The Silent Girl

43.

'Luke'

"Hey" When I realize that Ella had woken, I stand up and lean over. 

It had been a week since Ella had been found and was in hospital. She is still in hospital and the end is not in sight. 

It has been an awful week of Ella being in pain, throwing up and sleeping. 

The poor girl was weaker than I expected her to get. She was badly hurt and ill. 

The three of us, myself, Noah and Micky, have been juggling school, home and hospital. It is tiring, but it's all worth it. 

Jim, had been a little bit stressed. I think he's grateful for us. We have a schedule, trying to reduce the never ending stress. 

Jim is with Ella when we're at school. Then, when we're here after school, Jim is at home, working and trying to keep their small family together. 

Jim's and Ella's home has been fixed, almost. The windows have been bordered up, ready for new windows. Jim had cleaning everything else up. 

We haven't told Ella much about the house, but her room had been tipped upside down. Her bedding had been ripped, most of her clothes destroyed, all her little possessions thrown or broken. It was just a mess. 

The three of us, would do everything in the hospital. Our own parents were nothing but supportive of Ella's condition and the way we were never home. Barely home. 

"Hi" Her crocking voice whispers gently. She had a feeding tube coming from her nose, which was keeping the nutrients flowing into her body. 

"How are you feeling?" I ask her gently, stroking a piece of hair out of her face. 

"Tired" She whispers, moving her hand to rub her eye. 

"Yeah" I whisper, settling on the edge of the bed beside her hips. 

"Where is everyone else?" She gently says, watching me. 

"Your dad is at home, Noah and Micky went to get some food" I say, putting my hand on her knee. 

"Ok" She says, her eyes closing her eyes. "Luke" She says, as her eyes open again. 

"Yes?" I say back to her, rubbing her knee gently. 

"Mum won't hurt me will she?" Her voice is thick with worry, and nervousness. Poor girl, she just wanted to know that she was safe. 

The truth is that I don't know. I can't tell her that she is safe, because she isn't safe into her mother is behind bars again. 

"Ella; myself, Noah and Micky" I pause, thinking for a moment. "And your dad, we're going to do anything to protect you. I promise" 

"That isn't a no she won't hurt me" She whispers, closing her eyes as a tear falls. "I'm not safe" She whispers to herself. 

"Ella, let's think about right now. You're lying in a hospital, getting the care you need and you have the people that love you around you. There are police officers outside your door 24/7, you have no reason to be scared" I gently whisper back, trying to make her feel a little bit more safe. 

"I'm thinking of the future. What are I going to do? GCSE's should be happening in a month, and I'm not ready" She mumbles. 

"Ella, I'm sure they will give you options to do them next year, or delay them. You won't have to sit them in a month, you have nothing to worry about" I move my hand to her cheek without the feeding tube and gently run my finger across it. "Just focus on getting your little ass better and out of bed so we can get our laughing and smiley Ella back." I gently whisper, watching a small smile creep onto her face. "There she is" 

It only lasts a minute and she is gripping her chest, coughing loudly. I immediately grab the sick bucket and hold it by her face, worried she would throw up.

My consciousness was correct, she began throwing up into the bucket. Whining in-between as I rubbed patterns on her back while holding the bucket. 

Micky and Noah walked in, at the wrong moment. Both come beside Ella as she heaves. 

"It's ok" Micky holds her hair, brushing it back so that it wasn't in the way. Just as she was about to sit back against, she throw up again. Making us sigh gently and help her. 

After five minutes of stopping and starting throwing up. She relaxes onto the pillows. 

"You feeling a little bit better now?" Noah whispers gently, stroking her head. 

"I-I'm feeling sick" She whispers, and we all exhale gently, sitting around her, encouraging her to have a nap, in which she does. 

'end of 43.' 

:c

Posted: 28.7.22