Frost

XXIII.

My eyes felt like they were glued shut. 

Prying my eyelashes apart, I felt blinded by a white light as soon as my eye popped open. It was like I was back in the same place weeks ago, unsure of where I was or what had happened to me. My vision came into focus and my eyes flickered around the ceiling above me, the high vaulted ceilings with candlelight chandeliers hanging above me. Cathedral ceilings that were familiar. I blinked a few more times until raising my head and looking around to gather my surroundings. 

I was tucked in a twin sized bed with white linens. It came to my realization that I was in the school infirmary, but instead of the usual large room, I was face to face with a white curtain that separated my bed from the rest of the room giving me more privacy. There must be others in here. I tried my best to sit up, resting my back against the headboard and looking around the room. I was still in my uniform from the day before, it must have been the next day because the room was flooded with light from the nearby windows. 

"Ah you're awake"

The voice came from the same woman I'd met on my first day here. I furrowed my eyebrows, what had happened to me last night? I vaguely remember waiting outside and- the cat. It came rushing back to me, Dakota and Hazel, the bloodied cat, running from the fountain. Oh God. I pinched the bridge of my nose, what was happening to me? 

"What happened?" I asked, looking expectantly at the woman who held a small tray in her hands. It had a plate of food on it, some tea and a pastry of some sort. She placed it on my lap as soon as I wiggled upright. 

"You fainted yesterday night, someone saw you collapse in the main hall. I say it's stress, is there any other reason?" She lifted an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to say something. Should I tell her about the cat? 

"It's just been-" I start, searching for a word that would fit this situation- "Overwhelming". 

She nods knowingly, "I would assume so. I'll be back in a few minutes to take your temperature, you seem fine but you should get some food in your system before I let you leave". 

 I give her a grateful smile before she opens the curtain and disappears. I let out a breath, looking down at the plate of food on my plate. I raised the teacup tentatively to my face, sniffing it and taking a long sip after realizing that it was peppermint. I bit into the croissant and looked around the enclosed space. My boots were placed neatly on the floor beside my bed, an end-table with a glass of water perched on it. I finished my croissant, and while finally feeling better I placed the plate on the table and tossed back the bed covers. 

I stepped carefully onto the ground, and I didn't feel woozy. Deciding that I felt fine, I peeked my bed outside the curtain and found that there was nobody here. There were a few curtains up around the beds and the bed directly across from mine had a slit open between the curtains, allowing me to get a peek inside. Inside sat a young girl with mousy brown hair, she was sitting cross-legged on the bed from what I could gather, and caught my eye through the curtain. I stepped back, slipping my feet into my boots before I left. Was that Belle Ricard?