Family is Forever

Chapter 52-where are we going

Ali slipped into the lift and pressed for the 6th floor. Darwin. As she got out of the lift she saw Jac Naylor, Ollie and Zosia's boss. Ali was pretty scared of Jac but Zosia had said that her bark was far worse than her bite. "Hi Natalia." Jac looked at Ali. "Hi, where's are Ollie and Zosh?"
"Dr Valentine is held up in theatre. Dr March should be around somewhere." Jac's face and voice softened. "Natalia is Zosia ok?" She asked
"I'm not sure, she's gone crazy about Christmas, and she's been quiet the last few days. Ollie and I are keeping an eye on her. She's always loved Christmas, well until her mother died. Christmas Eve is really important to us because we're Polish, I think Zosia is excited because she's got someone to celebrate Wigilia- Polish Christmas Eve with." Ali answered.
"But it's a month 'till Christmas" Jac looked at Ali.
"I know." Ali sighed and walked off to look for Zosia. She found her in the staff room "Cześć Kochaine" hi darling Zosia smiled at Ali. Ali was surprised to hear Zosia speak in Polish. She usually spoke English even when it was just the two of them. "Hi Zosh, how was your day? You ready for me to beat you and Ollie at bowling" Ali asked in Polish good humouredly "I want to show you something, come." Zosia looked at her cousin. Ali thought Zosia looked strange, Zosia wasn't looking at Ali, as if she was looking through her. The look in her eyes scared Ali a little. "Zosia, are You ok?" Ali asked Zosia. "Come" Zosia answered. Zosia started waking very quickly. Ali had to run to keep up. "Where are we going?" Ali asked as they started to climb the stairs. "Zosia, where are you taking me?" Ali asked again.
"You have to be quiet! And we have to be quick!" Zosia answered still climbing the stairs, not looking at Ali. They got to a door which had a no access sign on it. "Zosh, I don't think we're meant to be here." Ali said tentatively.
"Oh be quiet! I work here, I can do whatever." Zosia replied as she pushed open the door and stepped out onto the roof. "Zosh, lets go back inside. It's cold and we don't have coats on, Zosh?" Ali looked at her cousin then stepped out onto the roof too. She felt for her phone in her pocket and turned away slightly. She looked through her contacts, Elsie- couldn't help, nor could Abby or her mother. Zosia wouldn't want her to call Guy and Ollie was in theatre. She pressed on Colette's number and put her phone on speaker hoping Col would be able to heat the situation. "What are you doing?" Zosia asked.
"N..nothing" Ali answered.
"Look can't you see the angels, the Christmas Angels like babcia used to tell us about!"
"Aniołki Boże Narodzenie? Yes I remember." Ali answered. "Zosia it's not Christmas yet! It's November. Let's go inside. I can't see the angels."

Colette answered her phone. Her shift had just finished. "Hi Natalia darling?"  She smiled into her phone assuming that Ali wanted to come round to play with Ela or take her to the park as she did regularly. Ali didn't answer, "hello....Natalia?" Colette asked into the phone and was considering hanging up then she heard Ali's voice saying "Zosia you're scaring me."
"Look there can't you see the angels." She heard Zosia reply. Colette knew she had to get to Zosia but she didn't know where they were. "ALI WHERE ARE YOU!" She shouted down the phone hoping Ali would hear her. "What was that?" She heard Zosia ask.
"My phone"
"Turn it off. No one can know we're here, just you and me."
"Ok, let's just get off the roof, then I will!" She heard Ali reply. The roof. Colette threw her phone into her pocket and started racing up the stairs, it was further from AAU than Darwin but she didn't feel out of breath, she just knew she had to get to Zosia.

"Zosia there are no angels....are you ok." Natalia was so scared of her cousin right now
"Mama right there!" Zosia smiled as
"I'm not your mum, I'm your cousin Natalia...Ali, come away from the edge." Ali said to her cousin, but Zosia wasn't listening she was looking into the distance and started to sing and dance to her voice "Anioł pasterzom mówił Chrystus się wam na-ro-dził" she sang so Ali joined in. W Betlejem, nie bardzo podłym mieście, Narodził się w ubóstwie Pan wszego stworzenia". They sang the well known Polish Carol about angels. Suddenly Zosia stopped and started looking around wildly muttering to herself. She went from her singing to looking like she was being tormented. Ali was really scared then. She knew something was really wrong with Zosia and just wanted to do something to help. "Zoshie, please come away from the edge, come inside, we can sort this." Ali took a step closer to her cousin. Zosia stepped back. She was really close to the edge now. Ali knew if Zosia took another step back she would probably fall. "You're one of them aren't you. I though you were like me but you want to hurt me just like everyone else." Zosia took a step towards Ali. "Why are you doing this?" She asked angrily then tuned away back to her muttering. Just then Colette came through the door. Ali saw her and put her finger to her lips gesturing for Colette to be quiet. Colette watched Zosia for a few seconds before saying softly "Hey, hey Zosh." Zosia turned around. "I don't want you here, I don't want anyone here, go away both of you!" Colette stepped towards Zosia and Zosia stepped back, thankfully not towards the edge. Colette remembered something she had been taught about psychosis in her nursing training. "Zosia...Zosia look at me." Zosia did. "Whatever you are being told..listen to me. I'm Colette and I'm safe. I don't want to hurt you, I want to help you. I'm Colette, and it's ok, you're going to be ok"