Greetings all! Sorry for slow update - must try harder! And sorry it's a bit short. Well did anyone spot the deliberate mistake? Eggs Benedict is made with gammon! Ha, Silly me, I knew that - just lost the plot for a second! Sorry! So hope you like things so far… please review and thank you all for your kind reviews so far! (Loving everyone else's fics too!)
All central characters courtest of A Spelling and L Goldberg
A brain-crunching noise snapped Kelly out of her brief and dreamless sleep, and she sat up in shock, her mind trying to register where she was, what was happening, and what the awful racket was all about. Things then slipped into place and Kelly winced at the horrendous noise the bell was making, but just as she was about to put her hands to her ears, it stopped, and left an almost audible ringing in Kelly's head. Then she was dazzled as the room was suddenly lit up by a fluorescent strip light above her.
"Ugh, where's my gun when I need it!" She remarked to herself, wearily. First of all, she wanted to blow the lock on her door and get the hell out of there, then if she happened to see the bell on her way out, she would shoot it into the middle of next week. But she knew of course, that doing any of those things wouldn't have endeared her at all to Mrs Limardo or her current captors…she swung her arms out behind her on the bed and leant back a little, taking in her surroundings. Gloomy and sparse, were the adjectives that came to mind to describe the used furnishings. Not that she was surprised. A wooden chair…a simple wardrobe and a small cabinet next to the bed, with a small black book on it. She got out of bed, picking up the book and shivered slightly, feeling the early morning chill. She was still wearing her clothes from the previous day - jeans and a purple v-necked t-shirt. But her jacket and her handbag were missing, as well as her sneakers. At least she still had her socks on… it was something against the coldness of the tiled floor. She wondered if Alexandra had done the honours and kept hold of Kelly's belongings as she obviously wouldn't be needing them where Alexandra was sending her. She just wished she knew where the hell she was, for a start. She looked down at the bound book in her hand, then looked up as someone approached and unlocked her door. It was pushed open and a woman some years older than Kelly stepped inside, and gave Kelly a look that Kelly wasn't quite sure of. Kelly looked at the bundle of clothing that the woman was holding.
"Hello, my name is sister Clayton. I've been sent to give you these to change into." She looked at Kelly's street clothes. "We all have to wear the same in here." She held the clothes out to Kelly, who approached and took them off her. "Thanks. My name's Kelly Garrett…" The sister cut her off by means of a shake of her head. "No first names in here either. You're sister Garrett."
"Oh." Kelly looked down at the black cotton clothes and decided she wasn't ready to become a nun. "Well thanks anyway… where is …"
Kelly was cut off yet again as sister Clayton proceeded to inform Kelly of what came next.
"You best get to the shower block and then change for breakfast." Sister Clayton looked back over her shoulder, seemingly suddenly agitated by something. Kelly looked on, wondering why she was so skittish.
"I have to go. You had better hurry!" Sister Clayton's earnest expression told Kelly that it wasn't wise to dilly-dally, so she shrugged and headed out of the door after the sister.
"But hey, I have no towel or anything!" She called after the sister as she scurried away from her.
"Ah, don't worry yourself!" A not too familiar voice startled her and she turned to see a younger woman, someone nearer Kelly's age, smiling back at her. Kelly recognised the Irish accent from last night…or was it this morning? "Just let's get to the showers and I'll show you where everything is, sister, okay?"
Kelly smiled. "Oh, you're…Colleen! Nice to put a face to the name!"
"U-huh! Nice to meet you too, Kelly Garrett!" Colleen took Kelly by the elbow and began walking with her quickly along the cool and not so brightly lit corridor. They had joined in a small stream of other girls all heading in the same direction. They were all wearing the same grey coloured night dress. Kelly hated grey.
"So, Kelly Garrett," Colleen talked on in a whisper. "What brings you here to Colditz?" She joked. Kelly smiled at the joke, but also at Colleen presently calling her by her full name. She was reminded of a case the angels worked on some time ago, when Sabrina had to pretend to be a replacement maid for a suspect, and she had gone along with an equally suspect Irish accent. What was it Bri had called her…? Kelly O'Tulip! Ha, yes! She smiled as she remembered the fun moment they shared during that case. Then she looked at Colleen and remembered her question. She had previously decided that honesty would be the best policy with Colleen, so she gave has as much of a truthful answer as she could.
