Empathy Goes

Chapter 6

                                                                                       Chapter 6

Grace and Simon looked on in shock and confusion as Hazel's form morphed from that of a little girl to a humanoid turtle. Still hunched over and sobbing, clinging to the clothes of the two Apex leaders it wasn't until she looked down that she recognized a change. Still sobbing Hazel frantically spoke. "What's going on? What's on me?" she desperately pulled at the shell on her back in a feeble attempt to remove it. "It's stuck on me! It's my skin! Why is it my skin?" she frantically cried as her claw-like hands scratched at her scaly skin. Simon and Grace could only watch in terror as Hazel's cheeks became wet with tears of sadness and fear and she crumpled beneath them. Grace was the first to speak Hazel's clear distress obviously needing to be quelled.

"Calm down Hazel." she said as calmly as she could muster. Unfortunately it wasn't very convincing as Hazel continued to cry looking at the two with a pleading look in her eyes.

"I want Tuba." Hazel tearfully begged. Simon froze for a second at hearing Hazel's request before opening his mouth.

"She's gone Hazel." he said softly. This didn't calm Hazel but it didn't seem to upset her further so Grace and Simon counted it as a blessing. Hazel was still crying however and began begging once again.

"Let's go get her!" she cried. Hazel's eyes screamed of pain and Grace silently cursed every decision that had led her to this point. She internally took a deep breath and talked to Hazel again.

"She's not just gone Hazel, she's dead." The words felt like sandpaper in her mouth and the panicked look in Hazel's eyes did little to calm any of them.

"What if I'm really, really, good? I won't do anything bad ever again I promise!" she looked at them desperately. "Please you two. Please." all of them knew that Hazel's plea was one of desperation including her. Nothing was going to bring Tuba back no matter how desperately each of them wanted it if only to end this incredibly painful situation. Simon was the one to speak now, paradoxically the most and least qualified person to talk to her.

"Hazel, this isn't your fault. It has nothing to do with if you're good or bad." he said in his most soothing voice. At this Hazel wrapped her arms around the legs of two Apex leaders in an approximation of a group hug. Both initially caught off guard the two bent down to Hazel's level in order to return the hug both attempting to soothe her. Grace gently rubbed her back (shell?) and Simon silently patted her head like he'd done on the bridge. This finally calmed Hazel down and her turtle form melted away as her shell returned to being her back, her claws returned to being hands, and her scales returned to being skin. When this transformation completed Grace wiped a tear from Hazel's eye before Hazel spoke again.

"Do you two hate me?" she asked quietly. Grace frantically shook her head.

"No Hazel we could never hate you." Grace said, holding Hazel's hand for emphasis.

"But I'm a train person, you two hate train people." she said sadly. In all honesty it had been a thought on her mind since the color car and the fear that encompassed her once she'd seen her new form had only come second to her grief. Simon however had a response prepared.

"Hazel, you're not a train person," he said in a sweet but matter of fact voice. Hazel looked at him with surprise while Grace looked on in confusion. Simon gave a small nod to Grace indicating that he had this under control and looked back to Hazel once more who was already prepped with a question.

"I'm not?" she asked

"No, of course not, look," he said holding Hazel's tiny numbered hand in his own. "You have a number, and train people don't have numbers, so you're not a train person. Even if you look like one sometimes. So it's all okay." Grace gave Simon a relieved smile quickly latching on to his train of thought and silently applauding his mental gymnastics. They both knew internally that Simon was doing quite a bit of circular thinking but it was preferable to deconstructing all of their long held beliefs. Hazel looked relieved at the prospect if not a bit unconvinced. She turned to Grace.