a comoton earlier and had called the police but had waited until Avery's father was gone.

Roland had believed that all the things that he had done with Avery yesterday was beginning to cost her of her life as of now, blaming himself for jeopardizing her. Although she lied on the couch saying that it wasn’t his fault, he had a hard time believing her due to the suffering she was going through as of now, and all it did was make Roland more upset each minute. When she also explained to him that she was in worse situations before, like being gambled and how men would use her for pleasure, he had his say so on the matter. “He doesn‘t deserve you, that‘s for sure.” said Roland, seeing as of now he was becoming angry.

All of a sudden, Avery had asked Roland if the room started to become really dark and blurry as she also coughed up more blood, but when Roland had stopped to glare over to see if she was ok, she looked as if she was starting to fall asleep, on in this case, die. “Avery, w-what are you doing?” asked Roland as he ran over to her so that he could find out what she was doing, yet it seemed obvious that she was falling into a deep sleep and Roland couldn’t do anything about it. She asked him once more if it was ok to be scared of death, seeing that she really didn’t want to die, but just after saying so, her eyes were closed and it looked like she was gone. “Avery?” said Roland quietly at first, realizing that she had fell out of it and she wasn’t going to wake up, making him very deeply sad as he yelled for her name.

“AVERY!!!!”

Then, out of nowhere,the police had barged through the door and made themselves presentable, asking to check the residence. It had shocked Roland for a moment, as well as making him speechless for a brief minute as well, but then after decided to tell them of what was wrong. “Over here,” exclaimed Roland, “She started coughing blood and now she’s passed out! She needs a hospital!!”

The officer heard him and rushed into the room to where they were and looked at Avery and put his fingers on her neck. "I got a pulse but it is very weak." He siad as he too the raido on his uniform. "I need an ambulance at the residence I am investigating we got a young teenager female and her frind claims that she has been coughing blood wish frm what I see is true and lost conciousness her pulse is very weak this is a Emergancy send an ambulnace immediately and also ahve back up come over quickly for looks like reports of abuse is true for this house." He raido it in and the person on the other side got to work on it saying the Ambulance is on its way. The office was trying to get Avery to open her eyes for it will help with her chances of survivle.

Soon a second officer appeared while another was chasing after a car that speed off once the driver saw them. "Looks like the dad was about to pull in but once he saw us he zoomed off the other officer is chasing him down now." He siad as he looked at Avery. "Damn what happen to this girl." He siad as he looked at he and the sirens could be heard and Paramedics rushed in and checked her vitals. "She is in shock mainly she might have internal bleedings she needs to get to the hospital now for surgery." he said as they got her on the stretchers and took her towards the ambulance.

The officers looked at Roland. "Do you want to go with it might help her for when they save ehr and when she wakes up?" he asked him as they looked at him for they were willing to give him a ride while the other invesitaged the house.

Once the police began their investigations, the first one had rushed to Avery and seen that she was still alive, in which case had made Roland feel a whole lot better and relieved that she was going to live. He still blames himself for the cause in the situation that was occurring, yet to hear that Avery had a pulse was a miracle to him, and hoped that she would live long enough to get to the hospital so that she could get the proper care she deserved. After hearing that an ambulance was heading towards the place, another officer had barged in stating that Avery’s father was going to pull up, but instead fled away in his vehicle while the other policemen went after him. All the good news sounded too promising, yet of satisfactory for him as well, but the only thing he chose to do was watch carefully in hopes that everything was going to be ok. When the ambulance showed up, saying she was in need of instant surgery, they placed her on a stretcher and continued towards the vehicle to take her into the emergency room and help her stay alive and heal.

When one of the officers took a glimpse over to Roland and asked if he would like to come along in Avery’s support, he replied. “Y-yes, of course I will,” he said, being very worried and troublesome but still wanted to be at Avery’s side if she does wake up. He proceeded out the door after the paramedics had taken her inside the ambulance, but realizing that he was not of certainty onto who he was to ride with to head up towards the hospital. He looked over at the officer to ask him a question relating to the offer made to himself. “Sir, who should I ride with?”

"Do not worry I will take you sicne the ambulance rushed the poor girl to the hospital." The officer said as he lead Roland to his car while the other stayed at the hoouse while other offiers arrived to investigate the house to find stuff to show all the stuff that had been going on in the house. The officer opened the passanger side door for Roland to get in and once he was in the officer got in and drove off to the hospital.

