OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Chapter Sixteen
Visitor
Esmerelda would have to stay in hospital for at least a week, Ethel and Sybil visited as much as they could but they were not allowed to stay over because of safety regulations so once visiting hours were over she was alone.
She was really trying to get better but eating was still tough, she felt sick every time but the doctors could not find anything wrong with her digestive system so they thought it was a mental thing, that Esmerelda was thinking eating would make her sick, Esmie thought they were probably right.
She was forcing food down her throat but she still could only manage a few bites, even with Ethel and Sybil encouraging her, and eating right now was the least of her worries.
After the attack by her parents they had fled, and knowing the Great Wizard had being told and was looking for them to punish them they had gone on the run, no-one could find them, some people doubted they were even still in the country. Esmerelda worried sick everyday that Ethel and Sybil would get kidnapped by them. She knew it was a stupid thing to think but as much as she liked Miss Cackle she was careless, it would not be hard to kidnap pupils under her care. This also caused problems for Esmerelda as obviously she was living at home right now and legally servants were not allowed to look after her so she had no-where to go right now.
This was what was slowing down her recovery process, it was hard to get over depression when she only had negative thoughts to think about. One day when she was lying in the hospital bed bored and waiting for her sisters she was told she had a visitor, she didn't think much of it until the visitor walked in.
"GRAN" the girl shouted as she immediately sat up to look at Josephine Hallow.
Josephine Hallow was her father's mother. She was the spitting image of Ethel and there was no doubt they were related. Josephine though loved her granddaughters and was not cold like their parents.
"Esmerelda darling" the woman said hugging her felling herself tearing up for the fact her granddaughter was in hospital.
"Don't cry Gran, I am fine" Esmerelda told her, not wanting her to know how bad of a state she was in. "How did you know I was here?" Esmerelda asked wondering who it was who rang her.
"Your sisters, don't be angry at them they have been so worried" the woman told her as she magicked a chair next to the bed and sat on it.
"I am sorry you had to come" Esmerelda said feeling awful the woman had had to come from so far because she had got herself into a bad state.
"Darling I wanted to come, why did you not tell me about losing your magic?" Josephine asked.
When the event had happened the three girls had agreed mutually not to tell their grandmother, it would only upset her and she would only come back to England and then their parents would fight with her and there would be more tension and in all honestly, Esmerelda was ashamed to tell her.
"I didn't want to upset you, I knew it would break your heart, I am sorry I should have told you" Esmerelda told her Grandmother knowing now it was wrong to keep what had happened a secret from her.
The woman grabbed the girl's hand and stroked it before noticing the cuts on her arms. They were fainter than before but there was still scars there, Esmerelda looked at the floor unable to look at the woman in the eye. She didn't want to see the look of disappointment in her eyes.
"Oh Esmerelda" the woman said now allowing the tears she had being trying so hard to hold in to fall "Things are much worst than I thought, I should never have left you" the woman said regretfully.
"Don't, it was not your fault, you did what you had to do" Esmerelda replied still looking at the floor upset. "I am sorry, are you angry?" the girl asked knowing her parents would be yelling at her by now.
"No darling of course not" Josephine said as she turned the girl's head to look at her and held it gently in her hands before kissing the top of it. "I am just upset and concerned darling, I am not mad at you" the woman said knowing Esmerelda must have been low to go so far, She just couldn't be angry at the girl when she was ill.
"I think I have what Ethel has..." Esmerelda said as she herself cried, admitting that to her grandmother was really hard for her.
"Oh sweetie" the woman said stroking her hair before she sighed "It will be alright, both you and Ethel will get better I promise" the woman told her as she hugged the girl who cried softly on her shoulder, having kept her tears in all this time.
"I am sorry darling, it is okay" the woman said rubbing her arm and trying to comfort her.
"I am trying but it is so hard" Esmerelda cried, not sure she could actually get better, she had being trying but it just was not working.
"I know it is, but you are strong, you can get through this, I am going to look after you now" the woman told her and Esmerelda looked at her confused.
"How?" Esmerelda asked knowing the woman would have to go back home after a few weeks but the woman looked at her seriously.
"I am moving back to England, it is time I fix all the damage that has been done by your parents, you and your sisters need a proper home" the woman told her and Esmerelda just looked at her confused wondering if she could even move back and if she could she didn't want her to turn her life upside to move.
"You don't have to do that, you are happy in Australia" Esmerelda told her not wanting her to sacrifice her entire life for her and her sisters, she could look after them both, they would be fine.
"I am happy with my favourite granddaughters, I realise now this is where I should be" the woman told her as a nurse came with a ham sandwich and put it in front of Esmerelda. She was worried because she didn't want to eat in front of the woman. She knew she would see how little she was eating and panic more. People always said Esmie got sense of worry about everything from the woman.
"Ethel and Sybil told me you haven't being eating" the woman told her and Esmie sighed as she broke a tiny bit of the sandwich off.
"I am trying to eat again, but it makes me feel sick so it is difficult" Esmerelda told her as she popped the piece of sandwich in her mouth and chewed trying to force it down her throat.
"I know you are trying honey, and it will be difficult at first, your body needs to get used to eating again" she explained to her granddaughter.
"That is what Ethie says, but it doesn't seem to be getting better" Esmerelda told her as she finally swallowed the food.
"Oh it is, you are eating tiny amounts whereas before you were eating nothing, you are getting there Esmie, it just takes a long time and small steps, you will be alright though I promise you, I will help you okay?" Josephine told her.
Esmerelda nodded as she pulled of another bit of the sandwich and ate it, knowing she had to eat, she had been horrified when she saw how scared her sisters looked when she fainted, she never wanted to see that look in their eyes at her expense again.
"Good girl" Josephine told her touching her back to comfort her before she noticed the girl flinched. It was hard to miss it.
"What is wrong darling?" the woman asked. Ethel and Sybil had not told her about the burn, it made them to upset to talk about and they thought it was not up to them.
"Did Ethie and Sybie tell you why mum and dad are not here?" the girl asked and the woman shook her head looking confused.
"They cursed burned me on my back when they found out what I had been doing" Esmerelda told her grandmother sadly. The burn did not hurt as much as it did, it was pure agony before but it was still painful and the reason curse burns were such a popular method for people who used dark magic was it could not be gotten rid of, it could have things put on it to try and ease the pain but the mark would be there forever. It was like a tattoo, branded into the skin, whereas normal burns might improve curse burns never will.
Her gran looked at her horrified, not knowing what to say, shocked into silence as the full extent of what had been happening hit her at full force. She had no idea things had got to this strange and fell even more guilty.