Pacifier

🥀Sam🌙

I waited outside the bathroom listening to hear the water turn of but it didn't and i knew exactly why.

She must have done exactly what I thought she would. Slid down the wall, sat there staring into space, heartbroken and petrified, fearful and shivering, her tears melting with the water and the steam until the steam faded and split and the water ran cold. Covering her in goosebumps freezing her to the bone.

"Della," i knocked on the door, hoping she'd prove me wrong, answer me. Stand and open the door, clothed, her hair in a towel but no. All i heard was the water still gushing, little beads of ice cascading over her. Peppering her blue lips with drops of dew.

"della if you dont answer me in five seconds am comin in..." i said, hoping beyond hope that she wasn't going to make me count.

But she did.

"Della..." i said, grinding my teeth, worried for her and annoyed by her. The way her stubborn streak was making it completely impossible to do my job. "Adella... Come on lass don't make me count..." i stretched my neck back looking up at the cieling, sighibg with frustration as I counted down. "Five, four..." but I got nothing and when I hit one and I opened the door I found her shivering on the floor with blue lips, where she had sunk down against the wall and frozen. "For..." i started only stopping myself because I thought swearing now might scare her more.

I stepped inside the room, opened the door to the shower and reached to turn the water off.

"Elle," I said a little softly, as I crouched down beside her and bundled her up in a towel, "you're gonna make yourself sick come on, s'get you dry lass," i said offering her a smile but she hadn't yet looked up at me. No, her eyes were fixed dead ahead. I wondered if it had finally hit her, that crushing realisation that she had no choices anymore.

Her eyes were dead and when I dried her I noticed the tears which were still silently, slowly trickling.

"Come on lass," said gently, feeling a little guilty though I knew I shouldn't. I'd done the absolute minimum, I'd been as easy on her as I could afford to be. "I need clean these properly reet?" i asked stroking her cheek with the back of my knuckles, careful as I could, "do they hurt?" i kept asking her questions but she remained silent, only shrugging her shoulders, i felt sorry for her, pitied her a little, but I knew I couldn't afford to do that. I needed to know she was alright, that was my job now.

So i took her cheeks in mine and steered her teary gaze towards me. Made her look me in the eyes and when at first she refused to hold my gaze, looked down, bowed her head, tried to turn away, I corrected her and held her in place so that she couldn't look away.

"Della look at me when I'm talking to you..." i said a little sterner than before, "I need you to answer me when I ask you a question alright?" i asked, a firmness, an authority in my voice that I wasn't sure how she would take to.

But she nodded.

"I need you to use your words sweetheart," i smirked a little softer, my thumb brushing over her cheek again. I watched the whites of eyes and I watched another tear trickle down her cheek before I caught it and brushed it away. "You understand me Della?" I asked, she nodded again and then she caught the stern look I shot her, my raised brow and she bit her lip. Whispered.

"Yes," she said softly, so quiet I hardly heard her.

"Tell me then..." i said nodding again to the cuts on her cheek, "do they hurt?"

She shook her head, "No," but I could tell she was lying when I brushed my fingers over them, hardly touching her, and she flinched away. I smirked.

"Don't lie to me Adella," i said shaking my head, "do they hurt?"