“I do know.” He let go of me when he turned on the water and then stepped back. “There are clothes in the drawers. I’ll stand back here and wait for you. But I’ll just listen and keep an eye if you need me.”
I realized there was something I hadn’t said yet. “Thank you. For coming to get me. And now this is all a lot of hassle. You should be in school. It’s February. How are you here?”
“Shower. Then we’ll talk details. And I love you. Please don’t thank me. It took too long. So long.”
I dropped the gown I was wearing and got under the spray. For a second I just closed my eyes and relished the water hitting my body. We’d had to group shower. For the last four months I’d never been alone in a bathroom. Jer was here but not right next to me. This was a luxury. But soon the fact that I was upright was too much. I’d managed to wash my head where my hair should be and my face, then most of my body before I sunk to the floor.
“I think I need help.”
“Here.” Jeremy flung the curtain open and then turned off the water. “I’ve got you. Don’t worry.” He lifted me up like it was nothing and then wrapped me in a big towel. With one hand, he grabbed something from the drawer and carried me over to the bed.
“You’re making this seem like it’s nothing when I have to be heavy.”
“You’ve lost so much weight it is nothing. It would always have been nothing. I am mad strong, Princess.” He winked at me, which made me smile. In one second, he pulled a nightie over my head. That must have been what he’d grabbed. I looked at it.
“It’s mine.”
He nodded. “Sure, we brought your stuff.”
I was no sooner clothed than the nurse showed up with food, which she set in front of me. It was a rice dish, and it actually smelled really nice. There was apple juice with it and a dessert that looked like it was chocolate.
She was stern when she spoke. “Of course they gave you the good stuff. Don’t go too quickly and you don’t have to eat all of it.”
“I remember you.” Jeremy regarded her. “You’re the one who was so judgy of my brother. How did you get in here? I think it was pretty clear you are supposed to stay away from the Lents.”
She snorted. “The Lents. Oh yes, the right-side-of-the-lake Lents. She’s not a Lent.”
No, I wasn’t. And I never had been. The stern-faced woman strode out, leaving me with my dinner. I sighed. Some of my earlier okayness fled. I hadn’t been overly happy, but it was better than this.
I took a bite, then a second one. I could hardly taste it. Jer reached over and opened my juice.
“Sorry about that. She’s such a bitch.” He shook his head. “She was terrible to Phoenix. I mean really bad, and he was just taking it when we found out. Eric banned her from us. I’ll get her away from you.”
I shrugged. “It’s fine. She’s right. I’m not a Lent. I can’t imagine what this is costing all of you. In time and money and…”
He kissed my temple. “You’re a Lent in everything but name. You’ll be one, and I know you’re not okay, so we aren’t going to do any of this just yet. But you are ours. As much as you always have been. Maybe more.”
I would have asked him why, but after sipping my juice and taking one bite of the flourless cake, I was done. Gently, I pushed the tray away and lay back in the bed.
“Still want to talk?”
I shook my head. “I want to sleep. I think.”
He put his cool hand on my forehead. “You can sleep. You should sleep.”
“I’m hurting.”
That made him run out the door again. “She’ll take ten times as long as she should, but she’ll bring you some meds in a second.”
“Thank you.” I did want to ask him something. “Are they okay? The girls? That I was with? Are they okay?”
He sat down next to me. “They’re not there anymore. The place was shut down. Of course the government knew about it, but they are pretending they didn’t. It’s in the island’s financial benefit to do that. Stephen is throwing money at the island. He stayed to make sure it got done.”
I shook my head. “That’s interesting, but the girls?”
“Have all been sent home.”
I closed my eyes. For some of them that was going to be really bad. But why was I surprised? We were all at the mercy of others.All the time. I drifted off. It was okay if she didn’t bring me pain meds. I would just go back to… nothingness.
