That was a special thing that I wouldn’t take for granted a second time.
“Natalia,” I huffed. “Hey.”
She shifted beneath me and then slowly opened her eyes. She seemed exhausted, but when our gazes met, she offered me a warm, genuine smile.
“Hey, you’re awake.”
“Where am I?” I asked. “How did I get here?”
“You’re in one of the guest rooms in my family’s estate,” she replied. “You were moved here under certain circumstances that I’m afraid I don’t know the specifics of.”
“What about my sisters?” I asked.
“They’ve been moved to more comfortable accommodations as well. Like I said, I don’t know the specifics, but I have a feeling your sister Lucia may have made a deal with my brother to save any more of her siblings from your brother’s fate.”
“What kind of deal?” I asked.
“I’m sorry,” she said, and her apology was genuine. “I really don’t know.”
Feeling like I had gotten all of the answers out of Natalia that she had, I sat up. My entire body was sore and I still felt completely drained of energy. Even lifting a hand to try and grab the glass of water proved difficult.
“Here,” she said, leaning over and grabbing it to help usher it into my hand. “I can get you more as well.”
I emptied the glass of the few contents it held, and then I felt Natalia shifting behind me. She pulled her legs from around me and climbed off the bed, and the way my body immediately felt like it missed her presence there did not blow past me, but I wasn’t in any position to mention it. She took the glass from my hand and turned to walk through a door to the right of the bed. Across from the bed was a set of double doors that seemed like they led out, and when Natalia opened the door she walked through, I could see it was a bathroom, an actual one, nothing like the attachment in my cell.
Natalia flipped on the water and filled the glass with water, then she returned and handed the glass to me. “Here. It’s not filtered like the fridge downstairs, but my father paid pretty handsomely to make sure none of our faucets kick out straight tap.”
“After the weeks I’ve had, this is fine,” I replied, throwing back the entire glass of water in one, long gulp. “Hey, uh… Can I use that?” I asked, nodding my head in the direction of the bathroom.
Natalia was dipping a cloth into a bucket on the opposite table and sat on the bed to slowly wipe my forehead. It didn’t take long for me to get lost in the draw of her beautiful, wide eyes, and for a second I was happy to just be there letting her tend to me like a concerned mother hen. Whether or not I deserved it, I had a friend on the inside, and that was worth honoring.
“How long was I out?” I asked.
“Well, I’m not sure how long you’ve been up here, but I came yesterday morning, and you were here, and out.”
“Have you been here since yesterday morning?” I asked.
“Well,” she replied, “you needed it.” She dabbed my forehead again. “Also, to answer your earlier question, you can use the bathroom if you need to. I’d wait on a shower though, I know you’re probably itching for one, but you can barely sit up, so standing is probably out of the question. We’ll watch how you’re feeling over the course of the next couple of days, but if you want I can help you wash up.”
“Why are you doing this for me?” I asked.
“Things haven’t changed from downstairs,” she said. “I hate my father too and I don’t think you deserve this. I can’t get you out of here, we both know what happened to Antonio when Lucia tried, but I can help take care of you at least, and now that you’re in a more comfortable room, it’ll be easier to help you eat a little more consistently. Whether it’s your sister pulling her weight or my brother doing what he can to convince her to trust him, the strings around here are loosening, so we just need to be a little more patient. Do you think you’ll make it?”
I’d made one impulsive decision with Natalia before, and I wasn’t going to make another one. “Yes. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
9
Natalia
It took a few days for Giorgio’s fever to break for good. I continued to visit him whenever I could, and for as long as I could. I had to step out a few times a day, for meals and to make sure my family wasn’t getting suspicious, but everyone’s attention seemed more divided than usual, which made it easier to do.
Between visits, I gathered food, fresh water, and any medical supplies I could pilfer without raising eyebrows. A dresser in the room was good for stockpiling, so as long as nothing required refrigeration, it would store just fine in there.
“Okay,” I said, as I walked into the room on one of my visits. “I’m back. Do you want to try standing?”
“Yeah,” Giorgio said.
I felt like a regular nurse. I packed the supplies I’d brought into the drawer and then walked over to the edge of the bed and reached out a hand. There was still a shake to Giorgio’s hand as he lifted it to grab mine.
