Chapter 5
Dawn
Aweek passedwhere I was in and out of sleep. Every time I woke—mostly in a coughing fit—either Elijah or Joslyn were there, comforting me. I was so used to taking care of myself that I always expected to wake back up in thecell.
I kept having dreams of what I’d been forced to live through over and over. The times I woke up coughing, the two made sure I could catch my breath before having me drink warm tea andhoney.
By the fifth day, my fever and sore throat were getting worse. The coughing also seemed to grow worse by the hour, and so did my nightmares. Everything began to blur together. I could no longer tell the difference between my dreams andreality.
On day eight, I woke up by myself, finally being able to breathe without hacking up a lung. The dull sunlight lit the room and the window was open, letting in fresh air. I could faintly hear voices out in thehall.
I stretched my stiff body out, happy I was no longer achy. I was tired but felt more rested—more human. It had been years since I’d actuallyfelthuman. I wasn’t sure how to takeit.
I could feel my hair sticking to my face and neck. I was too scared to get up or move too much, as I wasn’t sure what was expected of me, even though the idea of a shower was at the front of mymind.
As I brought my hand up to my face to rub my crusted eyes, I noticed I had a needle taped into my vein on the back of my hand. The movement caused it to pull slightly.When did thathappen?
“Sorry about the IV,” Elijah said as he entered the room, wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a dark blue shirt. He looked tired but seemed to be happy I was awake. “I had my father look you over a couple days ago, since you weren’t getting better. He started an IV full of fluids and antibiotics for pneumonia and strep throat. With how you lived for so long, he was surprised you weren’t worse, but was also afraid of how fast you could go downhill without the propertreatment.
“Since you’re on the mend, my father can remove the IV, but you’ll still have to take meds until the infection is gone. You can take a shower and get some foodafterward.”
“Okay, Sir,” I said, my voice scratchy from lack ofuse.
“Good to see you awake, child,” greeted a man with black hair. His face was open and warm as he looked me over. His light blue eyes shone with trust and compassion. I felt like I’d met this manbefore.
“How are you feeling?” he asked as he took hold of my wrist, checking my heart rate before proceeding to remove the IV. He was gentle as he removed it and put a Band-Aid on the spot. He didn’t touch me more than necessary, for which I wasthankful.
“Better, Sir,” I said, trying to keep my eyes down fromhis.
“Good to hear,” the man smiled. He retreated a few steps, giving me more than enough room to be able to get up. I could feel him staring at me. I had to wonder why—why did he feel obligated to even treatme?
“Go take a shower. I’ll get some clothes for you while you’re in there and set them on the counter. When you’re done, I will do your hair, and then you will eat some food,” Elijah said gently, before he stood and let me get up. His voice wasn’t demanding or stern, but calm and open. I was used to how roughly men usually spoke to me, and it was a nice change—as long it was kept that way, which Idoubted.
I slowly made my way off the bed, trying my best to ignore the worried eyes watching me. I noticed my clothes were different than the ones I had last had on. The shorts were a little too big, but they were cute with white and pink hearts. The tank top fit me perfectly. I had to wonder who’d changed me. I knew my body was covered in scars. Did that mean whoever changed my clothes sawthem?
My bare feet touched the soft cream carpet, as I worked to keep myself upright. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle; I had suffered pain on a daily basis. It took me a little longer to get moving, but at least I could do so without help for the most part. Elijah did follow, silently, obviously to make sure I didn’tfall.
Once I reached the bathroom, I relieved myself, as my bladder had made itself painfully known. After the water had warmed up, I stepped in the shower and cleaned my body from head to toe. It felt just as great as the lasttime.
This was one thing I could certainly get usedto.
Once I finished and felt much more like my old self, I found the clothes Elijah had put on the counter: a simple matching bra and underwear set, along with dark pink yoga pants that had a flower design along the side. There was also a light pink tank top and a long-sleeved shirt to put overit.
Elijah, once again, sat on the bed like last time. He smiled gently, almost sadly in a way, as I reached the bed. I sat on the edge as well, too worn out to keep my body on alert, letting my shoulderssag.
He began to brush out my wet hair. It wasn’t as tangled, as it had still been in a braid from before. I found it soothing once again, and would have purred if I had theability.
Why was he sonice?
“All done,” he stated after he had once again braided my hair in a Frenchtwist.
“Thank you, Sir,” Ireplied.
“Not a problem,” he muttered. “Now, how ‘bout we go downstairs and eat some food.” He made his way off the bed, and I followed, knowing the statement was more a command than anything else. He entwined his hand gently with mine and led medownstairs.
The hallway was lined with beautiful pictures of nature. I didn’t stop to look too closely, but would love to if I got the chance. I had no idea what this man had planned for me. He could very well turn around and sell me again, since I was now healthy. Well, healthier than I was when he boughtme.
The carpet, the same cream color as the bedroom, was soft and clean against my feet. In the house I grew up in, the carpet was dirty, no matter how hard my mother tried to clean it. Some of the threads would poke the bottoms of my feet if I l stepped just right. Not to mention, the bare spots would easily cut mysoles.
