Cat and Mouse

Chapter 5

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Chapter 5

I awoke to the sound of my heart beating rapidly and panicked voices in the background. I tried to open my eyes, finding it incredibly difficult. At last, they flickered open. I stared. I was on a bed....but how? Last time I was conscious, I remember me being in the woods. I can see Jasper and Alberta whispering to some women. The woman looks like she's in her late 30s and maybe a nurse. I'm not just in a bed though. I was in a room, filled with other beds and other children. It looked like a hospital but Jasper wouldn't dare bring me to a hospital in case of it being a Nazi Hospital. But, yet, I was at one. And there were no Nazi or German. And no guns either. It was just a peaceful, quiet, healthy room. It reminded me of when I had the chicken pox and Mother Fopes took me to the doctors. I smiled. Wait, did they know I was awake? I coughed, warning them of my presence. Suddenly, everything happened at once. Al ran up and took my hand, Jasper dropped the pencil in his hand and the nurses began yelling.  

"Why is she coughing? She's not meant to be!" A nurse said, panicking. Another nurse scratched her head, quickly. 

"Quick! Get the mask!" The doctor screamed. I suddenly realised that they thought I was ill. I laughed, shaking my head. Everyone froze. They stared at me..and I stared back.  

"It's rude to stare you know.. and I wasn't really coughing" I pointed out, breaking the deafening silence. Jasper began laughing and soon everybody was laughing. Tears of laughter rolled down their cheeks. 

"Stella, you shouldn't do that!" Alberta grumbled, however still giggling. 

"She's right, though. You have an illness that could really effect you if you actually did cough. If you had really coughed you'd find that you'd go incredibly skinny and not want food and soon look like a pencil. The consequences of this are major. What I'm trying to say is that you can't run from this. It will be with you all your life. You can't stop it, Stella" The doctor said, seriously. Jasper squeezed my hand, Alberta brushed the tears that were sweeping down her cheeks away and the nurses looked down at the ground. Why me?  

"What's it called?" I whispered.  

"It's too long to say the whole word but let's just say it's called 'The Dangerous Thing', OK?" The doctor said. I nodded, taking it all in.  

"But, Stella, it also means we have got to stay here for awhile. My aunt Monica says we can stay as long as we like!"He said, with a mix of cheer and stern. My mouth dropped. This is his auntie's orphanage?? I thought he meant a strict, dark mansion where you can only whisper if you want to talk. But,no. I was at a healthy, peaceful hospital-like room. Jasper seemed to sense my shock so he added, 

"We've got no other choice, Stella. It's either this or back in those woods where we'll eventually starve...to death. This is the only option......and we must take it. Aunt Monica is being so nice to let us stay here. We owe her big time, Stell'" I thought about this for a moment. He was right. She sounds nice but how can I know for sure?  

"Jasper, how can I trust her? I've never met the women!" I said, eyes wide. Jasper was about to protest when a bubbly, chubby woman burst into the room. She had short blonde hair and was wearing an apron.  

"You have now, Sweetpea! Hi, I'm Aunt Monica! Sweetpea, what did you do to your head?" She asked, sighing.  

"Oh, I fa- wait, what? What do you mean I did to my head?" I asked, puzzled. Monica bent down and picked a mirror up from the floor. She handed it to me, frowning. I looked into it. I screamed. There was a huge purple bruise right at the top of my cheek. Oh no. It must of formed when I fainted!