Exotic

XV

Sydney

I woke up in a bit of pain and something next to me on my bed. Well, not something, someone was next to me. Their arms were around my waist and holding me close. Their face was buried into my neck and their soft breathing was tickling me. What's even more surprising is that I was holding this person too. My arms were around their shoulders and I had my nose buried into the top of their head. Cherries. I realise that I am cuddling Kath. Well, awkwardly hugging her.

I move my head away and look around to my alarm clock. It's about five in the evening. I figure Mum will be up with some food soon, so I'll have to wake Kath up before she does. Otherwise I'll never hear the end of it.

"Kath?" I call out quietly. She doesn't move so I use my good arm to shake her gently, "Kath, wake up."

"Hmm?" she hummed.

"Kath, get up."

"Five more minutes, babe." she groaned. I was shocked at the pet name but continue to shake her.

"Come on, Kath. My Mum will be up here soon with dinner." I started rapping her face and this got her lovely green eyes to open.

"What?" she yawns.

"Were you comfortable, there?" I chuckle as she sat up to stretch. Oh, how I wish I could do that. But my broken leg, broken wrist and dislocated shoulder makes that a bit difficult.

"Apparently." she looks back to me with a small smirk, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm in a bit of pain and I'm a bit thirsty but otherwise fine."

"I'll go get you some pain meds."

"Oh, no need! I've brought them here." My Mum's voice said as she walked into my room. She had two bed trays in her hand for Kath and I, and I noticed that one of them had my pain meds, "I'll get you two some drinks in a minute. My hands were a tad full."

"Thanks, Mum." I smile.

"It's no problem, Sheila. Eat up then you two can get right back to cuddling." she teases.

"You saw?" I whine.

"And I got a photo," she said, setting my mini table across my legs and hand Kath's to her. She turned around to face me while she picked at her food. She seemed unbothered by my mother's antics.

"Mum! You can't do that!" I complain, blushing profusely. Meanwhile, Kath has take it upon herself to cut my food for me.

"But you were so cute! How could I not?" she pouts. She got out her phone to show me the photo and I'll admit, it was cute. Well, Kath was.

"Still. You can't take photos of people when they're asleep."

"You're my daughter! I'm allowed to!" she defended.

"I was on about Kath, Mum."

"I posed." Kath shrugged as she finished cutting up my food.

"I feel like you're conspiring against me." I marrow my eyes at the two. I saw my Mum tapping on her phone with a mischievous smile.

"I posted it to Facebook!"

"Who uses Facebook anymore?" I groan.

"Your Nans, all of my siblings, all of your Dad's siblings, your Dad,"

"Sperm donor, you mean." I drawl.

"Not now, Sheila." Mum shook her head.

"I think Sydney should eat her food so she can take her painkillers." Kath spoke up.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I'll bring your drinks up now." Mum nodded as she left. There was an awkward silence and u mentally kick myself for bringing Dad up like that.

"You okay?" I ask Kath.

"I should be asking you that." Kath scoffed.

"Yeah, well... I just dropped a bombshell and you seem a bit uncomfortable."

"I'm not allowed to get offended over father things, I've never had one. And I don't think I'm missing out on much, by the sounds of it."

"Not all fathers are bad. Just some of them, including mine." I shrug, but it was only with one shoulder as the other one hurts... A lot.

"My parents had bad fathers. My Mama's was abusive and my Mom's was homophobic."

"Oh, I'm sorry." I frown.

"Eh, I never met them. And they're both dead." she shrugged, "Kinda glad I didn't." she then mumbled under her breath, but I heard it.

"Your Mama seems pretty neat though. Considering she's been through... A lot."

"Pretty neat? This is the woman who has survived years of severe abuse, three suicide attempts, a major car crash, being beaten up by the public, some nasty falls from high places and being shot, twice. She's had to endure several losses and made so many sacrifices for her family. She's a bit more than pretty neat. She's a fucking Goddess. People should literally bow down to her. I'd worship the ground she walks on if it weren't weird."

It then became apparent that Kath respects her parents on a whole other level. And if you degrade them or insult them, she'll be pissed. And I'd rather not piss her off, so I sort of just look down at my food and eat it slowly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off on you. That was a bitch move. I just don't think that people should use minimal description for my parents, because they truly are perfect in very sense of the word." she apologised.

"Yeah, no. I get it. I just had no idea that Christina had to go through all of that." I say quietly. Mum gave us our drinks without saying much before leaving.

"I really fucked things now." Kath sighed.

"No, you didn't. It was my fault for starting shit about my Dad." I counter.

"Your Mum deserves a hug. She's been so great with everything." Kath said. I'd noticed that she'd barely eaten  and her plate was barely touched, while mine was nearly gone.

"She is amazing." I agree. A bit shuffling outside of my room was heard but we paid no attention to it. We're not saying anything bad so there's nothing to feel guilty about.

"I think I might go home tonight. Will that be okay?" Kath asked.

Well, it's not. She makes everything hurt less and she takes the gravity of my situation away. I was beaten because of my talent. How shitty is that? But it's not as if I can make her stay. If she wants to go home, then I won't force her to remain here.

"That's fine." I nod. She sighed and that told me that she saw right through me.

"It's not. I'll stay." Kath finalised.

"No, you don't have to-"

"Sydney. Shut up. You need me. I'll stay." she interrupted, "It's not like I want to leave, either. I just miss my parents."

"You don't want to leave?" I look up to her.

"How could I leave you, Syd?" she asked. And it was genuine. And it made my heart melt a little bit, "Take you meds. I'll take our plates down."

I nod and do as I'm told. I take my painkillers while she takes our trays downstairs. She barely even touched her food and it has me worried. Kath rarely ate at the hospital too. And I notice that she seems a lot more tired lately. Like she's not sleeping well. I feel bad because there's nothing I can do. And I doubt she'd want to talk to me about it. I doubt she'd want to talk to anyone about it.

And it worries me.