Wendla Bergmann did not know where she was. Her mama had left her in the hands of this rather frightening man, he wouldn't tell her his name and there were in a dark room and all she could smell was blood and the faint smell of something akin to a Doctors surgery.
"Where is my mama?" She asks in a brave voice, trying to force her eyes to adjust to the dark.
"She will be back child, do not worry. This will all be over very soon." He says almost cruelly and Wendla recoils into herself.
She wanted Melchior here, he was always brave and so smart. He would know exactly what to do. He would look after her just like he always had. She never felt frightened with him. Intimidated sometimes yes, but never frightened. Not even the day in the field with the switch or in the hayloft; she never felt scared with him.
And right now Wendla had never felt more terrified. First her mama tells her she was with child and now she left her here. With some strange man and an odd smelling room.
"Now Wendla we are going to put this around your eyes. I need you to not panic ok." The man said. Wendla jumping when she felt a dark cloth coming across her eyes, she heard faint whispering but choose to ignore it.
"Lift her up." The man ordered, it was now clear there was most definitely someone in here with them. She felt someone gentle lift her from the ground and she bit back tears.
Melchior would want her to be strong for their child.
She flinches when she feels herself placed on something cold "this is too cold." she mumbles more to herself than those in the room.
"It'll all be over soon. No need to whine." The man says coldly and Wendla frowns.
She had so many questions to demand from this man. Why was she here? Where exactly was her mama? Why wasn't she here? Why was she blindfolded? Why was she lying down? And most importantly what were they going to do her?
"Now I don't want to panic but we are going to place this over your mouth. It'll merely relax and perhaps place you in a slumber for a short amount of time." The man explains. Wendla gasps when she feels a cool cloth covering her mouth, it smells sweet yet strong, she knows this smell from somewhere but can't put a place to the familiar smell.
She feels her eyes flicker shut yet she fights to keep them open. She needs to be aware so she can protect their child.
She needs Melchior here, he would stop all this nonsense and save her.
He always saved her.
Wendla isn't exactly sure what exactly is happening when she awakes. She is greeted to burning, excruciating pain and everything is slightly fuzzy. It hurts to breathe and she barely has the strength to move her hand.
And she thinks she hears her mama sobbing somewhere from within the confides of the room.
"Mrs Bergmann I need you to calm down. You were well aware of the risks." She hears someone state faintly.
Why does it hurt so much?
Especially since it feels like it's throbbing down there. Her private place, the only other to have seen and touched it being Melchior.
Melchior.
Why wasn't he here? He left her and now it felt like she was leaving him.
She really wished her mama would stop crying, it was making her sad.
"Mama," she says and the weakness in her voice even shocks her, she hears her mama gasp and she barely hears footsteps, she feels someone grip her hand.
"Wendla." And now she knows it's Mama, she is still crying and still Wendla wonders why. She still feels so sleepy and it the pain was starting to fade now.
"Don't be sad mama, it makes me sad." Wendla murmurs out and her mama starts to sob even more heavily.
"I'm so sorry my Wendla. I shouldn't have left you here. I'm so sorry!"
She is getting even more sleepy and when the cloth is finally removed from her eyes, she shuts them. She doesn't have the strength to keep them open now, it's more difficult to breathe but the pain has dimmed quite a lot.
"My baby?" Wendla manages to asks.
"The baby is safe." Her mama says and she is still crying.
"With Melchi?" She asks, her voice getting fainter.
"Yes with Melchior." Her mama says quietly or maybe Wendla can't hear her properly anymore.
"I'm tired."
She can still hear her mama and the people in the room but she can't make out what they are saying, though it sounds like mama is still crying.
Her mama said the baby was safe with Melchior. She hoped she wasn't lying this time.
At least before she went to sleep she would like to know that they were both safe and she wouldn't have a restless sleep like she had the past couple of evenings.
She thinks she hears Melchior's voice somewhere and she smiles.
Everything was good.
She could sleep now.
