Fallen Petals

Chapter seven

The next day  Rosie felt a sharp pain in her stomach but she tried her best to ignore it. With everything going on at home with her dad, there was no need for him to worry about anything else. The scales seemed to appear whenever she got wet and they wouldn't come off. Now she had blue specks on her legs making it seem like she had bruises there. She covered her legs up with her socks and feared what people at school would say.
"Please don't let anyone see, I just want to be seen as Rosie, not some girl who grew scales." She whispered. As she walked through the grass to school, her thoughts centered around her dad.

"Remember class you need to present your poster and paper next week, you are free to use the library to find books on the job." The teacher explained. Rosie heard her classmate mention things like doctor, chef, police officer, astronaut, and more. Yet she had no interest in any of those things as she didn't know what to pick. During recess, she tried to play with her friends. She had fun seeing all her friends and their emails. Despite having to move every few months since she was in preschool. The nagging pain in her stomach hurt whenever she ran or even when she walked. Almost like knives were jagging her from the inside. She stopped playing tag and dropped to the ground.
"Rosie?" Her friend asked.

"It hurts so bad!" She whimpered. Unsure what to do her friends got the teacher and Rosie got embarrassed.
"What is it honey are you in pain?" The teacher asked.
"Yes inside," Rosie responded. The teacher asked for more information but Rosie acted as if she was fine. She didn't want anyone to know that she could grow scales. The days that passed she writhed in pain and seemed distracted in class. Rosie normally had fun even though she had some trouble with certain subjects. During a math test Rosie felt some pains in her stomach and asked to be excused for a minute. She went to the bathroom and found she seemed to be growing gills and her belly button was gone.

"Ahh!" She screamed which caused other students to tell the principal. The principal comes running to the restroom after hearing Rosie's scream.
"Rosie, what's going on in here?" The principal asked.
"No, it's not what it looks like." Rosie cried.
She sees Rosie's new gills and lack of belly button and gasped. She immediately calls for medical attention and Rosie is taken to the hospital for tests and examination.
The doctors can't figure out why this is happening to her, but they're concerned that the change might be permanent.

The school also calls Lucas since he's the only one listed in her emergency contacts. Within ten minutes Lucas arrived at the hospital and hugged his daughter tightly.
"Oh my love what is it, tell daddy what's wrong are you hurt?" Lucas asked. She only cried and hugged him, however before she could respond. He tried to explain to the doctors what's been going on with her but they think the scales are bruises. Because he has already had compliments about his behavior in the past. The hospital calls the police out of concern for the little girl. Rosie hugged onto Lucas even tighter.
"Daddy I know something is wrong now." She whimpered.
"Everything will be okay Rosie, I promise you." He responded.

Before they could bond for very long two police officers came into Rosie's hospital room.
"Are you Lucas Amorman?" The first officer asked.
"Yes, what is going on?" Lucas asked. The two officers handcuffed him as he had been suspected of abuse.
"You are under arrest for a serious assault against a minor." The second officer declared.
"What do you mean my daughter I love my daughter and I would never do anything to her!" Lucas yelled. He was insulted that they would even think that. The police didn't listen to him and just put his hands behind his back.

"Daddy no!" Rosie exclaimed when they tackled him.
"Sir if you keep resisting arrests you are going to have more charges dropped onto you. You already are dealing with some serious charges that could get you locked up for life." The officer responded. Unlike the fake cop with the car accident, Lucas knew these two were real.
"Are you insane let me go! My daughter is sick and needs me, Rosie, no honey!" Lucas screamed as he was dragged away.
"No Daddy!" Rosie yelled. She tried to get up and follow him but she was pushed back by the doctors. The poor girl was now terrified as she had never been away from her dad for long. She thought she had done something wrong and that's why he was being taken. Tears ran down her face when the doctor wouldn't let her stand up. She needed to make the police listen as her daddy was the only one who loved her.