Thomas Barrow stared up at the ceiling miserably.
"I can't even kill myself right. seriously? I don't have the courage to try again, either. I guess I'm stuck here. great," he thought to himself.
Baxter acted like she did him a kindness but it felt like a cruelty to keep him in this living hell.
Surprisingly, Lady Mary walked in at that moment, with George holding on to her skirts.
"Hello, Barrow. How are you feeling? I know influenza can be a nasty malady," she said.
"What?" he asked confusedly.
Just then, Baxter came in.
"Oh! Yes, he's doing much better, though he did have quite the bad case of influenza," she declared, giving Thomas a pointed glance.
"Good. We couldn't have you leaving us half-dead, now could we, George?"
Oh, the irony.
"Yeah!" George piped up, handing him a piece of fruit that he'd brought. "Is you gonna get betta soon? I wanna pway horsie wif you!"
"Uh, maybe, Master George," he said lamely, suddenly feeling incredibly worn out. He fought not to cry in front of her ladyship. Talk about embarrassing.
"Baxter, I have to go to dinner now. Could you please watch George for a while?" Lady Mary asked.
"Of course, my lady."
At that, she left, since she was late as it was. For some strange reason, George had persisted on visiting Barrow. Something had to be going on, because it hadn't look like Barrow was suffering from influenza. Perhaps she was simply over thinking it.
Back in Thomas's room, Baxter good-naturedly left them alone, winking at Thomas. George crawled up on the bed.
"Can you tell me a stowy, pease?" asked George, holding out a book.
"Alright." Thomas agreed, taking the book from George's little hands.
It was The Ugly Duckling.
Seriously? Of all the luck.As he read the classic story, Thomas got more and more distraught. Finally, he finished the story. He had tears in eyes by then.
Quit it, Thomas. It's just a stupid story.
"Mista Bawwow? Why are you crying?" asked George, noticing the tears he was fighting to stop from flowing. "Are you OK, Mista Bawwow?"
"Yes, I-I'm just fine, Master George," he struggled to reply.
George fixed his eyes on Thomas for a good while before asking with wide eyes, "Are you an ugly duckling!?"
Thomas struggled between laughing and crying.
"What!?"
"You're sad, and I'm gonna make you feel betta," George stated firmly.
He then proceeded to give Thomas a tight hug, whispering into his shoulder, "Don't worry, Mista Bawwow, you'll be a swan soon."
Just at that moment, Baxter came back in with a cup of tea. She stopped at the doorway, surprised to see Thomas, reputed to be so mean and not in the least child-friendly, sobbing into the little boy's shoulder. He had found a friend, and his reason to live.