Rebuilt

Chapter 3

I woke up in the morning with Misty still on my chest and Elmer no where to be seen.  It's early and the boys are still sleeping in the other bunks in the room.  I sit up and instantly regret it.  The wet rag falls off my forehead and landed on Misty.

My stomach gurgles and growls before I reach lean over the side of the bed in search for the bucket.  Misty gets flung off my stomach into the bucket of dirty water.  She lets out a loud angry meow.  I have now time to pull her out before I vomit the little food I had in my stomach into the bucket.  I continue to gag and vomit until my throat closes up and I start spitting blood.  My hair is edged inside and out of the bucket causing it to smell worse that it already does.

Misty squirms around helplessly in the vomit and blood filled bucket.

"ELMER GET YA ASS IN 'ERE, YA GIRLIES THROWIN' UP 'ER INSIDES!" the boy above me blanches.  "AND ON HER CAT TOO!  ELMER!" the boy screams.

I continue to gag and gasp into the bucket before I hear a door slam shut and hasty steps come my way.

Elmer gasps, he leans by my side and slowly rubs my back plastered with sweat.  He shushes and whispers in my ear, "it's okay love, it's okay.  Just let me get ya to da bathroom."  His hands are cool through the back of my shirt and he begins to help me off the ground.  Misty is left in the bucket before I see JoJo with a towel pick her up and start to walk towards my direction.

Elmer smiled as JoJo joined his side and rubbed the kitten down with a towel.  Elmer kept a steady hand on my back even as  I coughed and shivered down the hall.  I look over at Elmer for the first time and realize he is only wearing a towel wrapped around his waist.  Hit chest bare revealing his toned stomach.  I quickly look away.

"Sorry," he mumbles.  "When Albert is yelling 'ELMER GET YA ASS IN 'ERE YA GIRLIES THROWIN' UP,' I don't really want to wast me time gettin' dressed.  I want ta get to ya side as fast as possible."  I smile and lean into his grasp gratefully. 

I hear JoJo sigh, "aww."

"Doll, look towards that wall and close you'se eyes please," was all he said.

I turn towards the wall and I see the shadow of Elmer taking off his towel, twisting it up and aiming it at JoJo.

If he's aiming it at JoJo... he's also aiming it at Misty! I say in my head.

Keeping my eyes semi-shut I jump in front of the twisted towel before it cracks against JoJo's back.  JoJo gasps, and looks at me.  Elmer does the same.

I reach my non-bandaged hand a touch my back under my ripped shirt. I drew it away and shut my eyes tightly, it was red with blood.  I drop to my knees partly from being light headed from the sight of blood and also because my body was breaking down into an intense shaking spaz. 

Misty let out a series of angsty and worried cries.  Elmer wrapped the towel back around his waist and got eye level with me.  JoJo doing the same, keeping Misty as calm as possible.

Albert and Race come walking down the hallway and stop at the sight their seeing.  Albert laugh's, "JoJo cuddling a puss, and Elmer doing the same.  Awe how cute."

Race looks over at Albert and hits him on the back, "be nice," was all he said.
"You'se one to talk" Albert mutters grimly.

Elmer picked up my shivering body and kept walking, JoJo following close behind, as well as Race and Albert.  They all walked down the hallway into a room.  Elmer pushed open the door with his hip and carried me into a room that resembled a bathroom.

Multiple showers lined the wall and on the opposite sides sinks.  On the far end under a window was a single tub. 

"JoJo, draw a warm bath if ya will," Elmer said looking over his shoulder.

JoJo handed off Misty to Albert who cringed, then handed it to Race.  Race looked at the cat eye to eye and then held it close to his chest.  Smiling, unfazed about the fact that it was covered in dirt and bloody vomit.

Elmer placed me down on the counter top and turned me around.  I look at the wall and then realized it was a mirror.  I pushed myself backwards and turned my face away from my own reflection.

I hadn't seen my reflection in 12 years.

Elmers hands gripped my shoulders as JoJo turned on the faucet to the bathtub.  Elmer took one of his hands and gripped my filthy vomit covered chin.  He turned my face towards the mirror.  I screwed my eyes shut.

"It's okay," Elmer said in my ear.  "You'se a pretty goil."

I turned my face fully away.

"No, please," I croak out.  My accent thick.

I feel like the whole room stopped moving.  The water coming from the faucet seemed to stop, drowned out by the beating of my heart.  I see JoJo look up from the tub, Elmer look into my eyes, Race puts down the kitten, and Albert stares at me.

"You sound like you'se haven't spoken in ten years."  Elmer whispers.

I look up into his eyes.

My silence spoke volumes.

Before I could do anything else, Elmer, JoJo, Race, and Albert all come around me and give me a large hug.  Before Elmer picked me off the counter and wrapped me into quite possibly one of the most comforting hugs I've ever felt in my life. 

He held me there for a moment and just simply said, "you'se poor goil."