Once the Ambulance arrived and the rushed Avery in and doctors were rushing to her along with nurses. They were hooking her up to machines and IV's in her. "This girl shows sines of coughing blood we need to have her lungs checked along with her other organs." One doctor said. "Doctor I can't get a vein and for the IV she is so skinny." A nurse said to the doctor as the doctor looked and cursed a bit as the continued to work as the nures took off her clothes to get a better look at her body. They soon did an MRI and foudn her lungs had a small hole and her spleen was rupturing. "She needs surgery now." They doctor yelled as they rushed her to the OR and started to operate on her in hopes to give her a chance to survive.

Once the officer stated that he would take Roland to the hospital, due to the fact that the ambulance had taken off already and was rushing to the emergency room, Roland had no other choice but to accept the policeman’s offer. After Roland got over to the other side of the car where the passenger seat was at, the policeman opened the door so that he could get in and adjust himself into the vehicle and be prepared for a quick and speedy ride to the hospital, and once Roland was buckled in, the policeman closed his door and got into the drivers side, buckling up as well, ready to make way. Once he turned on the ignition, he hit the gas pedal and the car began to race down to the emergency room.

During the ride, things was really quiet between the two guys in the vehicle, mainly from Roland as he kept himself into his thoughts on Avery’s condition. He still couldn’t help but wonder of what was going to happen to her, but most important, he keeps thinking on what would happen if she did die. The thought kept showing up in his imagery of thoughts, something he wanted to avoid, but knowing the circumstances of what could happen to her would make him feel like nothing more but low. He kept telling himself in his mind that he shouldn’t of have even invited her to stay with him, how he should of just let her be instead of getting her into a bigger mess, and how he should of just minded his own business, so that instead things wouldn’t be as drastic and disastrous as they are now. The ride continued as Roland awaited for them to arrive at the hospital with high hopes that Avery would be ok.

As the officer drove his raido went off. "Hey Roy we caught the father and boy he was drunk that not all he was really talking up a storm how he was going to kill his daughter." The officer on the other end said as Roy took the raido. "Lok into the guys history where he lived last and oother stuff soetthing tells me that he might be the one that caused th girl problems." Roy said as the officer on the other end said 10-4 before the raido went silent and ROy put the redio down. "GIrl is lucky you were there she could have died in that house if you not got our attention when we were doing a house call after a neighbor called us." Roy said as they got close to the hospital.

Avery as out of surgery and in a room where she was sleeping wit IV's in her, and an oxyegen thing in her nose to help give her pure oxyegen. A doctor was marking stuff down on his chart all the new and old injuries she had and her medical records. HE noticed that this girl had been through a lotand was shocked the girl was een alive still.

The officer soon pulled up to the hospital and stopped his car. "Well we are here since we have not got a call from the the doctors must be good news for the nmrlaly call us if our victims or people like here died." Roy said as he got out of his car and lead Roland inside and the doctors lead them to Avery's room as she slept and the doctor went over his findings with him.

Minutes later, Roland had overheard that the policeman on the radio had caught up with Avery’s father and took him into custody, seeing that it was good news at first, but then also hearing that he was going to kill her as well was worrying, but all Roland could hope for was that the police would put him in his place and put him away for all the stunts and beatings he performed on his daughter. After everything settled in the conversation between the two officers through the airwaves, the officer driving looked at Roland to tell him that Avery was in luck when showed up, otherwise she would have been a goner. Roland felt somewhat relieved about it, but didn’t seem to show it towards him as he replied. “Yeah, real lucky,” he said with a dull sounding voice.

A few minutes after, the cop car had found it’s way at the hospital as it was shown to Roland’s view through the windshield, with the vehicle going into the parking lot and finding a parking spot as quickly as possible. Once one was found, the car parked into a spot and the cop turned off the engine, looking over to Roland once more and telling him that he hasn’t heard anything from the hospital with bad news, in other words meaning that Avery was ok. “I hope so,” replied Roland, “I just wish this would’ve happened sooner, you know, her being put in the hospital and getting help.”

After the both of them got out of the car, the policeman led Roland into the hospital, with a doctor meeting the both of them there and leading them to Avery’s room. Once they made it there, the doctor went over some things with the cop as Roland stood at the door Avery was behind, awaiting to see if she was ok and well.

