I Knew You Were a Weirdo
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XIV - Encounter, Part Three
Nooshy lifted her head from her pillow, fur disheveled, a line of drool at the corner of her mouth.
He wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
She noticed the warm feeling in her belly as though all was well with the world. It made her feel light, like she could fly.
And then the moment of morning ignorance ended and she remembered.
Grinning giddily, she sat upright.
Johnny! We just became a couple! And he...he kissed me! And I got to kiss him back!
Overcome with joy, Nooshy jumped out of bed, and unable to contain herself, proceeded to bounce up and down on her tippy-toes whilst squealing loudly and happily.
So engrossed in her joyful jig, Nooshy did not notice the young wolf in the bed on the other side of the roll stir awake to the sounds of her high-pitched giggled.
She didn't notice her shared bedroom door open either.
Ash, opening the door halfway, heard the girlish squealing and naturally assumed it was Porsha.
She groaned. "Ok ok," she said, already getting a migraine. "Breakfast is almost ready, so-"
The porcupine opened the door all the way and stopped talking at once when she saw Nooshy, not Porsha, bouncing up and down like a fool and giggling like a juvenile school girl.
Ash's eyes became huge and mouth dropped wide open.
Nooshy, detecting movement in the corner of her eye, turned and stopped dead in her dance of joy when she saw Ash standing at the door, staring at her.
She gasped as her wide stare mirrored Ash's.
Ash blinked and then noticed that Porsha was sitting up in bed, looking both startled and amused at the same time.
Ash pointed at the floor as though trying to make sense of what she just witnessed. She looked back at Nooshy, who had a deer in the headlights look about her, so to speak.
"Were you just bouncing and squealing just now?" Ash asked.
Nooshy crossed her arms and turned her head with her eyes closed. "No."
"Yes you were, I just saw it." Ash turned her gaze on Porsha and gave her a probing look. "You saw it, right?"
Porsha nodded smugly. "Mmhm."
"Ok, so I wasn't seeing things." Ash looked back to Nooshy, who still had her arms crossed and was now pouting but her ears were red.
"You alright Nooshy?"
Nooshy did not answer as she found herself distracted as she tried hard not to smile as she thought back to the blissful evening she had.
She could not help herself as she remembered her first kiss and second kiss, remembering Johnny's warm embrace, how gentle he was when he held her in his strong arms, how warm and safe she felt, and how sweet and soft his lips were as well as the freshness of the mint tea on his breath.
"Nooshy? NOOSHY!"
The young lynx jumped as Ash's shouting shook her out of her dream.
"Wha-?"
"You just spaced out and you were smiling in this weird way. What the heck is going on with you?!"
Nooshy averted her eyes, nervously looking to her left and right, twiddling her forefingers. "Uh...well...uh…"
"Wow!" Porsha exclaimed with a grin. "You are hooked!"
"Huh?" Ash said, narrowing her eyes in confusion.
A frantic Nooshy turned on Porsha, putting a finger to her lips, silently pleading with the rich girl to keep silent.
Still smiling giddily, Porsha covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. She bowed her head and buried her face as she was failing to silence herself.
She seemed to get the message.
Ash rolled her eyes, groaned and threw her hands up. "I give up."
She shuffled out of the room without another word.
Nooshy sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping. "Thanks Porsha."
Porsha, shaking with silent laughter, her face still in her pillow, raised a trembling thumb up.
Nooshy shook her head, deeply annoyed. Ah well, a small price to pay. A dreamy smile stretched on her lips. And I'd say I'm getting the better part of the deal.
She touched her lips and they tingled to the touch as she remembered once more.
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Johnny, arms stretched out across his bed, was snoring softly.
He hardly ever slept so well.
And why not? He now has a girlfriend.
Sighing dreamily, Johnny smiled.
A girlfriend.
That was something new. Something that Johnny never had. So naturally, he wasn't quite sure on what to do or say to that.
Then again, Nooshy never had a boyfriend either.
That means they can learn how to do this together.
Together.
Johnny grinned stupidly to himself as he thought back to the events last night.
