Chapter 6- Casus (Accident, Violent Death)
Back to confinement once again. However, a little fluttering and a slight tingling in my stomach outgrew the white, dolefully regular walls as if it had been painted in the vast colours of my delight.
A bird had talked, understood and possible confirmed my hope. Not a minute thought doubted it. I had seen it and so therefore it was true, I was as sure of this as there were feathers on its glossy back. A negative suspicion of hallucination was shunted aside, my disease was recovering. I could feel it now, stronger and fresher than ever. My fingers tips glowed with health and my throat yearned to warble and sing with pure glee.
Once again I heard a dauntingly cheery sound emerge, a hundred swords being whipped out of their scabbards. The door was open.
"Let me guess," I whispered hoarsely, "someone is here to testify my sanity?"
He grinned and grunted traditionally.
Obviously not then, his expression told all. It was just another chance to exploit me. What a tremendous source of amusement I must be...
The walk to the lab seemed quicker, as if each stride was longer and more frequent. Perhaps it was because the pain of expectation had dissolved or possible the time went rapidly for a moment that I longed to stay idle.
The horsy-man brushed past my shoulder as he let his firm grip on my opposite arm disappear. I wondered whether I should run, but my capture was inevitable and my security would surely be increased. I could not risk that so I remained hovering with uncertainty as he pushed open the striking white door.
"Over to you Dr Phelps," he grunted. She gave a quick nod to the back of his head which faded out of view in seconds-due to the door slamming into its polished hinges.
"I'm glad he's gone," I muttered.
"Strong these doors may be but not soundproof," Dr Phelps smiled.
I shrugged my shoulders, and asked another question. "What happened to the nurse who was here before? That gave me the-gave me the..."
Phelps looked up to my face uncomfortably. "There is more than one doctor in a hospital, Miss Crouch."
"Please call me Bethany."
Dr Phelps flicked through a file as her lips rose momentarily, her expression was incomprehensible.
"Miss-Bethany, what you seek- you shall not receive."
My brow crinkled as my eyebrows leaned towards my eyes.
"Let it go, you are unleashing a monster from a lamb."
"What dya-"
"Fleece becomes scales, when wool is needed to calm the onslaught."
"I-"
This time it was not Phelps' voice that interrupted me by sudden observation of her glassy gaze.
"But if wool is combed and teased it will become deadly. The sleek fur of destruction."
I didn't want to understand, but I did. I understood the part she said at first- she told me to give up my hope of magic-told me it was useless. How could she? A bird had confirmed my wistful questions...but then after all it was a bird.
As Dr Phelps drew in a painful breath I unleashed all the pain that had been locked away inside me. She was hit with such a force I barely realised by arm extending towards her head.
She looked at me in shock, but more than that, disgust so deep I could here it in the room around me. Her eyes however, still remained glazed. The feeble voice rasped almost silently as she said her last words-a sentence that she would never finish.
"They will seek warmth and..."
She choked. Her eyes were still glaring at me. Dead eyes would lurk in all my days, never releasing their murderous stare. But I was the murderer-what had I done?
I was left with a sense of heaving like there was unclean food in my gut that seeped in my blood, and then the door opened...