Frozen Hearts

Chapter 16

******** Cliffhanger Warning *******

[Flashback]

Waking up had never been that difficult. Her eyes were heavy and her head felt like she had a truck casually parked on top of it.
"Francine you need to go back to your room." Her father's voice whispered and as much as she tried to open her eyes or speak or do anything to let him know that she was awake she couldn't. She couldn't move. Never in her life had there been a time that she can recall being as physically exhausted as she was that day. Surrendering to her body's will, Iris resorted to just listening intently to the conversation.
"She's my baby too Joe. I can't leave her like this. Look at her!" Her mother screamed and she could hear the tears in Francine's voice.
"Shh" Joe hushed her.
"Keep your voice down. She needs her rest. I know she's your daughter too but think about how she's going to feel when she wakes up and finds you here in the state you're in?" He whispered.
"She'll feel loved and know that her mother is here for her. I don't know how much time I have left Joseph. Please, just let me be with our baby girl. It will ease my heart." She sobbed.

Sometime during the back and forth between her parents, Iris zoned out and drifted into a deep, dreamless and (unbeknownst to her) drug induced sleep. With no knowledge of how much time had gone by she found herself able to lift her right eyelid, just a bit, but it was enough to give her a blurry image of her location. From the unmistakable smell of disinfectant to the sterile look of the white walls she knew that she was in a hospital. Her neck was supported by a neck brace so she couldn't turn her head and her left eye refused to open. She browsed through her memories in search of an explanation as to how she ended up that way but as everything started falling into place she wished that she could somehow induce amnesia. Her head, her eyes, her chest, her lips, her arms, her legs, her stomach, everything began to hurt as she remembered each violent assault. Each cut, punch, kick, slap and throw. Her eyes stung furiously as she welled up and the mere action of sobbing added to her physical pain to the point where it was almost unbearable. She managed to let out one, heart-wrenching, soul-shattering scream and a commotion stirred around her.
Her mother was the first at her side. She looked pale and fragile and was dressed in a hospital gown. Her father was next and both held on to her hoping to calm her down but only adding to her suffering.
Two nurses rushed in and practically had to pry the panicked parents off of Iris. A sedative was administered to her and she felt her arm burn as the drug came into her system. The burn lasted a few seconds and soon she was knocked out cold.

[Iris]

She jolted awake with her body in a frenzied state of panick. Remnants of the pain in her dream stug her here and there but she was relieved to find that she was other wise alright. She was still fashioned in her party look and her body trembled as she worked her way through the evenings events. Being that close to Eddie again after all that time. The disgusted look on Barry's face when he found out that she was involved with him. The embarrassment of having him kick her out before an audience and to top it all off the fact that he indirectly called her a slut with what seemed like 10 cameras trained on them. Yet somehow Iris felt like the worst was yet to come. Despite the fact that she really didn't want to she was contractually obligated to show up the next day for practice and spend the next how ever many months coming face to face with her worst nightmare. Cause that's what Barry had become. He was a dream gone wrong, someone that she used to love but through his actions and his merciless words he managed to destroy the image she had of him. Turning him into a monster that she would have to face if for no other reason then to avoid the consequences of breaking the legal agreement she had made in a moment of weakness.

But she was weak no more. As she stood under the showers scalding spray she repeated to herself over and over again that she would not access any form of emotion while around him. If any form of fondness for him threatened to break through during rehearsals she would find a way to discretely pinch herself and the pain should short circuit her brain enough to bring her down from her cloud of infatuation. When she crawled into bed that evening she was buzzing with an all consuming sence of determination. She had been hurt for the very last time.

The next morning she woke up with her mantra still playing in the back of her mind and her emotions completely shut off. She got up, got ready and was out the door before the rest of the house had even woken up. The streets were quiet and aided in her attempt to stay focused on her mission. No distractions. She pulled up to the deserted parking lot and made her way inside the silent arena. She was half an hour early so she didn't pay Barry's tardiness much thought. After all, they did meet because he was late.

She decided to warm up while she waited and was pleasantly surprised to find herself being filled with a pleasant sence of anticipation at the prospect of stepping on to the ice. All fears and barriers forgetten she stepped onto the rink and something inside her clicked into place. She was home. Effortlessly she started off with a few simple glides, testing out the ice, before she made her way to a corner and decided that it would probably be best to stretch. Fifteen minutes in and the sound of small footsteps echoed through the empty building. Iris recognized the adorable walk almost immediately, it was her aunt Cecile.

"Look at you!" she exclaimed as she entered the arena and found Iris casually stretching on the ice.
"You almost seem like a completely different person." She mused.
"I feel like a completely different person but somehow I feel like this is the me I was meant to be all along... I'm not sure if that makes any sense..."
"It makes perfect sense honey. You were always your best self when you were on the ice. It was your calling. Your safe place to trully be you. Glad to have you back." Cecile expressed her relief with a teary glimmer in her eyes.
"Glad to be back." Iris smiled.
"Come on. Those legs aren't going to work themsleves. We need you in tip top shape for these tryouts and you've been away from the ice for far too long." Cecile instructed with a commanding clap of her hands.
"Five years too long." Iris agreed and pushed herself back onto the ice.

Half an hour went by and Iris remained unfazed, it wasn't like Barry to be punctual so she'd give him another half hour.

That half hour passed.

Then it became one hour.

Then one and a half.

Then two.

As the third hour drew near Iris felt herself grow impatient. The clock struck nine and she marched out of the arena fuming. She sped through the streets in the general direction of the hotel and came to a brusk hault in a parking space near the back, clear of all other automobiles. She walked into the building, her steps heavy with irritation and made her way up to the suite where she banged on the door till an annoyed Patti answered.

"Get out of my way." She pushed through Patti who followed her in while blurting out a bunch of protests. Without knocking she pushed open the door, a stream of insults ready at the tip of her tongue, and stepped in just as the towel slipped from around Barry's still damp waist and fell to the ground.