STORIES

THIRTEEN

It was Jezry, one of the Gnel, who slowly removed the hood from over Wil's head. Portions of the fabric stuck painfully to her hair and scalp. She gasped in discomfort as it was pulled off. But that wasn't the only pain she felt. Numerous other aching parts of her body were suddenly vying for attention.

Wil shut her eyes in distress and fought off several waves of nausea before opening them again. She blinked in the bright light, "What are you doing? What do you want?" she croaked hoarsely.

"It wasn't my idea," Jezry said softly.

"Then please, let me go!" Wil pleaded.

"I'm sorry, I can't." A wad of cloth appeared in Jezry's hand. Wil thought the woman was going to gag her and despite Jack's admonitions began to sob uncontrollably. But instead of stifling her, Jezry gently pressed the rag against her face and scalp. When Wil caught site of it from the corner of her eye, the material was soaked with scarlet blood.

Lacerations…

"Oh my God," Wil cried.

"Be quiet!" Jezry's expression suddenly darkened, became troubled. Wil cowered back fearfully, thinking the abrupt mood change was because she'd raised her voice, but then Jezry dropped the piece of blood-saturated fabric to the floor and pulled out a clean one. Oh shit. It wasn't the loudness of her voice that had disturbed the Gnel woman, it was her face…

Wil realized during most of this she'd been having the wrong emotions. She should've been outraged, angry, fighting mad. Instead she'd been experiencing a sort of dazed acceptance. And now with the bloody rag and the stunned look on Jezry's face, she understood her body had been on some sort of self-generated chemical sedation, masking her injuries, dulling her fury. She'd been surfing on waves of convenient substances which her glands were squirting into her bloodstream.

But now abruptly she hit the rocky shoreline. All of her injuries began sending agonizing pain to her brain. Those convenient substances, whatever they were, were withdrawn cold turkey. She felt as if a trapdoor had opened beneath her and she became a weeping tangle of nerves.

Jezry's alarm grew. She turned and glanced at the closed door behind her and then looked back at Wil.

"Please help me," Wil sobbed. Then she was shaken by a fit of coughing. It felt like something was leaking out of her nose and down her chin. Wil wasn't sure if it was mucus or blood.

Jezry pulled a small flask out of her pocket, "Here, drink this."

Will stared at her horrified.

"It's okay, it won't harm you. Watch me." Jezry took a sip from the flask and then held it to Wil's lips.

The liquid was cool, bitter. Wil swished it around her mouth and swallowed. It made her cough but with a bit of effort she managed to keep some of it down. She nodded at her captor. "Good," she said. "More?"

Jezry nodded and Wil took a few more sips.

"That's enough," Jezry said, and Wil watched her put the flask away, but not before the woman poured a few drops on the fabric and used it to tenderly wipe under her nose and around her mouth.

Enough time had gone by for her to be ashamed of how she'd fallen apart. She may be injured, badly even, but she was still alive and surely that was a blessing. Where there was life, there was hope.

"So what's happening?" This was asked as calmly as possible.

"I can't tell you," Jezry said. "Please, no more questions."

Wil looked at her as serenely as she could, and tried to meet her eyes but the Gnel didn't cooperate – in fact she quickly looked away. "Okay, okay, I understand. Thank you for being so kind to me, Jezry."

The woman started. Their eyes met briefly. "You remember my name?"

"Of course I do. I remember all of you as if you were my own family, and I'm so sorry for what has happened."

Jezry leaned over and picked up the hood she'd dropped to the floor earlier.

"No," Wil said, eyeing the object warily and shaking her head. "Please, that isn't necessary."

Jezry's face was stricken, "I'm sorry – I have no choice." She placed the hood as gently as she could over her head.

Wil heard the sound of the door close and then it was quiet and she was alone once again.