"It's alright Anne. Everything is going to be just fine," Marilla said, she wanted to go and wrap Anne up in her arms but she couldn't touch her unless she was wetting her forehead with the wet rag.

Anne was delirious in her fever, she thought Marilla was Mrs Hammond, she mumbled something but Marilla couldn't hear it.

" What Anne? What did you say?"

Then she faintly heard Anne say, "my back, it hurts," why does her back hurt? Marilla wondered. I'll have to check it.

" Anne can I take a look? If something is truly wrong with your back I need to know," Anne just looked frightened. Marilla waited a few minutes, when Anne seemed to have settled down a little she tried to touch her face again.

This time she didn't flinch when Marilla stroked her cheek. Why was Mrs. Hammond doing this? Then Mrs Hammond asked if she could look at her back. Only to hit me, she figured, well mind as well get it over with, she nodded.

Marilla slowly sat Anne up, resting Anne's weight on the headboard, then she gently took Anne's nightgown off then did her undershirt.

She cried out when she saw Anne's too thin,body. It was so terrible. How can anyone be so cruel? Gently maneuvering Anne so now she was on her stomach she looked at her back. There was one cut in particular that looked infected.

Marilla had tears running down her checks by this point, she was so upset and angry at the people who had emitted torture like this to her girl. The infection was probably why Anne had a fever.

Why didn't she tell me? She must've been in pain for awhile, or at lest uncomfortable? As she pondered all these things she absentmindedly ran her fingers over the infected bruise, causing Anne to scream in pain.

Anne managed to get under the covers again and she threw the quilt over her head.

If I can't see them they can't see me. She figured.

The scream brought Marilla out of her thoughts, "Oh Anne! I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking and I-" just then she heard footsteps. "

The doctor and Matthew burst through the door. "Where's Anne?" Matthew asked?, going over to the bed.

"She's hiding under the covers," Marilla responded sadly, standing up to greet the doctor. "Hello Dr. Ives," he looked at her and saw that she had been crying, his face softened, it must be really bad to make Miss Cuthbert cry, he guessed.

Marilla informed Dr. Ives, "She's been hallucinating, she thinks I'm her former employer, Mrs. Hammond. And she won't let anyone touch her, she started to but then I accidentally touched her infected bruise and she freaked out,"

" I may have to knock her out if she wont let anyone touch her. If I dont she may end up hurting herself or us by accident," he told them. Just then Matthew let out a cry. He had pulled back the covers when Marilla and Dr. Ives were talking. When he saw Anne she was curled up in a ball, but you could still see all of the trauma.

He looked very angry all of a sudden, "excuse me," he said gruffly, leaving the room and a surprised Marilla and doctor. He was going to go let off some steam. Running into the barn, he breathed and tried to get a hold of himself. Then he just sat there. If I ever come across anyone who hurt her I'll kill them. He told himself.

Jerry came up to him, " Is everything alright ?" Then he noticed tears running down Matthews face. Something must truly be wrong.

"It's Anne, she has a high fever and what looks like bruises and cuts all over her body. The one looks very nasty," he told Jerry, trying control himself. Jerry was surprised, why just yesterday he and Anne chatted briefly, and what was this about bruises and cuts?

Seeing Jerry's confusion Matthew patted the spot next to him.

"Come, sit, I'll tell you everything," Jerry nodded and sat next to him, and he explained everything.

AUTHORS NOTE: I bet you all are wondering where Gilbert is, don't worry! He's in this story just not for a few chapters. What do you think so far? Leave a comment! ;)