All By Myself

Chapter 14

No dreams woke me, and when I finally did awaken, I felt rested, but still very weak. I looked around, but didn't alert the nurse I was awake. It was still early, and I just wanted to lie there, to not do anything. I needed the bathroom a little, but it could wait. I lifted a hand to my scalp, feeling tufts of new hair growing in spots, wondering how it looked. I lowered my hand to my side, and my mind unwillingly turned back to yesterday, making me wonder how I had looked, nearly paralysed, my skin rubbing off, the blood all over the sheets. A memory of the bed came to me, all drenched in blood, and I felt horror fill me, making me retch. I coughed and gagged, bile rising in my throat,grateful now I hadn't had anything to eat, or it'd be all over the floor. The nurse came in and saw me retching and coughing over the side of the bed, and got me a drink, easing me back on the bed, telling me to sip slowly. I did so, washing down the acrid taste in my mouth.

"What happened?" She asked in surprise, looking down at me. I shook my head.

"I woke up early, and my mind decided to wander, I remembered the...events yesterday, how the bed looked." I said softly. She sighed.

"No wonder you reacted the way you did. You can't torment yourself that way." The nurse said. She started taking my vitals, checking my pressure, my temperature, and heart beat. She frowned.

"You're blood pressure is still low, your temperature is back up to sixty. I will tell the doctors, maybe you can have a longer swim today." She said. I nodded.

"Okay." I said. She went to get my breakfast, and I sat up slightly, feeling my raw skin shift on the cotton of my t-shirt. The nurse came back and saw the bed, and frowned.

"You didn't swim long enough yesterday. Sit forward, I will take your top off, and put some poultice on your back that Dr. Tucker gave me. You can swim a little later, then we'll put more on." The nurse said. I nodded and sat forward a little, lifting my arms as the nurse lifted my top off slowly and gingerly so as to not pull any skin along with it. I held my hair so it wouldn't touch my back, pulling it over my shoulder, and looked up in time to see the nurse dispose of my top, the back streaked with blood. I wanted to cry, but I held back. The nurse started applying the poultice to my back but, because the damage was wide across my back, she used strips of cloth to hold it in place, reminding me of the men and women that got caned in the old days. Once she had finished she gave me a loose shirt to wear over the bandages, and brought the breakfast to me. I dreaded to think what my legs looked like, but I could hardly move them still, so I had a feeling they weren't as bad. The bedding was changed behind me whilst I ate my food, as best I could anyway, then lay back, covering myself with the thin sheet. I closed my eyes, feeling sleep take over, but I woke up when I heard voices. I opened my eyes and looked around, seeing the nurse and Brad.

"Her temperature rose during the night, and her back is horrible. I've put Dr. Tucker's poultice on it, but I haven't looked at her legs yet, and I don't know how bad they are with her pants on. As much as I know she wants to leave on Monday, I am reluctant to let her. She is very sick. She needs to swim, and not just in the pools we have here." The nurse said. Brad sighed and looked at me, and I closed my eyes quickly, feigning sleep. I didn't want them seeing that I was listening.

"She won't like that, but if she isn't improved tomorrow, then we have no choice. I don't have the ocean at my fingertips at home. At least here we can take her downstairs if she needs it." Brad replied. I heard movement and opened my eyes, looking into the worried gaze of Brad Thompson.

"How're you feeling?" He asked me. I started to shrug, but felt the bandages shift, and stopped.

"Weak, but much better." I said, trying to sound at ease and confident.The nurse came over to us as I spoke.

"You can't fool us, Cassi." She said. I sagged.