Famish: Tragedy

Chapter 4

I awoke with Nico under my arm lying on my left, and though I couldn't see him at the time, I knew he was sleeping. I turned my head to see him with the sun shining dimly, rising in my window, and saw Nico laying funky under my arm. He was on his back, his front paws gently on my hand and wrist, as if holding them, his back legs were on the side across my leg. I chuckled at the sight and turned to look out the window at the sunrise and noticed a note next to a nice wooden cane.

Dear Clyde, The doctor said if you should awake, and need or want to leave your room, you must use a cane since your core will be healing, Your father went out to the town to get more bandages and gauze for you side and eye, luckily, the sword only cut your eyelid so you will be able to see! I will be back soon to help change your bandages.

-Joanna

I sighed, putting the note back and examining the cane. The details on it told a story of what I wasn't sure, but a story nonetheless. The door opened showing my father and Joanna, She was carrying a tray and my father the bandages and a water pitcher. I smiled as Nico stood up quickly at the noise. "Good morning Clyde, Nico."  Joanna greeted, my father laughed at the white dog next to me, they set everything at my bedside and helped me sit up to make their job easier.
"When we unwrap your torso, you may feel a little pain when we get closer to the cut due to the bleeding, though it has stopped by now, we will then clean around it with this damp cloth and rewrap. We will do the same with your eye." Said my father, unhooking the end tucked in on my left. I only began to wince as Joanna took the rag and started gently dabbing it around the wound.
"Gahh!" I yelped, "sorry, Just a little longer." I kept wincing until she covered it once more. My father left to retrieve food and Joanna gave the bloodied gauze and rag to a maid and went to my side. "Are you feeling any better?" she asked, so softly I could barely hear, "I should be. How long until I can walk without the cane?" I responded, embarrassed to even need the cane, my face was red and my eyes full of shame. "A few weeks at the very most." I sighed in defeat and she took my hand, I of course looked at her in confusion, "It's going to be ok." she smiled and for a moment everything was ok.
Over the next few weeks Joanna and I grew closer as she helped me build my strength back up until i could walk without the cane, in that time my father would visit me and bring me clean clothes and food for Nico, where as the samoyed stayed close to me and cried when he couldn't see me. The towns folk talked about how they rid a life of evil and gave a life of purity to me, praising only themselves for ridding me of the demons within. Joanna took me through town to show me this and I could only Laugh at such fools, but they weren't trying to kill me anymore so I hoped for them to keep believing that. When I was allowed to go home I was still to walk with the cane until I couldn't feel pain anymore. The Village hadn't changed other than people in the church praying for my health. When I walked in to greet pastor John I had not a clue of how many people would be there, children running to me excited and in disbelief asking me about my new scars and if they could see the one on my torso, but that was still not fully scarred over. My father worked in the library as everyone seemed to help me instead of the opposite. The children would gather by the well every morning to ask me to tell them stories or see if I needed help fixing something, or asking if I could help repair their toys since it was a smaller job. Joanna would visit the village daily to make sure I was alright. "Clyde!" I heard one of the children exclaim, shortly after she left, "yes?" "Are you and the pretty lady gonna get married?" my face turned beet red and I tripped over my words, "Well, I don't really, um, it's complicated, but I don't-" "she doesn't know if you love her yet does she?" one of the girls asked as her sister braided her hair, "no." I responded, putting my head down. "Ok when she comes tomorrow I have an idea!" I looked up at the kids who all seemed excited, and like they were plotting something. I awoke the next morning to a knock on the door, it was the boys, "WOAH!" they all said in awe, "yeah yeah cool scar I know, why are you guys here so early?" I asked the oldest, "We're here to help you now come on, let's go find your best clothes." "Huh!?" I asked as the 8 boys piled in dragging me and sitting me on my bed "Do your parents know you're here?" "Yes, da girls went with the lady since she came early today!" I sat surprised and deadpanned as the boys put an outfit together and the oldest did my hair.
"Do a spin Clyde." I did and the boys looked out the window to see the girls coming through the trees surrounding someone. We walked out to see what they were doing. She was beautiful, her hair was silky with a half up ponytail held by a yellow bow, her dress was a simple one with a ribbon around her waist tied in the back with the corresponding heels. "Good morning Clyde." She said, "I was brought back to reality when she spoke. "Good morning Joanna." I responded "the girls got a little excited and told me why they were doing this." she laughed, "the boys didn't tell me anything." I said with a chuckle, my face turning a little red. "Clyde you goof! Isn't it obvious? We are trying to help you out here." the youngest boy said with dramatic expressions. "Oh. With what exactly?" I could feel my face start heating up as I leaned on my cane. Joanna simply giggled at my red face, as I refused to make eye contact with anyone. "Come on let's leave them be." one of the girls said, and like that the children went home.
"Kids." I laughed looking toward Joanna. "Yeah." she smiled looking at the ground. "Do you want to come in? Father is already at the library so it's just Nico and I." she nodded and we went inside my home. Nico's tail was wagging as my cloud of a best friend saw Joanna. We sat down and Joanna began to speak again.
"One of the girls said something about how yesterday you said you liked me." I paused and looked her dead in the eye, afraid of what the children had said, "She said that they were trying to help you tell me that, and asked me If I liked you in return."