Draft version - Russian Roulette - Family secrets

Ch. 130: It's a package from Gareth!

"She needs rest. She can't be stressed any more, she'll break. If she goes into that comatose state like with her mother..."
"What can we do? We need her."
"I understand that, and I know we do. But she's not worth anything if we don't get her straightened out first. Rest, food..."
"Shower?"

Muffled laughter was heard.

Mackenzie registered the words through her fogged-up mind. Who said what was anybody's guess. She had no idea where she was, only that she was on a bed or soft couch. There were people close to her, but who she could not figure out.

"I'll leave these pills for her. She needs to eat and then take the pills. They'll help her sleep. They're mild so she won't be groggy when she wakes, but they will let her sleep."
"Ok. I'll help her bathe. She and I have a sort of understanding when it comes to that."
"Guess I won the talk with room service about the food."
"Get her something fatty, salty and sweet. She needs all bases covered."
"Find some clothes for her and lay it out. I'll get it when I'm done in the bathroom."

Again, the words made sense, she just had no idea who it was. It could have been one person saying it all or it could have been 5. She did not know.

Nor did she care.

Strong arms lifted her from where she had been laying and she felt herself being carried into a brightly lit room. Even through her closed eyelids the lights bothered her. She wished she had the energy to say or do something. To help and take care of herself, her body did not want to, her mind had no desire to force the issue.

Accepting what happened around her gave her a sense of freedom from guilt, obligation and hurt.

The hurt was ever present. Her heart hurt in a way that was unfamiliar and overpowering. It numbed her completely. A welcomed numbness compared to the searing pain her mind had put her in earlier. On some level she remembered what had happened, on another she had suppressed it enough to kill the worst attempts at destroying her sanity.

The sound of water running and the ruffling of clothes was heard. A calm, soothing voice flowed at her from behind.

"It's just me, cupcake. I'm going to help you bathe. We've done it before, you know I'm not a threat to you."

If she nodded or responded in any way, she was not sure of. The voice just kept talking to her in the same soothing way.

"I'm going to take your clothes off now. You are completely safe with me."

The buttons of her shirt were slowly unbuttoned and the fabric removed. Her skirt was opened and slid down her legs along with her panties. The bra was unclasped and fell off her shoulders and down her arms. Where her shoes had gone, she left up to her imagination, all she knew was, she was not wearing any.

"Do you need to use the toilet?" The calm voice was back.

Did she?

She could not feel her body. Had no idea what it needed. She felt warm hands on her arms guiding her to the toilet where she was sat down.

Apparently, she did not need the toilet, because after a while the gentle hands helped her up and lifted her against a warm naked chest. The skin felt soft and smooth. There were muscles there, they did not feel like Gareth. She knew Gareth's body, how he felt, smelled, even the sound of his heartbeat was different from whomever held her.

Carefully and with the utmost respect, she was lowered feet first into warm, scented water. The warm hands guided her to sit down and submerge into the warmth. It seeped into her, making her realize how cold she had been. Not just her physical being but her mind and soul.