Hello folks, MasterFran is back at the start after a longer break. I wasn't at home for a long time, but had plenty of time to plan the next chapter. I spent a long time with my best friend in the hospital. She went through a difficult time as our poor Cassie. In thought of her, I also dedicate the next chapter to her. And also to you. Thanks to all followers and fans, please review again. Have a good time with Chapter 11. It gets serious.
"Always nice and easy, Pumpkin! We're not on the run!" Bla, blah, blah. As much as Cassie enjoyed the closeness of her father, she was annoyed. No one seemed to show a real compassion as to how good this felt, again after almost a whole month in coma and then tied to the bed. Each step down the hallway, each step back into society, yes, it hurt. It was a disgusting toppling and pricking with every time Cassie was supposed to put weight on her injured knee again. But she didn't want to show any weakness.
A hospital, no matter how nice the people are to you, drives you into deep madness. And the young soldier was in a hurry, and so she fought every day bravely through her physio. Her senior physician Dr. Nephron was extremely pleased with her progress. It is not to be underestimated how quickly a body can repair itself. Apart from her reconstructed knee, the other wounds healed without further complications. So yesterday the last two drains were finally pulled, one below the rib, the second out of her right groin.
Only her face felt like crushed by a tank. From time to time, they had to regain their morphine dose when the pain was unbearable. There were still small nasty wounds, which still didn't want to heal properly. Cassie had not looked at her face openly in the mirror since she was awake again, cause it was always hidden under a thin mask of gauze bandages.
Strangely enough, the nurses never talked about the progress of wound healing when they changed the bandage, yes, they even tried to divert attention from the subject. Still, Cassie didn't think anything great. She knew that she and her friends were badly attacked and hurt. Without a few (or some many) scars they will not get away. Today she would be able to meet Jacqui at least. Her threads would be drawn; Jacqui was the last of the three to need medical attention from the hospital. And again, a change of Cassie's headcast was planned in the next hour. Perhaps it would be the opportunity to see the face injury. It felt sometimes as if someone had pulled off her face. But it won't be so bad...
Johnny continued to watch as his daughter gently put one foot in front of the others. It would take a long time before she could completely strain her leg. But Cassie was so incredibly defiant and tenacious as she fought to finally be able to go home. That's why he never let her out of sight, Johnny was just too afraid that she was hurtig herself in arrogance.
But he was still proud that she had achieved so much in such a short time, as usual. Only one thing bothered him. At he thought of today's cast change, the actor became bad. Cassie didn't know the extent of her injury. Too big was the doctors' fear that she won't be able to cope with the fatal blow in her very weak condition. Only a few times had Johnny seen her faceless-face. The first days, the wound looked terrible. The raw flesh quickly began to ignite, than fester, and crush. Accordingly, his daughter fevered very high in the first week when she was still in a coma. Meanwhile, the experienced internists could combat the inflammation and so there were only a few remained wet spots. If these had disappeared today, Cassie could even get along without a bandage.
She was strong, brave and self-confident; Johnny knew that. But not even the best father in the world could guess how it would be in an hour with the certainty of having a daughter that has to live without a face forever. He could do nothing else but be there for her in the difficult time.
"Do not run so fast, old woman!" Suddenly a familiar voice shouted behind Cassie. She stumbled in horror with the broken leg and pulled it quickly not to scream. "Jacqui, for heaven's sake?" Her best friend just threw her arms around her shoulders. Jacqui swayed slightly. Cassie raised an eyebrow. "How did it go?" She proudly raised her arm and presented the scar, which stretched between the wrist and the elbow. "Looks good. May be loaded again! The metal, however, is probably left in there." She staggered a little. "But I tell you, pulling the threads was the absolute horroooooorrrr. They have probably given me some generous painkillers and goodie goodie drugs, as you can see." Cassie snorted. "Then go home before you puke here on the floor. Or turn on strange men. Uhm, I did that last time." She grimaced. "Bough, yuck. This is not going to happen. At least for me, that's it. No more bandages." The soldier scratched her headband. "Today they will change mine again. Maybe I'm lucky and I don't need any more after that." She said, watching as a shadow flashed across Jacqui's face.
"Do you want me to stay?" She suddenly asked with an unusually serious tone. She shrugged. "If you are bored. But it is only a change of association. "She was slightly surprised, after all, they were best friends, but not even small children. Jacqui tried to look into her eyes, but her gaze always twitched on the cold ground. "Because I thought, if you do not know yet, then someone should ..." Somehow the words went out to her. "What do I not know? What are you talking about? "Cassie tried to take her hand, but her friend just pulled her into a quick hug. "Nothing nothing. Have forgotten that Dad already want to pick me up now." She murmured. "Take care of yourself, girlfrind!" With these words, she broke away from the embrace and walked with quick steps towards the elevator. She was clearly afraid. But before what?
