Ah, what is that bright light? …Where am I? 

My eyes open to white walls and Mother staring down at me. Her eyes are cold, like always, but as my eyes flutter open she puts on a forced cheerful smile—showing me there’s someone else in the room and that I should put on my I love you, Mommy act.

“Philena… gave us quite a scare, you did.” She brushes my hair back and for a second, I let myself relax at her caring hand on my cheek. Not for long though, because as soon as whatever company we had is gone, she’s right in my face and whispering furiously in my ear.

“Quite a scare, indeed you little bitch. What do you think you’re doing, getting yourself shoved in here? Do your father and I look like we need any more costs, especially for you? These doctors need only take one look at your bruises and you’re stolen away from us—is that what you want?”

I bite my lip against the yes answer and shake my head… then regret it as the room starts to spin and my stomach follows it. I close my eyes and she slaps me.

“Well? Do you want to be taken away?” When I don’t answer, she slaps me again.

And again.

And again.

“Answer me, you dirty whore!” It’s a yell to my ears, but only a whisper to anybody else.

I take deep breaths, wondering where the heck my mom has disappeared to, and answer her with a lie.

“No.”

“I think you’re lying.” Well, no shit.

“No matter. You’ll be lying even more in a second. Hear those footsteps? They’re either that little snitch you’ve somehow caught in your web or a doctor. When they ask you questions about your bruises and that little cut you got yesterday, you lie, got it?” I nod, but she doesn’t take nodding as an answer.

“Got it, you man-stealing cunt?” I fight the urge to lift an eyebrow. Man-stealing? She’s the one that lets her husband molest me. Bitch.

“Yes, Mother.”

“Good.”

I hear her leave the room just as I hear footsteps enter the room. Turns out to be a doctor.

“Good evening, Miss Xanderson. How are you feeling?”

I shrug.

“You could have been very bad off had Mr. Liechent not been around to call for help. Do you remember who did this to you?”

Another shrug with a slight shake of my head.

“We’ll have to keep you here another few days, but after that you may go home.”

I shrug for the third time and he finally figures out he’s not going to get any words out of me.

“Let me or a nurse know if you need anything.”

I nod and he leaves the room. His name-tag said Davies. Funny, I never knew Alexa’s father was a doctor. She definitely doesn't get her people skills from him.

*

I wake up again another day later and the person standing over me is Adam. The sigh that flows through me is an exhausted one and he sits down at the right of my bed, definitely looking like he wants to ask questions.

“What is it, Liechent?” My stomach hurts and I should probably just call a nurse right in here for more pain meds, but I may as well just get this over with now.

“What are all those bruises from?”

He points to my exposed arm with all the IVs in it and I look down, seeing the puke-green bruises he’s talking about.

“I’m clumsy; I fall a lot.” I can tell by his eyes that he knows I’m lying, and he confirms it with his next question.

“Really? Clumsy enough that you’ve got bruises everywhere, even between your legs?” My eyes widen—I wasn’t expecting that.

“Don’t worry… I haven’t seen more that your two arms. The doctor told me.” He pauses and grimaces like what he’s going to say next disgusts him, “Or… told my partner.”

“Partner? Like…?” Like a sexual partner, or…?

“No. Police partner… well, supervisor, really. He was in my car a couple weeks ago.”

My eyes close and Mother’s voice slides through my brain …that little snitch you’ve somehow caught in your web…

“You’re a snitch. For the police… what are you doing at my high school?” He doesn’t smile, doesn’t react. Actually, Adam acts rather aloof. I shall call this look of his the Cop Look.

“Well, that… that’s not any of your business unless you know who’s selling teens drugs.” His eyebrows rise in the detective way. So predictable.

I bite the inside of my cheek, and then meet his eyes, “Nothing that I can tell you, Liechent. Sorry.”

He nods slowly, “Think of anything, you know where to find me.”

He walks out after kissing my hand—even though I resisted his touch in general—leaving a warm impression on my skin even if the rest of me is very, very cold.

*

As Doc Davies promised, I am leaving the hospital after only a few days there. I can’t say I’m thrilled to get out, but I must say the blues and greens of home look a lot nicer than the white and forcefully cheerful yellows of the hospital room. The lingering cigarette smoke and sour scents of beer and puke aren’t all too welcoming and neither is the sneer on Stepmonster’s face as he watches me slowly make my way to my room.

“We’ll want you downstairs tonight for dinner, Lena!” Mother shouts at my back to which I reply with my usual.

“Yes, Mother!”

Why in the world would they want me to eat dinner with them, tonight of all nights?