Afraid•Niccolo Genoveder Rossi •

thirty-six

|Niccolo|

I couldn't believe that was her.

Serena.

Covered in blood.

And was that a slit in her throat?

It had been stitched up, but it still wasn't pretty.

I felt a new type of hurt.

An undescribable pain. 

One that nobody could make me feel besides Serena.

I didn't know what to say.

Her eyes were open- but she couldn't speak.

Her lips were pale and her face had no color.

All the life was sucked out of her.

Her dark hair still lay on her shoulders.

She tried to sit up but instantly fell back down.

Her eyes squeezed shut in pain.

"What happened, Serena?"  I ask, my voice breaking.

She closed her eyes as her tears fell.

She shook her head.

She didn't want to tell me.

Even if she could.

"I'm worried about you". I say, walking from the entrance of the doorway to her cot.

She glanced away.

"I know you can't speak right now. But I need to know who did this to you". 

She bit her lip.

"No". She says scratchily.

She spoke her first word.

And it was one of protest.

I could tell that one word hurt her voice.

But, it was all ironic.

Her first very painful word was when she was trying to avoid me.

I put my hand over hers.

Her hand tensed quickly.

"It's not worth running. Just stay". I advise.

Her hand relaxed in defeat, knowing she couldn't use her words to stun me.

"I need your help, Serena".

She looked over at me.

"My daughter came two months early and she dosen't look like she'll make it." I start, my voice already breaking.

For the first time in months, she looked at me with a feeling of genuine sympathy.

Like she cared.

"I'm sorry". She said, barely above a whisper.

"I can't stand to look at her through the glass. I can't even touch her." I say, sniffling.

I stared at a spot on the tile.

Serena simply had nothing to say.

She rubbed her thumb over my hand.

Her hands were shaky, no doubt.

But she was willing to help me.

To give a care.

Her hands were freezing- what if her entire body was this cold?

I reached beside me, where a quilt was bundled on a chair.

I grabbed it and laid it across her.

She looked over at me and smiled ever so slightly.