Chimera | H.S Mature

7.

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*Harry's POV*

Dani was in my face the second I opened the door.

"Where did you go? I just woke up and you'd gone Harry! I was so scared I didn't know if something had happened to you!" she exclaimed, placing both hands on her hips and tilting her head to look at me.

"Sorry, I just needed to get some air for a while. I left a note" I said, pointing at slip of paper which was still sitting on the kitchen island. She huffed.

"But where did you go?" she asked.

"I went to the station to get the details about the therapist from Detective White and then I stopped for a coffee" I said with a shrug. Dani was wonderful, a perfect big sister from the moment I was born, but with each passing day that she was trapped in my house, too terrified of the outside world to even let me venture out alone, I couldn't help but resent her slightly. I pitied her of course, I watched as each night she fought sleep and cried as she awoke from the nightmares, I watched her jump at each noise and glance over her shoulder every few steps when I had managed to drag her out of the house. But she was smothering me like our mother had once done, and instinct told me to pull away from it.

"Oh" was all she said, he shoulders sagging and her hands falling limply to her side before she clasped her hands together and started to twist her fingers through one another. I sighed and took two long stride towards her before engulfing her tightly in my arms. Her arms in turn leapt around my waist and gripped me tightly.

"Sorry Dani, I should have woken you and told you. It's just you've had so little sleep I didn't want to disturb the small amounts you've been getting through the day" I said honestly. I didn't mention the fact that I also just wanted to see Samantha alone.

"I know, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so clingy Harry, it's just when I wake up from another nightmare and you're just gone I got so scared" she said, a few warm tears dripping onto my t-shirt and leaking through to my skin. I apologised again and ran a hand down her hair as she sniffled into my chest, her small hands gripping the back of my shirt firmly. After a few moments she pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"Did you call the therapist yet?" she asked.

"No, I waited until I got back so you could arrange when you wanted to meet her". I replayed everything Samantha had told me about the sessions, a visible weight lifting off her shoulders as I mentioned about the drop in sessions.

"So shall we call them now then?" I asked. Dani was quiet for a moment as she hesitated, her fingers still twisting in her lap. "There's no point putting this off Dani, the quicker we get this started the sooner you will feel better" I pressed. Reluctantly she nodded.

I picked up the phone before she could change her mind.

***

Dani's hand shook as I held it tightly in mine, her fingers filling the gaps between my own as I squeezed them gently, reassuringly. She was biting firmly on her lip as a small drop of blood leaked over the skin before it was quickly licked away by her tongue. At every noise her head would snap up, chest tight as we waited for her name to be called, only to relax when it wasn't. We had accepted the earliest appointment they could offer us the next morning, much to Dani's dismay as she asked, after I had hung up the phone, if we could have gone later so she had time to prepare herself. But I refused to cancel.

I watched her with curious eyes, surprised by the reaction simply sitting in the waiting room at the therapist was eliciting. I suspected that it wasn't the simple fact of being in the therapist office that was causing her to behave like this, it was what today would lead to. She would have to relive that night, talking openly about the most intimate details of what was inflicted upon her innocent body.

We had been asked upon arrival if she wanted me to attend the meeting with her, to sit quietly in the corner while she met with her therapist. She had quickly shook her head at the question, saying that she wanted to go in alone. I imagined her response was for my sake as much as it was for hers. She didn't want me to hear what had happened and, in all honesty, I was slightly grateful she had declined their offer.

"Daniella Styles?" the lady said, poking her head around the glass door of the waiting room and letting her eyes fall on us. We were the only two left, sat in the far back corner beside the window.

Daniella's hand shook harder in mine as she muttered a quiet 'yes' before getting to her feet. My hand was subjected to her iron grip as we weaved our way across the room, manoeuvring around chairs and tables.

"Hi Daniella, I'm Doctor Williams. I'll be your therapist for the next few weeks" she said gently, offering Dani a small smile which was met with a blank face and frightened eyes.

Doctor Williams was a relatively short women, her thin frame falling beneath both Dani and I. She had wisps of dyed brown hair, the golden blond roots emerging at the top of her head all that remained of her old hair colour. She was in her mid-fifties, deep wrinkles adorning the corners of her eyes and lips. Her kind, brown eyes studied my sister carefully but held no flicker of judgment or pity, clearly used to being greeted with people similar or worse than her. Instead, there was a glimmer of sadness in her gaze, sadness that someone else had been dealt such a cruel hand in life. Sadness that, once again, she would have to pick up the broken pieces of someone's happiness and sanity.

"I understand that this must be incredibly difficult for you Daniella, but I promise I will do my best to help you through this time" she said kindly. Dani simply nodded, drawing her lower lip back between her teeth and chewing on it nervously, a habit we had both inherited from our mother.

"If you would like to follow me, then we will begin the process. I understand, Sir, that you won't be attending the meeting?" she said, letting her gaze drift towards me.

"No, I won't. But I'll be back to pick her up at the end of session" I said, slowly removing my hand from Dani's who, reluctantly, let it go. Doctor Williams nodded before stepping aside and holding the door open for Dani to follower her out. Before she left, Daniella's eyes flicked towards mine. I sent her a reassuring smile which she returned.

"I'll see you in a couple of hours, ok?" I said and she nodded before following Doctor Morris down the hall and out of sight.

The early morning sun was blanketed by the clouds as I re-joined the quieter London streets. With most people at work or asleep, there was little congestion as I weaved my way home, thinking of many ways I could occupy myself before heading back to pick up Dani in two hours.

It was less than a few seconds after turning on to the street where I lived, before my entire world went black.