"Well I actually didn't choose to come here, as it happens." She murmured as quietly as she could. She realised all the other girls around them were silent or a few just whispering quickly, as they glanced around cautiously.
"I was sent here by someone who insists I learn a few things so that I can get on with my life." Kelly knew it was cryptic…but at least it was true.
Colleen looked at her sideways, frowning, before they turned off the corridor followed the rest of the girls into the shower block. Colleen had taken a towel from a large pile of them for Kelly and they waited in a line for shower cubicles to become empty. Kelly grimaced at the thought of having to go in where someone else's bare feet had been. Again, she was reminded of another case some time ago. And that predicament wasn't much different from the one she found herself in now. She just hoped she didn't have to be subjected to yet another humiliating experience like last time though. But she smiled again as she remembered the comment she threw back at Maxine, the prison officer in charge of their 'induction'. She was lucky that comment, and Jill's' spontaneous snicker hadn't earned her a slap. She looked at Colleen, who had gone quiet. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.
"So why are you here?" Kelly leaned her head and whispered. Colleen turned and Kelly saw a certain unhappiness on her face.
"Oh, I - it's a long story… maybe I can tell you about it another time." She whispered back. "I wanna find the Lord, I really do…" then she lowered her whisper right down so that Kelly had to lean right up close to her companion "…but I'm not sure I have…" Colleen then straightened, looking around to make sure no-one had heard her. Someone came out of a cubicle at that point, and Colleen made her way over, leaving Kelly to think about that statement, what it inferred, and what her next move would be. If even one girl doubted the authenticity of this religious group, she wondered how many others here, did. What about Alda Limardo…had she doubted? Yet how many girls were actually the opposite - how many were zealous for the Lord here? What about sister Clayton? She wished she had opened the book in her room, to see if it was actually the Bible, or if there was something different about it. Kelly remembered quite a few scriptures from her time at the orphanage. If she looked them up, would she find what was supposed to be written there? This idea of locking girls in overnight was preposterous! Not at all Christian… and not at all practical for many reasons she could think of. She needed to find out a lot more about the place from Colleen though, before she did anything. But she needed to gain her trust, and not ask too many questions in case Colleen did have any loyalty towards this particular religion. She had to take her time at the moment, and get to know a few things - get to know a few people…build up a clear picture of what went on here. Kelly jumped a little when someone tapped her lightly on the shoulder and pointed at the next available cubicle. She nodded her thanks and walked over, her thoughts still whirring.
The coffee machine rattled and clunked, then dropped a plastic cup and Kris waited for the requested coffee to dribble into it. An old-ish man, perhaps in his early to mid sixties, walked uneasily past her, with a younger man and woman on each side of him. She glimpsed his face briefly. He looked haggard and worn out, and Kris could tell he was in pain. Was that his son and daughter with him? She wondered what was wrong with him… she found herself hoping whatever it was, he would be okay. She took the full coffee cup from the machine and glanced around as she took a small sip. So many people, either heading purposefully or anxiously to some other place, or wandering the corridors to perhaps stretch their legs, try and take a breather from whatever anxieties they were dealing with. Hospitals…huge buildings full of sick people. She sighed, feeling so discouraged and anxious herself. Come on Kris, she mentally shook herself. No use in getting despondent. This won't help Sabrina. She turned back to the machine, slotted more coins down and punched another few buttons for Bosley's drink. She walked carefully back along to Bri's room with the two drinks, and eased the door open with her foot. Bosley got up and took his drink.
"Thanks Kris, here take a seat. Do you mind if I stretch my legs a little? He indicated towards the door. Kris smiled. "Course not, Bos. I'm okay, really - go, get a little air."
Bosley smiled back, before taking his coffee out with him. Kris wondered if somehow, Bri could actually smell the coffee. She smiled and laughed quietly to herself. Come on, Bri - wake up and smell the coffee! She looked at her friends face, now covered in harsh ugly bruising and swelling. Kris even found it difficult to look at the mess Bri's face was in right now. Even thought she knew the swelling and bruising would eventually subside and disappear, she hated - just hated to see her friend in this state. The doctor had been in several times to check on his patient over the last two hours. He didn't seem surprised that Sabrina wasn't awake yet, although Kris could tell that he clearly did want her to come round very soon. He had explained that the recovery of head injury patients differed from person to person. Well Kris understood that. Any recovery differed from person to person. And Sabrina's other injuries and her heart condition had to be taken into account. She understood all of that. No-one could realistically expect anyone to take a beating like that and just get up a few hours later. But all of that knowledge and logical thinking didn't stop Kris from wanting Bri to just open her eyes right now and say something like, "Hey, so I gotta slight headache! No problem!"
