Coffee Shop Soundtrack

Hannah blinked a few times, adjusting to her surroundings. The bright white walls and the distinct smell of disinfectant told her she was in a hospital. Her head was pounding and her neck was stiff and sore.

"What happened?" she shakily asked her boyfriend, who was seated next to her.

She could tell by his appearance that he had been there for a while. His hair was far messier than usual and the dark circles under his eyes suggested he had very little, if any sleep.

"You don't remember?"

She shook her head, wincing as the pain increased.

Jack looked at her sympathetically.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. When they found you, you were on your own, passed out of the bathroom floor"

Hannah searched her brain for any recollection of what happened. She could only remember bits and pieces of the previous day. The rest was a blur.

"Ah, you're awake. Excellent"

A short man with a stocky build entered the room. He wore a long white coat and a stethoscope hung from his neck.

"My name is Dr. Martin. How are you feeling Miss Quinn?"

"Please, call me Hannah. My head hurts and my neck feels stiff" she replied.

"Well that's to be expected. I'll have a nurse bring you some painkillers" the doctor responded with a smile.

"She can't remember anything. Is that normal?" Jack spoke, the worry clear in his voice.

"Some memory loss is not uncommon with head injuries. How far back can you remember?" the doctor addressed Hannah.

"I can remember some parts of the day, other parts are a little fuzzy. And I can't remember a thing about what caused this" she gestured to the wound on her head.

"I see. Well I don't think there's anything to worry about. Sometimes, with these types of injuries the memory is often repressed in the back of the mind, usually out of fear. I suspect that it may return when you least expect it."

The doctor made a few notes in Hannah's file before leaving the room.

"I'm so glad you're okay" Jack smiled.

Hannah sighed, "I just wish I could remember what happened"

"Hey, it's okay. You're going to be fine and that's all that matters to me"

A nurse entered the room, handing Hannah some painkillers and a glass of water.

"There's some police officers outside to see you. Shall I send them in?" the nurse asked.

"Maybe you should rest some more" Jack suggested.

"No, it's fine. Let them in"

The nurse left the room and moments later two police officers entered.

"Good evening Miss Quinn. I'm Officer Hughes" the first man spoke, "and this is Officer Morgan" he gestured to the man standing to his right.

"We just have a few questions to ask you regarding last nights incident"

The officers asked Hannah a few routine questions about what happened. Her responses were limited since she couldn't remember anything about how she got injured. The officers simply nodded at her responses, jotting down some notes in their notepads.

"One last thing" Officer Hughes spoke, "We have numerous witnesses who claim to have seen a tall blonde woman exiting the toilets shortly before you were found. She was wearing blue denim shorts and a white tank top. Does she sound familiar?"

Hannah's body visibly tensed.

Images flashed through her mind. The evil smirk on the woman's lips as she threw her against the wall, bouncing her head off the walls. The look of pure venom in her eyes as she squeezed tightly around her throat.

"This is your one and only warning. Stay away" the voice echoed through Hannah's thoughts.

"Oh my god, Claire" Jack gasped, bringing Hannah back to reality.

Officer Morgan raised his eyebrows, "You know this woman?"

"S-she's my ex-girlfriend. Sh-she made th-threats before, but I n-never thought she would go th-this far" Jack stuttered in disbelief.

He knew Claire was the jealous type and could get a little crazy sometimes, but he never imagined she was capable of such violence that she carried out on his girlfriend. She seemed so calm after they talked that day. Jack had explained that he was happy with Hannah and Claire appeared to accept the fact that he wasn't going to take her back. He assumed she went home after that. He was horribly mistaken.

"Do you have her information?" Officer Morgan directed his question to Jack.

"Sure"

Jack gave the police all the information he had on Claire. The officers left, promising to call with any news.

"I'm so sorry. I should have realized what a nut job she was sooner. This is all my fault" Jack spoke.

"It's not your fault" Hannah responded, though Jack could have sworn there was a hint of doubt in her voice.

Hannah turned on her side, her back now facing Jack.

"I'm tired" she mumbled.

Jack placed his hand gently on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, but she shrugged it off.

This caught him off guard. His girlfriend had never been so distant before.

"I'm gonna go make some calls" he murmured, rising from his seat and leaving the room.

-

"Are you sure this is what you want?" the tour manager spoke softly.

"Positive. It's for the best" Hannah assured him.

Hannah woke from her nap a short time ago to see that Matt and Alex had arrived to keep Jack company. Before she fell asleep, she done a lot of thinking and made some decisions. She had asked Jack and Alex to leave the room for a few minutes so she could speak to Matt privately.

"Okay, I'll go and make the call" Matt sighed, leaving the room.

Seconds later, Jack arrived back. Alone.

"What's going on?" he questioned.

He wasn't happy with how strange everyone was acting. Hannah barely spoke to him since the police officers left. She asked him to leave the room so she could speak to Matt alone. And moments ago Matt walked out of the room, stopping Alex from coming back in with a look of disappointment on his face.

"I need to talk to you" Hannah spoke softly, gesturing to the hard plastic chair beside her bed, which Jack sank into.

"I've been doing some thinking, and I've decided to go home"

Jack's eyes widened in shock and surprise.

"But you can't leave. We have two weeks left of tour" he argued.

Hannah sighed, "I know that. I've spoken to Matt and he understands. He's calling Ashley now to come and pick me up. She should be here by morning"

"Please don't leave. I'll miss you" Jack pleaded.

"I have to go, Jack. I need some time to process these past few weeks and everything that's happened. I can't do that on a crowded tour bus"

The couple were silent for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"And, what about us?" Jack's voice was barely a whisper, but Hannah understood him perfectly.

"This isn't the end. I just think some time apart would be good for us. We've spent almost every day together since we started dating. I think we could both benefit from some space."

Hannah felt the tears welling in her eyes. The look on Jack's face broke her heart. But it had to be done. She needed to get away from it all and sort her head out. So many things have changed for her in the past few months and she hasn't had the time to register it all. Everything was moving so fast. Two weeks wasn't a lot to ask for, was it?

"If that's what you want" Jack whispered, his voice beginning to crack.

Hannah leaned over and pressed a soft kiss on his lips.

"It's just two weeks, not forever"

Jack got up from his seat and walked towards the door.

"I'll call you when I get back?" he spoke, thought it was more of a question.

Hannah gave him a small smile and nodded.

"I love you" Jack said as he left the room, too scared to hear Hannah's response in case it had changed.

-

When Hannah woke up the following morning, Ashley was beside her bed.

The doctor came in and gave her a final check-up before prescribing her some painkillers to help ease the pain and giving her the all clear to return home.

Hannah gathered the few things she had at the hospital and the pair made their way down the elevator and into the parking lot.

They were surprised to find a large bus parked outside the door.

"We figured you might need this" Matt spoke, passing Hannah her suitcase.

Hannah thanked him and gave him a hug.

"You didn't think we'd let you leave without saying goodbye, did you" Vinny yelled, running down the steps and tackling Hannah into a hug.

"Sorry for leaving you on your own" she apologized.

"Don't worry about it. You look after yourself, alright?"

Hannah nodded as he ran back on the bus.

A few more people came out to say goodbye, but the most important person was missing.

"He's just sulking in his bunk. He'll be fine" Alex whispered to her as they hugged goodbye.

"Make sure he's okay, please?"

"You got it!" he shouted, running back up the steps.

With all the goodbyes said, everyone went to their respective modes of transport and hit the road.

"I think now would be a good time to tell me exactly what's been happening since you left" Ashley spoke as she started the engine.

"There's too much to tell" Hannah whined.

"We've got a five hour drive back to LA, so start talking"