A teenage girl with a rare medical condition seeks the help of a specialist doctor. The veil between reality and reverie evanesces as she sinks deeper into the clutches of an ethereal abyss.
My novella is complete!! I am doing final editing, but by...
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Breakfast is served with fresh orange juice, fried eggs, bacon and sausage.
'Oh, Bugsy,' Barrie looks up at the breakfast table, 'please pass me a slice of toast.'
'Here you go, Barrie,' Bugsy says.
'Thank you, Bugsy.'
Domina looks first at Barrie then searches Bugsy's face expecting one of them to hurl an insult at the other; but nothing happens. Everyone just has their breakfast in silence and Charisa sits in her wheelchair sombrely gulping down spoonfuls of dark sludge from her wide brimmed bowl.
'Pardon me for coming down late,' Victoria says walking up to the table.
'Not at all, my dear,' Deans beams up at her. 'Pull up a chair, tuck into some egg and bacon.'
Victoria pulls the empty chair next to Domina and sits down.
'Good morning, Minnie,' Victoria says, 'did you sleep well?'
'Good morning,' Domina says with a piece of toast looming above her open mouth. 'I don't sleep much but I'm good thanks.'
'Doctor,' Victoria asks, 'how is Randy doing this morning?'
'Funny you should mention that,' Deans says wiping his hands on a paper napkin. 'I was just about to excuse myself to dash into town. Your friend needs a blood transfusion; I'll whizz down to the blood bank and be back in a jiffy.'
'But doctor,' Victoria asks, 'when can we see him?'
'I'll have Tambudzai take you up to see him after breakfast,' Deans stands up. 'Now if you'll all excuse me, I must be on my way.'
The servants clear up the table and Charisa is wheeled away from the group. Tambudzai comes down the stairs looking prim in her snug-fitting nurse's uniform.
'Good morning all,' she stands with her hands together in front of her. 'Please follow me.'
The friends follow her up the stairs.
'Your friend is still unconscious,' the nurse says, 'but I know it will put you all at ease to see him.'
Tambudzai shows them in. Randy lies nearly perfectly still, with an oxygen mask on his face. His cheeks are discoloured and there are black bags under his eyelids. As she prepares a drip the nurse looks up at Victoria who is the last one to walk in.
'Please close the door behind you, dear,' the nurse smiles mechanically.
She doesn't notice that Victoria shuts the door and locks it, pulling the key out from the lock and slipping it in her pocket.
'Oh, Randy,' Domina fights back the tears as she goes to the boy's bedside. 'I did this to you. But I want you to know that I didn't mean it. I...'
