Pricked

27

      The next day is dreadful, I want Mitch to come already, but I don't know when they let 'normal' people come in to the palace. If they could hear me I would tell them, he is not just any normal person, he is a wonderful man and my only friend, and I need him here for my possible healing to begin. I'm whining in my head now, gah stop being so dramatic I demand myself, he is coming back I think as I spin around the room. There is a hop in my step that I had lost for weeks. The door creeks open and I jump up with joy "Mitch," I say and head for the door but the small black heel and tall beehive hair takes me aback. "No," I say eyes wide, nostrils flared and try and push her out. "Not you, you are the reason I'm here!"

She walks to my body and gives a disgusted look, "street rat, I don't know why they bother keeping you in the palace... it's a waste of space." She says and moves around the bed to examine me further. She doesn't recognize me? She doesn't know who I am?

"Hideous, despicable, she doesn't look good, not good at all." She scoffs out a wicked laugh "but I doubt that she looked much better than this when she was well." Her voice is like a snake and I want to slice her throat. She doesn't recognize me, but she is still a horrible human being.

"Why are you verbally assaulting me?" I ask and try to strangle her wrinkled neck. She huffs and moves to the other side of the bed sauntering to the door.

"She is a great person," Mitch says from the doorway. I hadn't noticed him enter, I was too busy trying to get her to leave me alone. "And in my opinion she is rather beautiful, much more than you, that's for such." His voice isn't cocky or arrogant, but more matter of fact.

"I have been called beautiful three times now since being in the palace that probably more then you have been in your whole life!" I say humbly as I move to join Mitch. I don't care that she can't hear me, Mitch is speaking just as I would but well, better.

"Oh my," she says and examines Mitch's worn down clothes and dirty hands. "And who might you be?" She asks giving Mitch her full snotty attention.

"No," Mitch says sternly, "who might you be?" He crosses his arms and takes two steps forward just as she takes two steps back.

"I was her..." she jabs a long, pointy finger at me, "supervisor. I am the Lady DaVin."

"Don't try and sound all powerful, you are no better than Charles. You take orders from everyone." I scoff out at her "You gave orders to me, and you couldn't even do that to your full potential without me ending up here." I move towards Mitch, crossing my arms to match him. I see a look of recognition cross his face at her name. I have told him many times of her cruel wrath upon me as my boss.

"Well DaVin."

"That is Miss. DaVin to you, you little scoundrel." She interrupts

"Oh I thought you said Lady so it proves you are greater then I." It's true, anyone with a title loves to announce it repeatedly and never forgets it.

DaVin's face drops and she looks miserable. She, no greater than he?

"Ah," she speaks out. "Me, not superior to you!" This time her finger is aimed at Mitch he takes another step forward her finger just barely touches his chest. She instantly moves her hand back to her side. Her voice shakes slightly as she speaks, now worried about Mitch and what he might do. "Who are-" He could look quite monstrous to a royal or even anyone higher born then us. Just another street rat, tall and muscular, but I knew better. Mitch wouldn't hurt a fly, only spiders when I ask.

"Get out." Mitch says his voice strong and demanding. "Now!" He says taking one more step forward. She rushes out of the room, her small heals clicking and she slams the door behind her. Mitch's stern lips turn into a grin. "That's for you Harriet, I know you hated that witch." I did and still do I think as I relax knowing I'm safe. He moves a few steps toward me and gently sits next to my body on the bed. I on the other hand plop down next to him, quite eager to see and hear him again. He grasps my hand and I put mine on top of his, hoping I wouldn't fall through him entirely.

"I miss you Harriet. I wish I could wake you up. Tell you about everything." His voice is no longer strong, but broken and sad. He releases my hand and fiddles with my grandfather watch on his wrist. He grasps the watch pulling it off his wrist and twirls it in his fingers. "You're gonna keep this," he says putting the watch now on my wrist. He tightens it to fit and turns my wrist over to look at it, then at me. "You keep this," he repeats, "you can give it back to me when you wake up. Okay?" He pauses, waiting for an answer he knows he won't get. "Okay." He says no longer a question, but a statement, he thinks I will be okay. He thinks that this torture will come to an end. His hope brings a smile to my face and for that moment I have hope too. But the moment passes when a new doctor comes through the door.

"Sir- oh," the man says looking at Mitch. "Boy, you may go now." The man says changing his mind on what Mitch should be called, but Mitch is not a boy. He is a man, and this guy picked the wrong time to mess with him. Mitch rises from my side and turns to the newest most pompous doctor.

"No boy," Mitch emphasizes marching up to the man "you must leave, you are not the doctor that will fix her. You are no more a man then I am a boy." Mitch ushers him out the door slamming it in his face. A smile appears on my face but not his. "I'm sorry," he says apologizing to me as he walks back to my side. "But I was walking here yesterday to see you and he was a jerk to everyone, cursing and screaming through the streets. I don't care if he was the best doctor he wouldn't care about you."