CAUGHT

SEVEN

Clarina's eyelids remained shut when she felt him stand and then proceed to let  her legs be. He helped proper then and she  opened her eyes  when he made her sit in silence. The quiet never so loud in her life before, she choked out.

"May."

She wanted May. She tried not to cry at the thought of her legs  functioning capacity messed with from all the pain and soreness she was physically relieving with each heartbeat and second that passed.

"Please. I-" The lump in her throat made it difficult to speak. "It hurts." And in truth, it did .

Not only the physical. But it took vast percentage.

Antonio silently carried her to the bedroom and placed her on the bed. Rubbing the top of her thigh in a soothing manner at the same time he did something with his phone that he had pulled out from himself seated beside her. Her hand fisting and unflinching as she progressed through the pain.

Immediately May entered the room Clar wanted to run to her. The wallowing thoughts coursing through her mind were stopped by her presence.

'What happened?' May asked signing with her hands coming into sight with Clar.

"He-" Clar exhaled humourlessly "I did the fucking splits." her voice cracked as she looked at May with liquid in her eyes akin to a child reporting to her loving caregiver.

May did process what she said and then moved her eyes to Antonio in question who met hers with a raised brow.

"How long?"

Her lack of movement made the tears spill out of her eyes as she covered her eyes with her hand sobbing silently.

" she wants you to check on her. "
Antonio spoke in Spanish and it was silent while May replied  her response to him.

Clarina rolled both her lips into her mouth desperately trying to hold herself in after the period of silence interpreting what May was telling him and drowned out Antonio's voice as he began his response.

With a strong feeling of nostalgia, she tightly shut her eyelids, clutched her chest area, and turned away from them with her upper body. The muscles and joints of her lower region sent painful signal and she uncontrollably focused on her parents' smiles which were conjured up in her mind. A burst of bright visions that faded into her last lingering thoughts.

✨

Peach orange walls, a simple white couch, and a table with a screen on the wall. Clarina looked at the warm hand suddenly placed on hers then followed it all the way up to its source. Landing onto May's face. Seated close to her beside the bed she was on.

'You're in the hospital.'

May lifted her hand and signed slowly for her.

Clar nodded in understanding spotting a drip connected to her left arm. May tapped her arm lifting the board in her other hand.

' You didn't tear any ligaments. Your muscles are simply acclimatising to the stretch.'

She placed the board and continued to slowly sign for her.

'Your lower half is alright .'

Clar smiled and took in a deep breath that began her short-paced breathing cycle. Moved her legs as a format of cross-checking May's words never more glad to feel the skin between her thighs. The pain below her waist was no longer outstanding like the former

'I am sorry .'

May rubbed a fist in her chest keeping it there as she held her hand in the demonstration. No sooner had she done that when Antonio walked into the room with a doctor who did her general physical checkup.