Her lips were so soft.
He tasted his own lips, remembering vividly the taste of strawberries and chocolate.
The way her heart raced and how he felt it beating as they held each other as their lips locked. And the way his own heart held the same rhythm.
He chuckled from his belly as he remembered how it got there in the first place.
That was only our second kiss, the first was an accident.
Grabbing his stomach, Johnny laughed out loud.
"What's so funny?"
Johnny opened his eyes to see Alfonso standing over him, looking quite bewildered.
"Oh...g'morning Al."
"Morning, you sleep good, man?"
Johnny stretched and yawned with the vigor expected from a young man his age.
I slept great!"
Alfonso smiled. "I'll bet. I mean you practically danced back into your bed."
Johnny froze and stared at the elephant ice cream vendor. "What was that?"
Alfonso had an amused smirk on his face. "You were dancing when you came back into the room, like some kind of ballerina."
Johnny's mouth dropped. "I did?"
"Yeah man, don't you remember?"
Johnny paused and his eyes looked downward as he searched back in memory.
His eyes widened and he grunted in shock. Oh man...it had to have been the tea.
"You're not going to tell anyone are you?" Johnny asked without lifting his head.
Alfonso lost his smile. "Of course not, Johnny."
Johnny smiled appreciatively. "Thanks man."
He slipped off the bed and started doing his morning stretches.
"You seem pretty happy this morning," Alfonso said. "Does this have anything to do with you-know-who?"
Johnny stopped mid-stretch.
Get a hold of yourself! he thought to himself. It's Alfonso. He's one of the sweetest guys ever. Meena is his girlfriend. Meena! I don't have to hide this from him.
"Maybe," Johnny rasped.
Alfonso put a massive hand on Johnny's back, causing a bit of pain. Johnny grunted, eyes wide.
"You kissed her, didn't you?"
Johnny's lips pursed thin as his cheeks burned red. At this rate, my face is going to be red permanently.
"It's that obvious huh?"
"I've served ice cream to many, many couples, Johnny. I've seen the looks on their faces when they had their first kiss together. It was your first, right?"
Johnny gaped. "How-?"
Alfonso shrugged his shoulders. "Call it a hunch."
You get those too huh?
"And am I also correct in assuming that you and her are now…?"
Johnny smiled sheepishly, then nodded.
Alfonso laughed as he enveloped Johnny in a bone-crushing hug. "Bout time bud! I'm so happy for you! For you both!"
Johnny grinned as he struggled for breath in the ice cream man's suffocating embrace. "Ok, off now," he said. "Can't dance if ya break my back mate."
Chuckling heartily, Alfonso placed Johnny back on the floor. "Nope," he said in agreement. "Nooshy would tie my trunk in knots if that happened."
"She really would."
And the two chums laughed together.
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Nana sipped her morning tea, wafting herself with her ever-present fan.
"Morning Nana."
"Oh, good morning Meena. Did you sleep well?"
"Very well. You?"
Nana arched her back in a stretch. "Beautifully."
Johnny slipped into the kitchen, eyes scanning for a familiar face.
His eyes brightened when he saw Nooshy already seated and having a bowl of cereal.
She was about to take her spoonful of cereal and almond milk into her mouth until her eyes landed on the face of the young man who had only become her boyfriend since last night.
Her eyes shined radiantly and a toothy grin came upon her lips.
Putting her spoon down, she scooted over so Johnny had plenty of room to take the seat next to her.
"Hi," Johnny said, taking his seat, not taking his eyes off his first girlfriend.
First? I don't want anyone to be my girl but her.
Nooshy smiled with a raised eyebrow, a familiar mischievous yet bashful glint in her amber-brown eyes. "Hi yourself."
"Sleep good?"
"Mmm," Nooshy said, eyes closed as though remembering something beautiful. "Best sleep I've had in ages."
Johnny leaned against the table, a similar look of blissful reminiscing on his face. "Mine too."
"Ugh! C'mon! I just started eating!"
Johnny and Nooshy looked across the kitchen table to see Ash with a sickened look on her face, eyeing them both with an exaggerated look of disgust.
