Just A Number ⋆Hetty Feather⋆ (SLOW UPDATES)

Chapter 4 (Episode 2)

It had been 3 or 4 hours since any of us had seen Hetty. I supposed that Matron was keeping her locked up for a very long time. The four of us were scrubbing away at the floor by the girls dorms when we heard footsteps coming towards us. We slowed down our frantic scrubbing and waited for the person to come round the corner. When they did, it was a great surprise to all of us.

"Hetty!" We chorused as we all dropped our cleaning rags into the buckets and ran towards our friend, hugging her tightly. She laughed, hugging us back. When we pulled back, all five of us were smiling. "Where have you been?" I asked. She opened her mouth about to tell us when a voice spoke. "Girls." We all spun around to see Nurse Winterson standing there. The quicker you finish the corridor, the quicker you can go back to your dorm so I'd save that chit chat for later if I were you."
"Yes Nurse," we chorused and she smiled before walking off. Hetty looked at us. "I'll tell you later, now let's finish this." With a laugh, I knelt back down to continue with the cleaning.

It was night. Hetty had finished explaining how she had been made to do the laundry and had snuck into the boys' wing and how she was leaving to go home with Gideon. "Just promise me one thing," she said. "You'll always remember me. We shared a smile before diving in for a group hug. "Oh look, Matron's punishment has sent her all soppy." Sheila's annoying voice rang through the dorm as we broke apart. "Sheila, go stick your head down the privy," Hetty spat at the girl in question. I folded my arms, glaring at her. Sheila stood up and walked over followed (as always) by Elizabeth and Monica. "Don't cross me, Feather. Ever again," she said, slowly and clearly, with venom dripping from her tounge. "Or you'll end up like... her!" She shouted the last part in Mary's direction and the girl instantly got up and came to sit beside me. I put my arm around her as I glared at Sheila and her cronies. "Shut in the Tench and falling apart," Elizabeth taunted.
"You're nothing but a she - mob," I said venomously.
"What's a she - mob?" Monica asked, curiously. "Girls who stick together with Sheila cos they can't think for themselves!" I answered. That got a laugh out of Mary, Polly and Harriet, whilst Hetty just smirked at me. Sheila glared at all five of us before stalking off back to her own bed. "They'll get what's coming to them one day," Hetty promised. "And you'll all be here to see it." Smiling, we joined our hands in the middle of our little circle and giggled, fully aware of the stink eye that Sheila was giving us.

The five of us were laying in bed, pretending to sleep when the nightwatch opened the dormitory door to check on us. When he had left, Hetty opened her eyes and sat up, pulling her clothes from under her bed. Then we all sat up, watching her. She looked around, confused as to what we were doing. "Go Hetty," I whispered. "Go home with Gideon." She smiled at me, before continuing to get changed into her clothes. I smiled back at her, before something popped into my mind. "Hetty?"
"Yes?"
"Make sure to tell Mathias that I hope he enjoys going to sea." She smiled at me as she finished lacing up her boots and grabbed a candle. "I'll tell him as soon as I see him." I grinned at her before laying back down to sleep. I briefly saw her walk out of the dorm before I fell into the black void of dreamland.

I was rudely awoken by somebody shaking me fiercely. "Raven," the person whispered, still shaking me. "Ugh -" I groaned, slowly opening my eyes. "Who are you and why are y - Mary?!" I whispered - shouted. "Why are you waking me up now?"
"I've done something terrible Raven," Mary whispered, her eyes wide with fear. "I need to tell Polly and Harriet too."
"Then wake them up." As Mary did this, I noticed that three more beds were empty. Sheila's, Elizabeth's and Monica's. My heart sank to my stomach as I realised what must have happened. They must've found out about Hetty escaping and gone to tell Matron. All the pieces clicked in my mind. Mary must've been threatened with the word 'Tench', prompting her to tell the she - mob all about Hetty. Ignoring the conversation behind me, I walked to the window, looking out over the grounds. Were Hetty and the boys out yet? Were they still here? If so, where were they? Why -

"RAVEN!" The soft shout brought me back to my senses as I turned away from the window towards my friends. "Sorry," I apologised.
"We need a cover up story for Hetty. In case she comes back and Matron wants to know where she was." Grinning, I looked at her. "I've got a plan," I stated simply. In a few minutes, we had the plan in our minds and we all settled back down to sleep.

