Chapter Three

Edna sat, dazed. Kelly had slapped her; actually slapped her. Edna heard Kelly's question, and posed the same one to herself: what was she thinking? How could she do this to herself? She was silent and still as Kelly's tears fell warmly on her bare skin.

Kelly's crying came to a shaky halt as she pulled away, stood, and then slumped to her knees once again before Edna. Her hazel eyes met Edna's blue ones.

Kelly was now staring into her eyes. Edna closed hers, wishing for it all to have been a dream. She was almost disappointed when she opened her eyes and saw Kelly's pretty face still before her. She sighed.

"Look at you," Kelly whispered. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Kelly helped Edna to her feet and keeping an arm around her, led her to the bathroom. With her left arm still wrapped around Edna, Kelly closed the door.

Edna's eyes rose to meet those of her reflection. But, this couldn't be her? Not this bloodstained mound of flesh before her? Something snapped in the mind of Edna Turnblad; and she crumbled.

Edna's shaking hands rose to her mouth, and a choked sob escaped her as she slipped to the floor. Kelly fought to catch her, but struggled with Edna's weight. They both dropped bodily to the cold tile. With one hand on the floor to support herself and the other still over her mouth, Edna Turnblad sobbed. Uncontrollably the tears came, a torrent of salt flowing down her cheeks.

Oh god. What was happening? All she felt was terror and despair, as though laughter and joy had gone from the world and all that was left was pain and sorrow. At that time and place, Edna Turnblad knew only despair.

Kelly placed her right hand on Edna's bloodied shoulder and bent her head. Suddenly Edna clutched at the front of Kelly's dress. Kelly wrapped her arms around Edna's shoulders, holding her tightly. She felt warm, wet tears soaking her dress, and soft skin beneath her hands. She placed her hand on the back of Edna's head and stroked her hair as she rocked her.

"You're fine. You're fine," she whispered. It felt as though she were convincing herself of Edna's security. Her body wracked with sobs, Edna pressed herself as close to the young woman as she could.

Edna felt safe in Kelly's arms. Although Kelly was young she had always seemed older than her years, and Edna had long ago connected with her. Her very presence lightened Edna's heart. Whenever she visited, Kelly would give Mrs. Turnblad a hug, a kiss on the cheek, and that heart warming smile. Kelly doted on her in every way she could. She always did everything in her power to help, and Edna was always grateful, as she was now in her storm of tears.

Edna now had her arms tightly around the younger woman, holding on for dear life. Kelly pulled back a little so as to look into Edna's eyes.

"Don't leave me." Edna's voice was choked and broken, barely discernible from the gasping tears. She clutched at Kelly, who took Edna's tearstained face in her hands.

"I will never leave you, understand? I will never leave you." Through her tears Edna searched Kelly's eyes for the truth behind these words. When she had found it she nodded and placed her forehead against Kelly's, letting the tears continue to fall unabated.

Kelly clasped Edna's hands in her own and sighed, her eyes closed. Slowly Edna's tears came to a quivering halt and Kelly pulled away slightly. She gazed into Edna's eyes blue as the sky and let her gaze travel first to the wounds on her shoulder, then to her sliced breast and finally to the cuts on both her thighs. They needed to be cleaned. Kelly stood, guiding Edna to her feet.

Kelly ran hot water, filling the sink. She sat Edna down on the toilet beside the sink. From the shelf she retrieved alcohol, gauze, and medical tape. The Turnblads were well prepared for any sort of accident. Kelly dipped a sponge into the sink full of steaming water. She bent over Edna and began dabbing at the slashes on her thighs, for they were the deepest. When she rinsed the sponge the blood turned the water a pale red. She continued her gentle cleansing.

When she finished both thighs she released the crimson water from the sink and refilled it, then continued with Edna's breast and shoulder. Kelly patted the cuts dry with one of Edna's lavender bath towels. She then fetched a clean, dry washrag and poured alcohol onto it. Kelly knelt before Edna and poised the washrag over her thigh. She looked into her eyes.

"This is going to sting." She patted the sliced skin delicately, and Edna cried out.

"Pain is temporary," Kelly spoke softly, trying to sooth Edna. Edna nodded, her eyes closed and her teeth clenched as Kelly continued her work.

"I just get---" Edna was speaking quietly, her words broken, interrupted by grunts of pain.

"I get so lonely sometimes. With Tracy---at school, and Wi---Wilbur in his shop. I was doing d---dishes and I caught my---reflection in one of the knives. I couldn't be---believe it was me…"

Kelly had shifted toward Edna's left and, pouring more alcohol onto the washrag, started on her breast. Edna turned her head away, her face pinched into an expression of pain.

"It was just so…ugly." Kelly moved to Edna's shoulder and upper arm as Edna fell silent once again, her eyes misty. She grunted in pain as Kelly blotted the slashes. Finally Kelly finished and, setting the washrag down on the floor, began to dress Edna's wounds. She wrapped Edna's arm, but the others were not so simple. She manipulated the gauze and tape as best she could. Finally when she had finished, she knelt before Edna again and placed her hands on the battered woman's knees. She fixed her eyes on Edna's.

Edna stared into the eyes of her young friend. She somehow felt that Kelly could see straight through her, and it didn't bother her at all. It was a relief to be transparent and vulnerable, rather than keeping it all hidden, bottled up inside. Edna needed someone to see, and this Kelly had always done well; always saying, doing, giving the right things at exactly the right times and sometimes for no reason at all. Edna let her hazel-eyed angel peer into her uneasy soul.