Cat and Mouse

Cat and Mouse- Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I didn't wake until late. I woke up in the hospital room again, this time isolated. There were no nurses, no kind-faced doctors, no Alberta and Jasper and no Auntie Monica. I was alone and aghast. As I tried to move, an excessive pounding in my head made me stop. It wrecked around my mind, as if on roller-skates, and never stopped. Suddenly, the door opened and in stepped a nurse, a doctor and Jasper. I smiled weakly at him as he came to my bedside.

"You've been in the wars again" He joked, whispering in my ear. I laughed( more of choked) and gave him a friendly hug. He hugged me back.

"Miss Stella!" The same doctor who had treated me before shook his head. "You must be more careful!" I nodded meekly, staring at my feet. I guess I had been a bit reckless. Then, everything that had happened came swarming like bees into my mind.

"ALBERTA! Where is she? Is she OK?" I panicked. She was a German; what would they do to her? I was terrified. They might make us move once I'm better. What would happen then? We would starve...and then, oh then, possibly die. The thought scared me. Panic struck through my body at a pace so fast I could have gone into unconsciousness once more.....

"Stella? Did you hear what I said?" Jasper asked, staring at me. I glanced at him, guiltily. I had been so caught up in my own worries that I had forgotten that he was standing there with me.

"I had said that Alberta and all the other girls are in Aunt Monica's office, where they are getting punished. And from what I heard, they deserve it!" Jasper said.

"But, what about Alberta? She's-"

"I know she is! You must be quiet, nobody must know. We'll end up leaving if anybody, adults I'm talking about, find out" He hissed. I nodded, solemnly, and stood up. No pain. Huh, strange. Jasper took my arm and we waltzed out of the hospital room together. The corridors were silent as we trenched hand-in-hand towards where ever Jasper was leading us. I froze. We had stopped outside 0f Monica's office. I couldn't face them. To have them know the truth. We were outsiders. We didn't belong with them. We never would.

Jasper, who was a real angel, saw my face and squeezed my hand. I didn't deserve a friend like him. He was too indulgent, too understanding. Hesitantly, I pushed open the door. A gasp escaped out of my mouth. All of the girls were cramped on the floor. Some pulling faces at each other, some snarling under their breath, some silent and some fiddling with their hair. Alberta was the only one not on the floor. She was curled up on a posh armchair, sobbing silently to herself. Everybody stopped what they were doing once they had seen me. Even Anna stopped reading and looked up. I smiled fakely at them and wandered my eyes around the room until I had found who I was looking for.

Lily.

But I had a shock. She was gone. So was Auntie Monica.

"They've gone to speak in private" A voice said. I twizzled around. Jane. She was hidden behind a bookshelf, obviously 'The Corner To Be In'. Her eyes were watery and her throat was clearly swollen. Carmela was sitting beside her, her beautiful black hair now a charade of madness. Anna, who seemed to be reading a Jewish version of Black Beauty, smiled as I met her gaze. She, thank goodness, was OK. Her eyes were tearproof and her face was a normal bronze. Sallie, the girl who had shoved me, came bounding up to me.

"Stella, I'm ever so sorry. I hadn't meant to push you. Do you think we can start over? Be friends?" She asked, guiltily. I didn't know what to say. I was OK with it; but would Al be as understanding? I took her hand and led her to a corner of the room. What was I to say? 'I can't be friends with you because you nearly killed me and tried to kill my best friend too?' No, that wouldn't do.