The Wasting

26-Bond

Bell reached out and felt Izzy's hair. Izzy stroked her cheek. Immediately she recognized her touch. "Izzy... it's you. You've came back to me..." Bell began to cry.

Izzy feared this would cause her to have another episode. "Shhh..." She continued rocking Bell in her arms. "I'm home and I brought you a present." Izzy placed Bell's hands around The Book."

Bell clenched The Book and sobbed. "You found it... this is the one isn't it?"

Izzy nodded her head next to Bell's cheek and answered in vain, "Yes this is it." She wondered how her sister would ever hear the words with deafened ears. Then she remembered the promise she made to her grandfather--to read the words of The Book to Bell, no-matter-what.  He had meant even if Izzy found a corpse and certainly, a deaf, blind girl is superb compared to a corpse! "Bell! Bell can you hear me?" Izzy shouted assessing the extent of her sister's deafness.

The only thing Bell's shouting dragged in was Ella who held a pink, tinged rag to her cheek. "She's completely deaf if that's what you're after. She couldn't hear Mount Vesuvius erupting. Her eyes see about as well as her ears hear, in case you wanted to speed up your exam." Ella looked at the bloodstained rag, winced and wondered if there'd be a scar.

"Mother I'm not sure what's happened here. But what I'm sure of, is  your presence is not required--or wanted." She thought of Lonely and it inspired her. Like a momma bear she growled in her mother's face.  "Stay clear of me and my sister." Izzy showed her teeth.

Ella's face contorted unnaturally. "You ungrateful girl! How dare you speak to your mother in such a disrespectful way?" Ella stepped into Bell's room.

Izzy leapt off the bed and stood between Ella and Bell. When Ella took a step forward Izzy body slammed her, shoving the angry woman into the hallway. Izzy followed after her. "Listen to me, mother. I took out a soldier and I can certainly take out you. Back off woman. I'm in no mood for your need to control everything."

Ella sensed Izzy meant business but she could not, would not back down. "Listen to me missy. This is my house and I will do as I please. Keep it up and I'll sign you up for Unity Camp this instant. Soon it'll be mandatory and I'll be rid of the both of you."

Izzy knew she was serious. "Mother I'm only trying to help. You act as if you don't love us in the least." She climbed back into bed and stroked her sister's hair soothingly..

"Of course I do but I won't put up with insolence. Being a minor, you must do as you are told. You brought a forbidden book into our home, which is against the highest military court. "

"It's Bell's only hope! Certainly you don't want your child to die!" Izzy shouted. Bell sensed trouble as she felt Izzy's rigid back.

"What's wrong Izzy? Is it mother? Keep her away from me. She tried to suffocate me." Bell hid behind her sister.

"Nonsense!" Ella argued. "She has no idea what she is talking about. She's been racked with fever and is delusional. I was only trying to help her."

"By ending her suffering mother? I know your stance. Merciful suicide is noble.  Correct?" Izzy accused.

"First of all I'm permitted to kill my own child whenever I wish and at any age. It is lawful and secondly she is suffering--look at her!" Ella knew she had the law on her side even if her own conscience was betraying her.

"I don't care about the stupid laws. We need to follow the laws of our heart. All of us have a conscience to tell us right from wrong. We simply choose to ignore it. I'm done debating you mother." Izzy turned her back to Ella and tended to her sister.