Mathias's POV

I sat atop the wall, watching as Ned and Walter began to help a limping Gideon away from the wall. Hetty followed them, when something seemed to occur to her. "Mathias?" She said, turning back. "I'll see you around."
"Not if I see you first," I smirked. She began to walk away again, before I remembered something. "Hetty."
"Yes?"
"Tell Smudger," I smiled at her. "Tell, Smudger I'll see her around." A knowing look flashed in her eyes, before she replied. "I'll make sure that she gets the message." With those words, she ran off. I looked at Jack and Arthur. "Let's go." As they began to move the sheet over to the other side of the wall, I looked over at the hospital. "See you then Smudger," I whispered towards the building before beginning to climb down the other side of the wall.

Raven's POV

I was rudely awoken by a candle shining in my face and Matron's voice saying, "Feather... Feather." I sat up in bed, my long raven hair falling in my face, obscuring my vision for a few seconds. Sighing, I brushed it out of my face to see Matron looming over Hetty. I looked over at Harriet, confused, then turned back to the conversation. "Matron?" Hetty questioned, acting confused. "What's going on?" I heard a scoff from beside Matron and saw the she - mob. I groaned under my breath knowing that anything involving those three was going to turn out badly. "Matron, I saw her, walking out of the dorm." Sheila whined to Matron.
"Maybe you dreamt it," I said, directing my words to Sheila, venom dripping from my words.
"What, with my own two eyes?" she questioned, glaring at me.
"Probably," I retorted.
"I'm not crazy,"
"Doubtful."
"Feather, where have you been?" Matron questioned, bringing Sheila and I out of our argument. Hetty acted as though she was thinking. "Me?" she asked. Matron nodded. "I haven't been anywhere."
"Hetty!" Sheila exclaimed. "I saw you!" I glared at her, silently willing her to be quiet before she got Hetty in more trouble than she is right now. "Well," I said, turning Matron's attention to me. "She did go to the privy in case she was sick, but apart from that, she's been here the whole time."
"Privy?!" Sheila scoffed. "You were escaping." We all looked at her questioningly. "Mary told me," she said smugly. "No I didn't," Mary insisted.
"Hetty came straight back Matron," Harriet explained.
"Like we told her," I interjected.
"I put her to sleep," Harriet continued.
"And I sung her to sleep Matron," Polly said, as Hetty looked round at as all, obviously confused.
"You did what?!" Sheila exclaimed, her voice wavering slightly.
"Poor Hetty," Polly said, sympathy lacing her words. "She's still recovering from influenza. " Hetty looked back at Matron, her sapphire blue eyes wide with fear. Matron's eagle eyes swept over all five of us, searching for any signs that we were lying. Not being able to find any, she turned towards the she - mob. "You three in bed," Matron spat, directing her words to the three girls. Monica and Elizabeth (who hadn't spoken at all) shook from head to foot as Sheila looked at the floor. "I will deal with you tomorrow." As they scurried off towards their own beds, Matron swept out of the dorm.

A grin spreading across her face, Hetty reached under the covers and removed her boots. She set them on the floor by her bed, before flopping back onto her bed. I did the same, sighing with relief. After a while, I voiced everyone's thoughts. "Well that was close." The others made noises of agreement before Hetty sat up, looking at us. "Thanks for covering for me you four," she said, and could her the genuine thankfulness in her voice. "What are friends for?" Polly asked and I allowed a smile to flit across my face before leaning over to blow out the candle that was lit on my bedside table. This plunged the whole too into darkness and I lay back down. As I began to drift into sleep, my mind unwittingly wandered to Mathias. Was he ok? Had he made it out? Had he made it to Mr Grace's? As these thoughts flew around my head, I allowed myself to sleep into the world of dreams.

A/N

SUMMER!! Sorry, it's just that last Wednesday, I broke up from school so I am officially on my summer holidays. And that means that updates should come sooner, especially my other stories.

See y'all whenever the heck I upload again.

*Also 'summer holiday' is the British version of 'summer vacation' in case you're American and you WTF.*