Don't Go Into The Woods

Chapter 53

Sunlight shown through the curtains in the room. My eyes twitched a few times as they slowly adjusted to the light after opening them. It was surely a beautiful sight to see after everything I was forced to witness. My body was also just so comfortable in the bed I was laying in that it made me not want to move or even try and sit up to find out where I was. The last thing I remembered was passing out on Dimitri's back and now I was here in this comfortable warm safe place. I knew I could not be dead. Dimitri must have brought me to a place of pure safety. I stared up at a familiar white ceiling above. Suddenly I found myself no longer alone as Carmen's face appeared in full view over me.

"You are awake! Finally!" Carmen squealed excitedly.

Her smile was so huge that I thought she could swallow me whole after blinding me with her pearly white teeth. Carmen threw her arms around me and hugged me so tight that I was forced to sit up. I gathered enough information to see that I was in a bed in the school's infirmary. A familiar place as I had been here before. The black dress I was forced into wearing was gone and I was now dressed in a patient's hospital gown instead, covered in a thurmo blanket as well as another white hospital blanket to help keep me warm. Carmen was dressed in her school uniform and had her school bag seated beside the chair. It appeared she had been seated on that chair for a while. Although my body felt rather stiff, I welcomed her firm hug more than ever. It was refreshing and filled with the very sort of love I missed. The special best friend type of love I thought I would never feel again after everything I had been through. She pulled away, releasing me eventually and took a seat beside my legs on the bed.

"I'm sorry! For everything!" Was the first few words out of my mouth.

"You don't have to say sorry. I am fine. They barely touched me." Carmen said, taking my hand and giving it a gentle reassuring squeeze. "I am just glad I can say the same about you." Carmen's words meant everything to me right now. It was a relief to hear that she didn't consider me any less of her best friend than what she did prior to all of this.

"How did I get here?" I asked.

"Dimitri brought you in last night." Carmen replied. My mouth opened to speak, but, as if she knew what I was about to say, Carmen quickly spoke before I could say a word. "He covered perfectly. As far as everyone knows you took a serious fall down a flight of stairs and that is where he found you. The school had a doctor come out to examine the nasty cut on your head during the night. No brain damage." She let out a laugh which was contagious and I ended up laughing with her. "The nurse is gone. Ms. Jennings had to standby till the school board sent her replacement this morning. The school board has also asked Ms. Jennings to standby till they appoint a needs head mistress of the school." The school nurse must have been apart of the rebellion. Why else would she would have just left the way she did after last night? Or perhaps Roman got rid of her the same way he had gotten rid of Ms. Hatch. "Vladimir covered up her death. As far as everyone knows, Ms. Hatch had to take early retirement due to her personal reasons." Carmen added with a heavy sigh. I could tell that she witnessed the same sight as what I did that night and it troubled her just as much as it troubled me. This time, it was me who was giving Carmen's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Ms. Hatch got into something way over her head and suffered the ultimate price." I said sadly. "I am just glad you are alright." I gave her a slight smile.

Carmen returned the smile immediately with one of her own which aways seemeed brighter and bigger than mine.We heard voices outside than. One voice in particular sounded awfully familiar. I glanced at Carmen for the answers at once.

"The school obviously had to contact your mom and step dad in case you were seriously hurt. They arrived this morning early." Carmen explained. All the muscles in my stomach clinched tightly together at the thought of seeing my mother here. I was still trying to process everything and now I had to face her as well? Knowing my mother she would probably think my fall was a suicide attempt and have me locked away! I tensed up and Carmen seemed to notice this very quickly. "Relax. They were told it was nothing more than an accident." Carmen said reassuringly. Again it appeared as if she knew exactly what I was about to say, or this time, rather be thinking. My nerves did ease somewhat after her words. Only somewhat.