Milenka

Chapter 3

My head was ringing, my body immobile, I let consciousness come to me gracefully. I was lying in a bed, a warm one, and I was clothed and I smelled cedar and rain. I took a few deep breaths of the clean air, I listened closely to my surroundings. Pots clattered and every few minutes I heard light footsteps on the floor just outside the door, next I heard breathing, that wasn't my own, within the room. My eyes were still closed, yet my senses were fully open. The end of the bed shifted on the pressure of a person. I felt the bedding continue to move as their body moved farther up the bed. I held my breathe and I felt them stop moving inches above my face and breathing on my cheek. Then the body moved quickly, their footsteps bounding across the room, the door opened, slightly. A decibel loud enough to travel across the room, they spoke "sorry." The door quietly shut behind them.
I finally opened my eyes after what seemed like an eternity. I lifted my body off the bed there were gauze wrapped around my chest, I lifted the sheets and saw my leg was bandaged. Someone had mended my wounds. I grinned to myself, at the blissful numbness, the pain had all subsided... For now.
The door swung open and a woman with bright brown eyes and a face heavily freckled. She carried a tray with a bowl filled with hot contents and a cup of what looked like prescription meds.
"Look who's up!" She sat the tray on the nightstand, and plopped herself on the bed, "the colors come back to your skin! Your not throwing up like before that's better!" Her smile was blinding and and her voice was oozing with the care of a mother.
I stared at her blankly, I didn't know her face but I knew her voice.
"Oh! I'm sorry you can call me Cally."
I nodded. She stood and took a towel from the drawer, she left the room for a moment and came back with the rag wet, and slightly steaming. She sat back on the bed. "Here sweetie, I'm gonna ask a few things about you and then I'll place the warm washcloth on your head"
I nodded, slowly.
"Ok great, your throat probably hurts so these questions will only be yes or no" she smiled.
I nodded in response lying on the bed with the towel warming my head.
"Do you have a name?"
I paused, and shook my head. Wait... What had they called me?...Kai... For my blue eyes and black hair... Like the ocean and midnight I remember someone telling me bI nodded my head, contradicting my initial response.
"So you do have a name? Will you write it?"
I nodded. "K-Kai" I croaked, the words slipping through my dry mouth.
"Kai? That's a pretty name!"
I grunted not wanting to strain my vocals.
"How about some tea then? You're sounding awfully raspy." she brought the cup on the table to my lips, nearly forcing the peppermint flavored contents down my throat. I dipped my head finishing what was left in the mug. My breath grew less labored.
"Thanks" I whispered.
"Not a problem, if it's in my power to help someone then I will." Grinning widely she removed the washcloth, "how about a bath then to warm your bones, dress yourself, then head on down the first set of steps to your left for some lunch. My boys are out at school so we've got the house a little bit to ourselves aside from my oldest, he don't talk much, but he's a sweetie when you gets to know him. You've been out for nearly a month and we only got you out the hospital a week ago! best to get you moving!" She spoke with great gestures of her wrinkled hands, when she walked about the room still talking and pulling out pieces of clothes for me to wear the next week. I noticed she shuffled her small slippered feet and often narrowed her brown eyes at you if she believed you weren't listening to any number of her stories. Before I knew it she stomped to the threshold of the door smiling brightly, "I've always wanted a girl." With a hand on her chest she left the room closing the door with a heavy handed thud.

The shower was numbing and the clothes laid out on the bed, grey sweat pants and a hoodie were all warm and smelled of citrus. I stood before the mirror, in the baggy clothes that shrunk my already frail body. I brushed through my hair, haphazardly, the inky strands falling into my dark blue eyes. I lifted my shirt revealing my wet bandages I began peeling them off, the skin below cleaned and stitched and mended together, like a doll torn apart by the household dog and meagerly stitched back into one. I dragged my fingers across the seam of one that lead from my lower left hip bone to my rib cage. Then another up across my back, as my fingers trailed the tracks passing scars freckled like stars across my body.
"Should I look like this?" I muttered to myself.
I ripped the hoodie back over my body covering the prints, and leaving the now cramped bathroom. My hand gripped the doorknob leading into the hallway but I felt myself hesitate. Ignoring my feeling of unease I creaked it open, the door screaming as loud as my nervousness. My head was down glaring into the floor when I shut it back behind me. Glancing down the hall I saw about 7 sets of doors including my own. One however was slightly cracked open allowing a breath of light to spill inside. I looked down the left side of the hallway noticing the stairs leading to the lower level. I permitted my curiosity to take the best of me when steadied rhythm creaks came from the room. The closer I got the louder the sound and soon pitched moaning was accompanying it. I knew what that was and much too well, yet it didn't stop me from letting an eye peek through. A man his torso chiseled and god like plowed his member into that of a woman gripped by the throws of ecstasy. His head shot up catching my eyes, I gasped, he never slowed his motions as he smiled, a devil's smile. I blinked backing away from the threshold. I knew that smile.