Scout's POV
When I woke up I saw two things I wasn't expecting. I was lying in a hospital bed, and tied to a drip. Also Miss Boston was sitting on the side of my bed, wiping her eyes. It was dark outside when I looked outside the window. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I rolled over, turning away from her and coughing. I needed a drink.
However this only alerted her to ensure I was awake.
'Scout? Scout, are you awake?' She stroked my hair and I opened my eyes, looking directly into her large, gorgeous brown ones.
'What happened?' I struggled to sit up, but she placed her right hand on my arm and gently pushed me onto the pillows.
'You can't move just yet, love. You've had an operation.' I processed the information slowly, looking down at the sheets and then at Nikki.
'What happened?' I repeated, trying to spit the tube out of my mouth that was wound down into my throat.
'Scout, don't.' Nikki almost begged, positioning the tube into it's rightful place and held my hand, smiling sadly.
I gulped, tears filling my eyes as I thumped the bed in frustration. This wasn't my fault!
'What happened?!' I repeated for the third time, allowing some annoyance to enter my voice.
Tears filled Nikki's eyes as she squeezed my hand and started to speak.
'You were in a fire in school... in my classroom. Barry knocked you unconscious with drugs and tied you to the radiator. He set the place alight.'
She allowed some tears to roll down her face. 'I thought I lost you, darling.' She held my hand as she said this. Was Rhiannon right? Was she playing surrogate mum to me – making up for the fact that my own couldn't be bothered?
'Miss, don't cry. I'm not worth crying over.' I muttered slowly, my hand reaching out to hold hers before I knew what I was doing.
Surprisingly, she held my hand tightly, fishing in the pocket of her leather jacket for a tissue and pulling me towards her, wiping my eyes carefully.
I was fearful as she pulled back, her hand cupping my face, her thumb moving gently to my eye, wiping my tears away.
Nikki's POV
I couldn't take this anymore! I had to tell her! I had to tell her! I wiped her face with my thumb, chucking her under the chin as we both smiled sadly at each other. We were interrupted by my phone vibrating. I slid it out of my suit pants pocket and apologised to Scout.
'One second, hon.' I texted back Tom, telling him Scout had woken up but I wanted half an hour alone with her, before turning back to her.
'Sorry, about that. I'm all yours now.' I gazed at her, and then looked round the room.
'I hate hospitals.' She groaned, suddenly making another attempt to get out of bed.
'Hey.' Again, I had to stop her from getting out of bed when she was evidently not well enough.
'Why you here, Miss?' Her question threw me off the scent for a minute and then I relaxed.
Noticing she was about to cry, I caressed her cheek, wiping her left eye with my thumb.
'I was worried about you, sweetheart.' I paused, allowing some hurt to enter my voice and show in my eyes. 'You've been through a terrible ordeal, darling. But it's over. It's all over.'
Scout's POV
Unmoved by Nikki's admission, I stayed rigid in bed as I allowed her to break down in front of me.
'I was born premature, Miss. I guess that's why you're worried, just in case they need to keep me in any longer and you're worried because you're my teacher, right?'
She nodded, before a nurse knocking interrupted us.
'How are you feeling, Jodi? Any pain at all?' The nurse kindly offered me a glass of water and was just about to inject codeine into my cannula.
'Wait! What the hell you doing?!' I protested, unable to do anything about it because the nurse stood there, a blank look on her face.
I was surprised but relieved when Nikki cleared her throat loudly and hardened her eyes and face, her voice lowering to ice cold.
'If you want to maintain your job, I suggest you do as Jodi tells you. If she can't have codeine in her system because it reacts badly, she can't have it – am I understood?'
I lay there in shock as the nurse meekly nodded, signed something on a clipboard and left, closing the door behind her.
'Thanks, Miss.' I smiled gratefully as she turned to me, smiling back, then she moved off the bed and turned back towards the door.
'How about that pasta, Scout? Or if it's too soon?' Her eyes were itching with promises.
I jumped at the chance of some food – not hospital crap. Miss Boston's pasta.
'Sounds gorgeous, miss.' I winked as she left the room.
She winked back, smiling, and I watched as she walked down the corridor, the echoes of her heels signalling she was going towards the kitchen.
A/N: So, Scout's awake – but will Nikki ever tell her the truth about her mother?
elliesimpson
Xxxx
:D