Kris sighed and took hold of Sabrina's hand and studied the few small abrasions on her knuckles. Did Sabrina even get to put up much of a fight? She blinked and shuddered inwardly, deciding she didn't want her thoughts to go down that path. She looked back up to Bri's face.
"You know Bri," she said, softly, absently placing her hand over Bri's uncovered arm, "I really wanted to talk to you last night, about some stuff." Kris paused to gather her erratic thoughts, wondering if blurting this out was such a good idea. But she needed to do something. Not necessarily get things off her chest. But just even talking to Bri might help a little. She bit her lip then continued.
"I wanted just to ask you a few things about how you felt about Jill leaving, and me joining you and Kelly. But I wasn't looking to start any trouble, you know? I know you both miss Jill - I miss her too… a lot!" She smiled, thinking of her bubbly vivacious sister.
"But the truth is…you and Kelly feel like part of the family too. Jill used to talk to me so much about you guys when you were in the academy together! And then later on I met you both and it was like I already knew you so much!" Kris took a sip of her cooling coffee and watched Sabrina's chest rise and fall steadily. The heart monitor beeped rhythmically. She fell silent for a few moments, just watching and taking in the instruments and the equipment that was also keeping vigil over Sabrina. She really wished Jill was here right now. Hell, she really wished Kelly was here right now. But then if she was, Bri wouldn't be lying here. Not that this was anyone's fault - just how things turn out. Kris felt bereft somehow. Jill somewhere in Europe, Kelly missing, and Sabrina unconscious. She felt lonely. She was desperately missing the constant crazy banter that they threw back and forth at each other when they were together. She realised now, just how much they all meant to her. They are her family. Does Bri get that?
She squeezed Sabrina's arm.
"You better get it, Sabrina Duncan." Kris murmured softly to her friend. "I guess I just wanted you to know how much I care about you and Kelly. I know Kelly cares a great deal about you too Sabrina. Wherever she is right now, however much she can hear my stomach growling from wherever she is…I know that she will be worrying about both of us!" Kris smiled, remembering Bri's earlier joke. She patted Sabrina's arm.
"Anyway, I guess that's what I just wanted to say. Oh, and also… if you don't wake up soon, your little Pinto might have to go for rejection counselling!" She joked again, but this time it was more to keep her own spirits up, as she felt tiredness lapping at her emotions, causing her spirits to become eroded. She was close to tears, yet she couldn't allow them to fall. She had to stay positive. She stood up and walked to the window and peeked through the blinds. There wasn't much to see actually. Just more of the next hospital wing. Although there was a small area down below, with a few seats where she guessed patients and visitors alike, could go take a little stroll and sit in the fresh air. When Bri felt better, maybe they could go sit down there, in the sunshine. She took a deep breath and let out a sigh. Maybe that's what she could do with right now. She really did not want to leave Bri - yet she felt the need to get some fresh air and think hard about how to go about finding Kelly. She was torn between staying with Sabrina and going looking for Kelly. Bosley was such a brick. He also would sit right with Bri until she woke up. Maybe that would be the best thing. She watched a few gulls circling over the buildings further on. They were too far away for her to hear their cries. She was glad. Seagulls annoyed her when they were inland. For some reason, their cries annoyed her when she heard them anywhere else but the beach. And even having lived out at the beach all this time… she was suddenly overwhelmed by the fresh pictures in her mind of her house burning. She tried to shake it away. What was she thinking? Oh, about the gulls… was it true that they came in land when there was bad weather on the way? She watched a few more gulls arrive and swoop around, then turned away from the window, just as Bosley walked back into the room. He looked over at the bed, with a questioning look. Kris shook her head. Then walked up to Bosley.
"Bos, I gotta go get some air myself. I'm going back to the office for a while to try and figure out something - anything that will help us find Kelly…call me the second anything happens, okay?" She tipped her head briefly in Sabrina's direction, then picked up her bag and jacket. Bosley didn't attempt to hinder Kris - he realised how desperately worried she was for both Kelly and Sabrina. He squeezed her shoulder. "I will." He said, as he watched her leave.