"What?! Did the two just become a thing or something?! Cuz it hasn't been a minute since Johnny came in here and you're already being sweet on each other!"
Johnny and Nooshy looked to one another, uncertainty writ large.
Then they shrugged and Nooshy looked back at Ash. "Yes, actually."
All those present at the breakfast table stopped dead in their movements.
Buster dropped an apricot he was about to take a bite out of, eyes wide and mouth still open as he gandered the newly-formed couple.
Meena gasped as she covered her mouth.
Alfonso chuckled softly to himself, putting an arm around his girlfriend.
Porsha giggled quietly as she ate her French Toast, hardly paying any heed to the announcement.
Clay said nothing. He just drank his coffee but a warm smile grew on his face.
Nurse Sue, who sat next to him, shared his look as they made eye contact, both looking pleased at this turn of events.
Miss Crawly, who was in the middle of drinking her tea, paused in shock as she looked at the couple. Her tea spilled but it's contents were skillfully caught in the open teacup of Nana Noodleman, who did not take her eyes off her steel cut oatmeal.
Rosita and Norman were not present at the table as they were taking time to spend with their children, especially since they've been watched by Nurse Sue since yesterday afternoon and into the next day.
Ash stared, eyes wide. But then shrugged with a smile as she looked back at Nooshy. "Well...good for you."
Nooshy smiled back before turning to a terribly bashful Johnny and planting a loving kiss on his cheek.
At that, Johnny's brain shut down.
Dazed, he leaned back in his chair, so far that he fell backwards, hitting the floor, both feet pointing upwards so that from across the table, all that could be seen of Johnny was his legs and feet from the thigh up.
Nooshy reached out a hand but was already too late to stop Johnny's descent.
The table was silent once more.
Clay Calloway casually stood up from his seat to look across the table to have a look at Johnny.
Nurse Sue drank some coffee, shaking her head as she grinned.
Nana casually drank her tea, paying no mind, as an amused smirk appeared on her lips.
Trying to hide her own amusement, Porsha leaned back in her chair to have a look-see.
Ash looked under the table at Johnny, a deadpan look on her face. "You killed him," she said flatly.
Nooshy said nothing. Face and ears red, she went back to eating her cereal as though nothing happened. On instinct, she glanced back down at the half-dazed Johnny and her heart jumped upon seeing the goofiest smile on his semi-conscious face.
She turned away quickly, causing drops of milk near her mouth to fly fast across the table, her ears and face burning hotter.
So cute! So...cute!
She continued eating, hoping the cold milk would cool her off and help ease her racing, smoldering heart.
Meena covered her face as she grinned widely behind her ears at the romantic scene. "Omigosh, this is too adorable," she whispered.
"Morning everyone," Jimmy said as the teenage golden retriever entered the kitchen in a black casual t-shirt and gray slacks.
"Morning sweetie," Nurse Sue said to her nephew.
Rubbing any remaining sleepiness from his eyes, Jimmy immediately noticed Johnny on the floor, apparently having fallen backwards in his chair.
"Oh Johnny!" Jimmy exclaimed as he rushed to his semi-conscious friend. He helped the young gorilla who was twice his size up and set him in his chair upright. "You ok man?"
Johnny, shaking himself awake, gave the teenager a thumbs up.
"What happened? Are you hurt?"
"Nah, nah I'm fine, just fell is all." Johnny leaned towards Nooshy with a slight grin. "That was forward, ain't it?"
Nooshy laughed with a mouthful of cereal and milk, and she covered her mouth to keep spitting any out.
Jimmy raised an eyebrow, noticing the smoldering look in Johnny's chestnut eyes and the goofy grin on his face. He then noticed a sheepish Nooshy casually eating her cereal, as though trying to look natural.
Jimmy looked to others seated at the kitchen table and noticed the mix of knowing and/or amused looks on their faces.
"Am I missing something?"
"Are you missing something?" Clay said, trying to keep from laughing. "Yes."
"Ok…" Jimmy said, no less confused than he was. "So…?"
