Something in the Way You Move [O'J]

Meeting Mandy

Callie's POV

I jolt awake when I hear piano chords coming from somewhere in the house. I must have dozed off at breakfast; great table manners right there! After listening more intently to the piano, I recognize the song: Stay by Rihanna. I slip away from the table and towards the music as someone begins to sing. I push open a cracked door carefully. I notice Danny's the one playing and singing, his back turned to me.

I lean in the doorway and close my eyes as the music washes over me. I don't know why, but it seems as if this song was made for Danny and his voice. I wish I could explain it, but I can't. As the song goes on and my presence goes un-noticed, I slip into the room and sit just inside the doorway, head leaning back against the wall. I feel the tension slowly melt from my body, and I realize this is the first time I've been relaxed in his presence since he found me in the alley. After he finishes the first song, he rolls right into another. I sneak over to the couch in the room and sit down.

After about half an hour or so, the door bell rings. I tense up immediately as the music stops. I watch as Jessie leaves to answer the door, leaving me and Danny alone together. He turns around and jumps slightly when he sees me. I grin inwardly; I'm a master sneak! He must notice that I keep glancing anxiously at the door, because he walks slowly over to me and sits on the other end of the couch---which is only a few feet away, because I believe this is technically called a "loveseat". I watch his every step, still not trusting him. I jump as I hear the door slam shut. Danny moves as if he was going to wrap an arm around me in an attempt to comfort me, but I don't let him. I grab his wrist and push back on it powerfully, bending it backwards at an extreme angle, and twist his arm until I hear a sharp click and a slight gasp from Danny before getting up and running from the room.

I almost slam into Jessie and the other lady in my panicked flight. I stop dead in front of them, poised to run. Jessie says quickly, "Hey, hey, it's okay, Callie. Danny did something didn't he?" I nod as she pauses, and she continues, "I'll make sure he won't do it again, at least till you're comfortable with him. Anyways, this is his sister, Mandy. She's here to look you over and help you get healthy."

I shake Mandy's hand politely and she asks quietly, "Hey, love. Do you mind if I look over you to make sure you're healthy?"

I hesitate for a moment before warily shaking my head no. "No, I don't mind."

Mandy turns to Jessie and asks, "Is there some place private we could do this; a bathroom, perhaps?" Jessie points down the hall and Mandy takes my hand gently and guides me down the hall. I like her a lot for some reason. After we're both in the bathroom, she closes the door and tells me, "For our privacy."

"Okay," I mumble. I pause before asking, "I made Danny make a clicking noise by twisting his arm and bending his wrist back...is that bad?"

"Not bad, no. He shouldn't have tried to do...well, whatever he tried to do. It's just instinct for him, to care for people. He meant no harm, trust me. A clicking noise, you said? Probably just dislocated his shoulder; he'll be in pain, but it's not bad," she answers. "Any questions before I start looking you over?" I shake my head, and she begins examining me. She takes my height, weight, pulse, blood pressure, checks my reflexes, eyes, nose, ears, and throat. Then she asks, "Would you be okay if I lifted your shirt up to look at your belly? I need to see if your organs are normal." I nod once, and lay on the floor as she instructs me. She lifts up my top and gasps before demanding, "Where did you get these bruises?"

I don't answer for a few minutes, not wanting to think about it. I finally manage to whisper, "Beatings from guys that I was forced to...I don't know, serve, I guess."

"That's horrible!" I can hear the anger ringing in her voice, and I flinch slightly. "Love, I'm not angry at you; I'm angry at the people that would beat an innocent child. Is that why you're scared of Danny; because you think he'll hurt you?"

I nod miserably, covering my face with my hands as tears start to fall down my face. Mandy rubs my shoulder, trying to calm me down. "I'll be right back, okay?" she whispers after I manage to calm down. I don't answer, and she gets up and leaves. About five minutes she returns and has some fresh clothes and says quietly, "I'm going to draw up a bath for you. I imagine the last time you ate before today was the last time you had a bath, right?"

"Yeah," I murmur as the water fills the tub. Once it fills the tub, she helps me in and starts helping me to clean myself. "Why are you helping me? I don't need help," I ask.

"I know you don't need help; I want to make sure you don't try to drown yourself. You'd be surprised how many in your situation would do that," she answers.

I don't answer, letting her help me wash and comb my hair. After fifteen minutes or so, I get out of the tub and dry off. I slip into the clothes that Jessie must have lent me. Mandy braids my long, black, wavy hair for me, since I can't really braid my own hair. She leads me out of the bathroom and into the living room, where I notice Danny and Jessie sitting rather...close to each other. I also notice that Danny is holding his shoulder, but drops his hand as we enter. "Alright, Danny, your turn now. Callie's taken care of; for now, at least," Mandy states simply.

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Go listen to that video on the side. It will be ~4 minutes of your time well-spent. :)