The Breaking Wheel

Chapter 60: Burned

Dr. Collingwood winced at her reflection. It had taken four and a half years for her to heal enough from the burns she'd received from Naga to be released from intensive care, but they still left heavy scarring all over the left side of her body. The left side of her face was burned a dark red and her left eye had turned yellow with a vertical slit for a pupil, like a snake. A chunk of her nose was missing. Part of her lips had been burned away, baring her teeth in a permanent, ugly, snarling grimace. Her left hand was practically black and she could no longer straighten her fingers all the way. Her left shoulder and hip were stiff and she walked with a heavy limp, practically dragging her foot behind her.

There were several scars on the top of her head and shoulders where she'd been cut by glass, but those were relatively minor, compared to the broken bones and third-degree burns.

She shook her head.

How am I supposed to explain this to the neighbors? 

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John immediately noticed the pair of black gloves Dr. Collingwood had been wearing when she came to work. He couldn't blame her; he'd seen her burns when she'd been thrown out that window and her left arm and hand seemed to have gotten the very worst of it. One thing that did give him pause, though, was her snakelike left eye. Where had that come from?

Lawrence tried his hardest not to stare at her gruesomely scarred face. He slowly turned away, his eyes shut, his hands fists. The thought that anything had willingly done that to her made him want to do something illegal.

Billy wanted to tear Naga to shreds when he saw Molly's face, but he put on his best "customer service" smile.

"Oi, Molly!"

She glanced towards him, nodded, and quickly walked away, her head down.