Chapter 34: Late Night
Wind and tree branches rattled the window pane. But, that was not what had Cagalli sitting up in her bed. In the middle of the night —even though it came from down the hall— Cagalli could hear the hacking coming from her father's bedroom. She pulled at her blanket, balling it in her fists. She could hear it over the tapping on her window. It sounded as if he had swallowed something whole, something too big for the esophagus— something made of fur or wool— and he was trying his hardest to bark it up.
Cagalli swung her legs over her bed; goosebumps instantly covered her skin. She took a long, deep breath before her bare feet made contact with the cold wood. She tiptoed to her door, then reached to grab the handle. She didn't move. With her hand resting on the door knob, she listened. She could hear footsteps.
The nurse?
Cagalli's hand slowly let go of the knob. She leaned her back against the door and slid down it. She buried her head into her knees, listening as her father's coughs faded away.