A nurse walked over and looked at ROland. "You can go in the girl is just asleep after her surgery." The nurse said as she opened the door and let him in as she walked in to check on Avery's vitals. Avery though was just sleepin on the bed and she sowly breathed with a little extra help with the oyxen that was in her nose. The nurse wrote some stuff down and left the room leaving Roland with Avery.

The doctor was busy talking to the officer. "This girls has been through a lot I mean oll broken bones, fractured ribs, malnourished, and a whole list of other medical visits it is amazing this girl is even alive after so many beating." The doctor said. "So you are saying this was caused by another?" The offider asked and the doctor nodded. "Oh yes for many years." He pulled out the pictures from his exam of Avery and showed some of her scars. "See these scars how they are random and different some who wnats to commit suicide would be more straight even if it was jsut to cut it would not look like an attack." The doctor explained as he gave his copy of the notes and photos to the officer. "I think you got a case of child abuse on you." He said to the officer and he nodded and went into the room and placed his hand on Rolands shoulder.

"Doctor says she is fine they were able to fix any damage she had through surgery but here is an issue the girl has no family and no one to take her in so she might have to go into fostercare if no one else can take her in." The officer said as e looked at ROland and soon raido in the situation and see if they can start finding a fostercare for Avery.

Once one of the nurses had came up to Roland and gave him the ok to see Avery, she led the way by opening the door for the both of them, then the nurse tended to Avery and her stats as Roland kept quiet, seeing Avery in a position that made him feel very uneasy. After the nurse had done her little examination, she left the room, leaving Roland alone with Avery for the time being. For a moment, he couldn’t move or say anything really, yet all he could do was stare at her, stare at the fatal disaster that was caused and brought on to her, and stare at what he felt he had done to her. Once he had gotten the courage to present himself to her, although she was in deep sleep, he kept at the side of the hospital bed she was laying in and placed his hand upon hers as he began to talk towards her.

“Avery……” said Roland in a sorrowful and depressing tone, “I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen, I just wanted to help you is all.” He stayed there for a minute, his hand still on hers, hoping that she would hopefully wake up and say something to him, anything to say the least, so that he would feel better instead of regrettable.

A few minutes later, the officer from earlier walked in, informing Roland that she has no other family, meaning that foster care was of an option as of now. As the policeman turned on his radio for more information, Roland started turning his attention to the man, questioned as to what will happen to Avery.

“A foster care?” asked Roland, “Well, what if someone was to take her in? You know, like someone close by or something, would that be ok?”

The officer looked at Roland when he asked that and thought for a minute. "Hmm that would alright if there is someone willing to take her in they would jsut hve to fill out some paperwork and wrk along the social worker that will be assigned to her." THe officer explained to Roland for Avery needed a gaurdian since she was still a minor by state. The officer got a call on the radio and left the room to take care of it.

When he left Avery slowly opened her eyes and saw Roland in a bright white room that did not look familiar to ehr at first. "Roland?" She aked him as she looked around looking very confused at what was going on and where she was. "Where am I?" she asked as she tried to move but winced and felt so sore. "and why do I hurt so much and feel all bandaged?' Avery was full of qetions while still being a bit loopy frm the medicine that kept her asleep for a long period of time while she was in surgery.

Avery soon saw the montors in the room and felt the oxygen mask thing on her nose. "Am I in the hospital?" SHe asked him as se tried to figure out why and how she got there for she knew it was not her dad who called for help or anything.

Roland listened to the reply of the officer on the idea that Roland had, and the officer stated that it would be on ok terms, but other things would need to be completed. Roland heavily sighed and replied to the policeman as well. “I’ll have to talk to my friend’s parents then, maybe they’ll help me with her.”

After the officer had gotten another radio call, he left the both of them in the room as the two of them were alone once again, only this time something else happened. Hearing his name called, Roland turned around to find that Avery had awoken from her sleep, seeing that she was confused as to where she was. His face was in shock yet in happiness as well, as she continued asking questions like where she was and why she was in pain and bandaged. He ran over to her and spoke up in a happily tone. “Avery, you’re ok,” he said to her, “You’re ok.”

After asking if she was in a hospital, he replied to answer her question. “Well, basically yeah,” said Roland, “The police came in right after you passed out, then they called an ambulance and drove you all the way here. It looked really scary, but the main thing is that they got you here, and that you are ok.”