Johnny watched the conversation from a safe distance. When Jacqui came to him, he grabbed her by the shoulder. "What was that?" He hissed. She looked at him, with a trace of despair. "Sorry, I just slipped out. It was not on purpose." He sighed deeply and tried to remain serious. "I know that it is wrong to hide the whole truth from her. Today it will be different. And I want to prepare her carefully before she cannot handle it. Do you understand?" Jacqui nodded heavily. "Yes, Uncle Johnny." He closed her briefly into his arms, only for a moment. He knew she wanted to be with her best friend, but Jacqui was in the wrong condition on the other hand. It was better to keep her out of the matter. Even Sonya had decided to stay at work. Johnny thought about their conversation from last night. "Please be with her when she learns. I have already failed in her childhood as a mother. I do not want to destroy her life by telling her." Rarely did Johnny see such an emotional side of her.
He let Jacqui go as Dr. Nephron appeared. A short look of the men gave both to understand: It is time. He had agreed that Cassie should know everything only in the presence of her treated doctor. But he wouldn't leave his gold treasure alone, he wanted to be strong for her. Johnny went to the bathroom under a pretext. From outside, he heard Cassie go back to her room. He clung to the sink. She had no idea. Poor Cassie. His poor little girl. Johnny pulled himself together, left the bathroom and pushed the door to room 6. Dr. Nephron had built a half-circle around Cassie's bed with three nurses. Normally, he was a busy man who always carried a stethoscope around his neck like a nerd and a stack of cards in his arms. Not today. He was not needed.
She sat on her bed, her legs slightly drawn to her stomach and her arms around. She was wearing a light gray jogging trousers, over her white-blue training jacket. Just as she was just sitting there looking around with her special self-assurance, Cassie looked so peaceful. She was simply an angel who had gone through so much. Johnny wanted to protect her, stop this action. It was not fair. And yet he had to realize bitterly that some truths should not be concealed.
Of course, she was unaware that day! Nevertheless, Cassie had the feeling that she was deprived of something. She guessed it all the time. Jacqui behaved strangely. And now half the hospital was sitting around her bed, including her father. Dr. Nephron even made a personal effort to resolve the cast today. "Perhaps it is now time that you no longer need it." Murmured he, while a layer came off after the other. And then it was gone. An unpleasant cold passed through every pore of her skin. As if someone was pouring an ice-cold milkshake into her face; She had never experienced such a thing before. The others silently watched her reaction. Certainly it was only because her head was wrapped in a bandage. It would go again. An uncomfortable silence filled the room.
"Well." Cassie tried to start a conversation. "How does it look?" It was as if Nephron had put a backpipe, so he shrank. He hesitantly put on a pair of rubber gloves and gently touched her lower jaw with his fingers. It was not the pain that caused her to contract at the touch. No, it was that it did not feel like skin on skin. It reminded her as the doctors had anointed the scabbed skin on her shins. She saw Dr. Nephron in the eyes. Was there a trace of sadness? "No more pusher herds, young Miss Cage. I think you'll be able to get rid of your antibiotics." Something was wrong.
What did you all hide? "But what?" She asked spontaneously. Now it was serious. He looked straight into her eyes. "Can you remember our first survey? To the attack?" A red lightning in front of her eyes, a knife blade, the howling of a chainsaw, the howling of her own screams. She pinched her eyes quickly to drive the horrible image out of her memory. Dr. Nephron came to the point. "He had inflicted terrible damage to you. And we were able to restore almost everything. But he took you something we could not restore." Cassie didn't look into his eyes anymore.
Instead, she turned for help to her father, but his gaze was as desperate as her. "But I don't understand! I thought the wounds had healed and I'm loosing this bandage now because of my wounds ..." Regardless, she grabbed her forehead and froze instantly. That was all but no facial skin which she just touched with her fingers. That pulsed and lived under her tips. Her fingers felt like needle strokes. And her forehead like a frenzied piece of bacon. Her wordless look found again the eyes of Nephron, but there was no more warmth, no despair or sadness.
Only the ice cold certainty. Her worst fears, the nightmares that she was experiencing at regular intervals; All of a sudden they became true. "There was a second reason why we've been wrapping a bandage for so long." Cassie did not answer anymore. Instead she grabbed her nightcloth with shaky fingers and pulled her little make-up mirror from the top drawer. It was the first time after a month that Cassie was looking at herself. Maybe even one last time. Actually, she was familiar with her facial features. She never painted much. Her skin had a nice, even color, adorned with freckles on her nose. A small bruise remained from her training struggle with Jin over her left eye. Now she vainly sought her bruise. And her freckles. And her face. Because was no longer there.
It will be even more difficult to continue this story. Because that was just the beginning. The most difficult time is yet to come. The way back to life.