Clay did not reply. He just smirked as he continued having his coffee.
Jimmy pursed his lips indignantly. "Auntie? Context?"
Sue mirrored Clay's amused grin. "Later sweetie, later."
Exasperated, Jimmy groaned and then took a seat next to Johnny. He began his daily meal by taking a few orange slices and popping them into his mouth.
Geez, I wish someone could tell me what the heck is going on.
As Jimmy sulked, Eddie too walked into the kitchen, yawning.
He took a seat next to Buster.
"Morning Eddie."
"Morning Buster." Eddie yawned. "You will not believe the dream I had."
"Oh?" the koala said with only minimal interest.
"Now, I don't know if I had it while sleeping or if it was a waking vision after drinking some of Nana's special tea. I was walking down the hall and suddenly this big guy came out of nowhere and started waltzing and dancing down the hall like some pansy ballerina from another dimension."
Johnny flinched, his eyes wide as he heard this.
Nooshy paused just as she was about to eat another spoonful of cereal. She slowly averted her eyes, without turning her head, to Johnny.
"Really?" Buster said, his interest piqued. "Do you know who this 'ballerina' was?"
Johnny silently gasped as he locked eyes with Nooshy from the corner of his eye.
Her eyes widened a fraction as she looked at Johnny with growing suspicion.
Eddie paused for a moment, then shook his head. "I think I might've drank that mint tea a little too fast. Have no recollection of what the guy looked like at all. Just that he was big."
Johnny sighed quietly in relief.
Jimmy chuckled. "Sounds like a weirdo."
Johnny slumped his shoulders at that.
Nooshy smiled tightly as a laugh started to build up pressure in her throat. At the same time, she felt very warm in the pit of her stomach and her heart beat rhythmically.
He was so happy about having me as a girlfriend that he literally went away dancing?
With that in mind, Nooshy placed an affectionate hand on Johnny's hand and caressed it.
Instantly forgetting the embarrassing conversation, Johnny looked at her.
Nooshy smiled sweetly at him, eyes filled with radiant ambers.
Returning her smile, Johnny took her hand in his and squeezed it.
And they held that loving gaze. It was not like the times before that they had done this because now it meant something much, much more.
Ash groaned as she saw them. Can't they make eyes at each other after we are finished with our breakfast?
The porcupine noticed that Meena was looking at her in an odd way.
"What?"
"Everything ok Ash?"
Ash rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm...fine. Just a little uncomfortable by all this is all."
Meena furrowed her brow, taking notice of the way Ash was scowling. Ash had been touchy before but this seems different. Like seeing Johnny and Nooshy together and showing affection was upsetting her. Then it occurred to Meena. Is she jealous or is she reminded of her relationship with Lance?
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Breakfast went by rather smoothly, all things considered.
And it wasn't long before Nooshy requested that they retire to the private lounge so that they might continue the encounter group.
At Nana's suggestion, all those who are not personally close to Nooshy ought to sit this one out.
Norman, Eddie, Suki, and Marcus, who just now woke up, would wait outside.
Nana stayed at Nooshy's request.
Nurse Sue as well, being her nurse and all. Nooshy can trust her with what she's about to say.
As for Alfonso, Nooshy felt alright with having him there. Besides, she wanted him there for Meena because she knew what she had to say would not be easy to hear. And having Alfonso would provide Meena with much needed emotional support.
With everyone seated, Nooshy took a deep breath.
"Right…" she said slowly. "Right...I suppose it's time the rest of you know my story."
The rest leaned a bit forward in their chairs in anticipation.
This made Nooshy a little uncomfortable.
A clearing of the throat from Nana caused them to ease back.
Nooshy took a few breaths, tapping her knees nervously.
She then felt a gentle, comforting hand on top of hers. She looked up to see Johnny's kind eyes on her.
How she loved those chestnut eyes.
Smiling lightly, she went on.
"I was born in Cape Town...in South Africa. My parents' names were Chadwick and…" She grimaced and spat the last name like it was sour gum. "...Noelle."
Rosita looked sad but said nothing. Nooshy's disdain for her own mother was not unknown to her.
