Dear little Devil

Chapter 2- Swollowed Fire (Novel draft 1)

"Marla, Marla can you hear me?" Marla sat bolt upright in her bed, smacking the back of her head on the bed head.
"Oh god, Mari are you ok?!" Marla rubbed the back of her head disoriented. Looking up she recognised a familiar pair of blue eyes.
"Anna? What are you doing in my bedroom?"
Anna slid onto the bed next to her.
"Marli." Anna said gently "Have a look around you." So she did. This wasn't her bedroom and her bed wasn't her bed. It had clean white sheets that she was unfamiliar with, and she was wearing a soft, plain nightgown that, in her current sideways position, left little to the imagination when it came to her undergarments. She let out a small squeak pulling the floral patterned dooma over her slender figure. Anna rolled her eyes.
"Calm down were both girls." Marla knew it was silly but she still felt her face burning. Awkwardly, she glanced out the window to her left on the far side of the room. The cool early morning air drifted into the large room, shifting the white curtains.
You were sweating in your sleep, so I opened the window, You're not cold, are you?
"N-no," Marla said confused and still a little embarrassed.
"I'm... in the hospital?"
"Yeah, how are you feeling?" Marla lifted her hands to rub her eyes then realised they were shaking. Anna reached out her hands and held them in hers.
"Hey, it's ok your safe here." Anna's eyes were so soft and gentle it was hard not to believe her. Her shivering body started to relax as she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Everything was fine right? But she had this overwhelming feeling like something was terribly wrong, like she was forgetting something.
"W-what happened? And where's Hue? Is he ok?" She looked at Anna desperately hoping for some answers. Her eyes seemed to darken and she removed her hands from Marla's, confusing her. The lack of warmth from her hands felt like a cold flush that rippled threw her body.
"He's the one who brought you in, came stumbling through the door like a maniac carrying you saying you just passed out." Anna said, annoyance leaking into her voice. "He had a nasty cut on his cheek to, but we didn't get a chance to check him cause once you were taken into care he bolted and we haven't seen him since. You've been out for a whole 2 days and he hasn't even visited!"
That hurt. She felt a pang of dread. He's scared of you, a voice seemed to whisper but she shook it off. Why would he be scared of her.
The hurt in her eyes must have been evident because Anna seemed to regret saying anything and quickly backpedaled.
"Hey I'm sure he was just really worried about you, it must have been just to overwhelming."
"Yeah..."
"And hey maybe he doesn't think he's allowed to see you cause he's not family, I'm sure if he comes through my mum can pull some strings, I mean I'm allowed in, then again I am the head nurses daughter." Anna went on rambling and it almost made her smile. She was trying so hard to cheer her up.
"Thanks Ann, I'm glad your here." Anna smiled at her.
"Of course, what are besties for." Marla herd room door open and Anna's mum pulled back the curtains to the right of the bed. Anna's mum was a tall slender woman with long blond hair like Ann's and bright green eyes. she was wearing her doctors uniform with a rainbow nametag reading Alessia.
"Ann, I told you to come get me if she woke up!" Anna flinched.
"Sorry mum I forgot, but Marli seems to be ok!" Alessia looked Marla up and down, checking her pulse and other vitals.
"Ok you seem to be ok, but I want to leave it in for one more day just to be safe" She glanced nervously at Marla's bandaged arm. The one Hugo had previously pached up.
"I also changed the bandges on your arm and disinfected the cut, it seems to be a bit infected and coursing some sort of rash, so don't touch it, just leave the bandages on till I give you the ok."
"Thanks Ms Entelope." Marla said giving her a strained smile.
"No problem sweetie now just relax. I'll call your mum and tell her you're awake, and call me Alessia, I don't know how many times I have to tell you, you've been part of our family for nearly 6 years now." Marla blushed slightly. While that wasn't technically true, Alessia had been like a second mum to her for a long time now.

Marla's mum got there an hour later and Anna left to give them some space.
"Oh sweetheart I was so worried, I woke up to like 50 missed calls from Alessia but I couldn't drive for ages! Then I got here and you wouldn't wake up! I'm so glad your ok." Her mother said smiling while trying to fight off tears.
"I'm ok mummy I promise, I've just overstressed myself I think." Honestly she didn't know what exactly happened, it was all a blur. All she remembered with being on the hill with Hugo then suddenly a horrible pain in her head then, nothing.
"Oh of course you have, always working and looking after me, I'm so sorry sweetheart." Tears started to spill from her eyes running down her cheeks. Marla held her as she cryed out her pain and guilt. This is how it had always been between them.