A/N: If you haven't already seen it, make sure you read the extra bits I added to chapter eleven :D They're kind of important...
Just watched this week's Casualty... I don't really know what to think about it to be honest. I do have sympathy for rape victims, no matter the circumstances, but (and forgive me for being a bit vague), after having had a... 'Colourful' childhood, I find it difficult to be sympathetic to people who dress up, go to clubs smeared in make up,drink, lead men on, and then change their minds and claim for it to have been rape.
I mean, it must be hard not remembering much about the night before... But for me, it's when people are assaulted while fully sober that they really suffer, because they remember every pain staking detail. But that's just me... That probably sounds really harsh, but meh. (I'm not being specific about Ruth, I know the storyline took a different path anyway.)
Sorry, rant over. Had to do that for my sanity (:
Enjoy Chapter 12, and thank you all so much for the reviews! Even if I don't reply to all of them (and I do try to!), they are always greatly appreciated.
Thanks guys!
"Hey sleepy head," My eyes flickered open to see the smiling figure leaning over me. He was holding a tray, filled with my favourite foods -from pancakes to chocolate- and a little parcel wrapped in shiny silver wrapping paper with red ribbons curled in a bow. Warren leaned down and kissed me on the cheek, a lock of his hair brushing against my cheek as he did so. "Happy birthday love." He rested the tray on my lap, then lifted it up again just in time as our four year old daughter bounded through the door and crashed onto the double bed with all the grace of a baby hippopotamus.
"Mornin' mummy!" She squealed happily, throwing her arms around me. I returned her squeeze, grinning at her.
"Hey, sweetheart! Are you alright?" She nodded happily.
"Yeah. Look, I drew you a picture!" I took the piece of slightly crumpled paper from her little hand and smiled fondly at the little disproportionate stick people she'd drawn to portray us. Warren, her superhero, was massive in comparison with me and her, and his torso was shaded red; presumably for his fireman's outfit. We all had big, scarlet red cartoon grins spreading from ear to ear.
Happy families.
Adam
I spent a long time making Kirsty breakfast, despite the fact that I knew she wouldn't eat it. I spread butter right to the ends of her lightly toasted bread and set it to the side of her plate accompanied by a small pot of jam. I made pancaked and spent a long time cutting and shaping each one into a perfectly shaped heart, stacking them up into an aligned pile and drizzling syrup over the top. I poured her a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, and lovingly slipped a cornflour blue flower into a separate glass, filling the space around it with the petals that had fallen from its neighbours.
I knew that I was trying too hard. I was trying to sweep her off her feet, when all she craved was simplicity. In the deeper crevices of my mind, I had a feeling that the more I pushed her, the more she'd pull away. And yet I still tried, because I was scared that in giving her too much space, she could resent me for it.
It was a delicate balance that I struggled very much with to get right.
My hands hovered over the handles of the tray, preparing to make the journey up the stairs to Kirsty. But then, as a second thought, I grabbed her box of prescription pain meds down from the shelf, balancing it on the pretty full tray and carefully taking it upstairs to its recipient.
"Good morning," I placed it down on the bedside table in the guest bedroom. After Nita left and we went up to bed, Kirsty had wordlessly gone to the guest room, and I certainly hadn't challenged her on it. I figured she needed some space- but I was also worried that too much isolation could quite possibly come at a heavy price to both of us.
At my voice, Kirsty turned to look at me, forcing a worn smile in my direction.
"Hey" she mumbled back, as I brushed her hair back from her face, frowning slightly as she flinched a little under my touch.
"Are you hungry?" She shook her head.
"Not really..." I returned an equally fake smile.
"Okay, well I made you breakfast if you do feel like eating in a little while."
"Thanks." After a moment of silence, I spoke up again.
"So, how are you feeling?" She pushed herself up and tried to smile again.
"Fine. I'm fine." I could tell she was lying through her teeth, but forced myself not to comment on that fact. I knew that her thoughts would only be on her daughter. I sighed, taking her hand in my own and squeezing it gently. She did not return the act of kindness, but at least allowed her hand to lie limply in my grasp.
"Do you want to take your painkillers now?" I motioned towards the little box sitting on the tray, and she shook her head wearily. "Okay," I sighed again wearily. "Don't forget that you have an outpatient's appointment at the hospital today." She looked up at me as a little streak of panic flashed in her hazel eyes.
"I don't want to go" she mumbled quietly.
"Sorry?" I asked, unsure if I had heard her correctly or not.
"Please, don't make me go Adam... I feel fine now!"
"Why don't you want to go?" She shrugged.
"I don't want anyone to see me, or judge me!" My expression was filled with helpless sympathy as I gazed upon her, and she shifted awkwardly.
"Kirsty, of course they won't judge you! They want to help you, you know that."
"Adam, my own daughter doesn't believe that Warren really did all those things to me! Her tone was becoming more and more desperate with every word that left her lips. "So how can I expect anyone else to?"
"Kirsty, Nita's just confused, you know that. She's just a teenager, and she probably just doesn't want to believe her own father could do something like that to you." She ignored me completely.
"I should call the police and tell them I made it all up..." She made to get out of bed, and I grasped her upper arms firmly to stop her from doing just that. I pushed her back on to her covers, and she struggled underneath my grip.
"Kirsty, stop!" My voice was firm and a little bit louder then I'd meant it to be. She stopped wriggling furiously and instead stared up at me with big eyes, the tiniest flash of fear and apprehension glinting in them. I immediately released my hold on her. She had paled a little at my authoritative tone, and sat up slowly when I let go of her arms. I sat down beside her, icy guilt starting to seep through my gut.
"Kirsty..." I murmured. She turned her head very slightly towards me. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to sound angry... I'm just tired, and all this seems to have taken its toll on both of us." She leaned towards me and put her head on my shoulder, and I put my arm round her petite frame.
"It's okay," She whispered. "It's fine."
A/N: Okay, really short chapter, and I'm sorry for that. I already started writing chapter fourteen (and I haven't even done chapter thirteen yet!), and I think you guys will find it a whole lot more interesting then this emotional stuff.
Don't get me wrong, the emotional stuff is important in order for me to develop Kirsty and Adam's characters, but seeing as Casualty's mainly all about the drama I guess that me writing dramatic stuff is going to be better received?
Hopefully that won't have given anything away ;D
But yeah, thanks for reading, sorry for the short-ness, and don't forget to review!
Ta guys!