Teeth »ᴄɵᴍᴘᴌᴇтᴇ«

THIRTEEN

THIRTEEN

Thirteen-thousand, three-hundred-and-fifty-eight seconds later, the door opened to reveal my friends and the ocelot nurse.

I watched as Zane took the same seat as he'd sat in earlier. Lucas, Archie, Ryan, and Taylor all carried their own seats in. I realised that they must have cleared up earlier, because they were able to put the seats in the room. The nurse moved around me. Checking the wounds again, my pulse. Then she moved closer to my head. Closer to Zane. A growl, a inhuman growl slipped out, starling everyone in the room. Including myself.

Her golden-green eyes once again widened, as she came to her senses and moved back slowly. Too slowly. Rolling into a crouching position, baring my teeth made the nurse move so fast out the door that she was practically a blur.

Calming, I realised what I'd just done. I'd become territorial over Zane, and scared my friends. Moving off the bed, I moved to the window sill and sat. I didn't want to see fear from them, especially not Zane.

I became aware of them talking. How long had they been talking? Were they talking to me? What were they saying? Why couldn't I concentrate? I wasn't sure how much longer they stayed, but finally, they moved out. Leaving myself with the window and my thoughts.

What did they think of me? When I growled at the nurse, what did they think? Did they think I should be sent to a mad house with my mum? Put down like a rabid dog? Would they come back?

The last question made me almost want to run out and find them. Beg them to come and see me tomorrow. I'd never really known what the feeling of having "true friends" had felt like until I'd come here. And now, without my friends around me, I felt... alone. Truly alone. Especially without Zane.

Zane. I should hate him. I should, but... how could I? How could I hate him? Especially since my own heart had betrayed me for him. I knew what my heart said, I knew what Zane said. That we were a pair. And deep down I knew that. But I also knew that he deserved better. He deserves better than a scarred abomination, freak like me.

I heard the handle on the door move and turned slightly so that I could see who was coming in. As though my thoughts had called him, Zane entered, holding a tray, which, after glancing at me, he put on a table.

"Valerie?" his voice was quiet, yet easily heard. "Come on, you need something to eat."

I turned towards him. Why did he care? Does he want to die?

He reached out and griped my arm in a solid, but non-bruising grip, and tugged me closer to him, to the bed.

"Sit," there was a command in his voice, a do-what-your-told tone.

I jumped with my legs to sit on the bed.

"Now, either your going to eat, or I'm going to have to spoon feed you. And I have a feeling that that wouldn't be the best of experiences."

Actually, I had a feeling that if Zane spoon-fed me, I wouldn't mind. But if anyone else did... I wasn't sure what I would do. I watched as he turned and picked up the tray to place it on my lap.

Macaroni cheese and bread with a glass of water.

Looking up at Zane showed that he was watching me closely. "Eat."

"What happened in here before it was cleared up?" I asked, my voice sounded rough, as though I hadn't used it in a while. Which was true in a sense, I hadn't. And the last words I'd said, I'd screamed.

Putting some of the food on the spoon that had come with it, then putting the quarter of the spoonful into my mouth, I chewed and watched as Zane blinked at me. As though trying to decided something.

"The police had wanted a statement from you, even though they had video proof, they wanted something from you as well. But... when they entered the room... you... um... flipped out?"

I continued to eat in silence.

When had the police come in? I didn't remember any police. At least I now understood why the ocelot nurse had ran from the room on the first day after I'd woken up.

"Why have you been blanking us out?" Zane asked, coming back from where he'd wondered over to the window.

I stayed silent. I wasn't sure what to say. Because if I hadn't blanked you out, you'd probably be on the streets somewhere bleeding because I'd talked to you. But then, hadn't I just talked to him? He was still alive. But then, my father hadn't died straight off either, it had been months later.

For the rest of my meal, Zane had to force me to eat. My stomach had shrunk. I wondered how long it had been before my last meal. The éclair's that morning before seeing mum? So a few days. How many days had passed?

Thinking about mum made me feel alone. Even with Zane in the room with me. My expression must have shown something because he moved the tray off my lap and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Uncertain, I moved closer to Zane. When he squeezed my shoulder in encouragement, I turned and snuggled into his side. In reaction, he picked me up, moved properly onto the bed and sat me down next to him with my head on his chest.

I wanted to say thank you. His arms gave me warmth, and acceptance. But darkness, a kind darkness, covered me and pulled me under.

I came too when I felt him move. Blinking awake, I saw Zane trying to shuffle us around so that I would be laying properly and so that he could leave. I gripped his shirt. He couldn't leave me. Not when I needed him so much.

"You want me to stay with you?"

Not looking up at him, I nodded. Inside, I was pleading, begging for him to stay. I didn't want to be alone. Not right now. I felt as though I was drifting, and Zane was my anchor, pulling me back so that I could continue smoothly. He couldn't leave me yet.

After he got me to release his shirt, he manoeuvred me some more so that I ended up facing the wall. I was ready for the disappointment, ready to hear footsteps leaving. But instead... the bed tilted slightly as it accepted more weight. And then there was a warmth at my back that hadn't been there before. His arms moved to wrap around me.

If I'd been more awake, I think I would have been surprised at the fact that I felt safe in his arms. As though the world couldn't touch me. As I feel asleep, I felt truly safe for the first time... ever.

   

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