"Anyway…" Nooshy continued. "...my birth name was Noelle, same name as my mom's. I'll get to why I go by Nooshy later. I don't remember anything about my birthplace because we moved almost right after I was born. We moved to London. That's where my dad worked."
"What did your dad do?" Meena asked.
Nooshy smiled thoughtfully. "He was a professor for an acting school."
Rosita looked impressed. "Really."
Nooshy nodded. "He also led a dance troupe. One of the best in the country."
Buster's eyes shined. "The Mavericks Marvelous."
Nooshy grunted in annoyance. "Yes. Didn't care for the name."
Her eyes brightened as she thought back to the glorious days when she could sit in on her father's dancing escapades. "Those dance sessions were incredible. The way my dad moved, the way he could rally the others, how they moved in sync and how they flow. It was…" She sighed. "You'd have to be there to see it. Kickenklober would be green-eyed with jealousy if he saw."
"What did your mom do?" Rosita asked.
Nooshy frowned. "She was a florist." She breathed in sharply through her nose, trying to siphon her anger out.
Then her anger melted away and she just looked tired and wary. "Mum took pride in her work. And she had a way of leaving everything smelling sweet. My dad was crazy for her and he was her knight in shining armor."
Nooshy became misty-eyed and she bowed her head, lip scrunching up.
Johnny affectionately squeezed her hand.
"And then…" Nooshy might not have had the heart to continue if Johnny hadn't held her hand. "...dad got a royal summons...back into the RAF for active duty."
Nana blinked in surprise. "Your father was a pilot?"
Nooshy nodded sadly. "An ace. He was known by another name."
Clay Calloway's eyes widened. "The Black Arrow? Your father was the Black Arrow?!"
Nooshy chuckled lightly. "He didn't care for the name either, being a black panther and all. It was in reference to the color of his jet, not his fur color." Her look became distant. "You also know what happened to him, right Clay?"
Clay looked down. "He crash-landed in an aerial attack. Shot down."
"Officially, yes."
Looks of confusion were on Nooshy.
Johnny however bowed his head, sadly, not ceasing to let go of his girlfriend's hand.
"What do you mean officially?" Ash asked with a quiver in her voice.
Nooshy clenched her jaw and her eyes. "After the funeral, a friend of my dad's, his wingman, approached me and my mom. He told us that dad's plane wasn't shot down. It was defective and it crashed."
Everyone in the room, except Johnny, gasped.
"What?!" Buster said, face writ large with shock.
"Mum and I were told that the plane's fuel tank was not properly sealed and it ruptured. Dad literally crashed and burned…" Nooshy's eyes welled with furious tears. "...but not in that order."
Looks of horror filled the room.
Nana looked both shocked and angry herself. "This friend of your father's told you all this? When you were only seven years old?"
"He told my mum alone," Nooshy corrected. "I just eavesdropped is all. And for many nights since then I wish I hadn't, because many nights since then I had nightmares, nightmares of my dad burning to death in the sky."
Nooshy grit her teeth as tears leaked from her eyes. She covered her face as she wept and Johnny readily took Nooshy into his arms.
"Oh honey," Rosita said, voice filled with emotion.
Meena was openly crying now.
Alfonso moved his seat so he could pull Meena into a hug.
Ash was dabbing her wet eyes with a handkerchief. She managed to hold herself together but not so well that she couldn't shed a tear.
Johnny released Nooshy and she took a breath before sitting up straight and continuing. "Mum was devastated, broken. She couldn't cope. And she couldn't take of me or herself. Two months after dad died, it got so bad that my grandparents had to intervene, they were my dad's. Their names were Cole and Patricia." Nooshy sniffled. "They let us live on their farm in the states."
"You lived on a farm?" Porsha asked.
Nooshy smirked. "Don't look it, do I?"
Porsha managed a smile. "No, you really don't."
Nooshy smiled but it didn't last. "Granddad and Grandmum tried to help us, tried to help mum move past it but mum was just beaten down. We couldn't take any action against whoever designed the plane that got my dad killed. We knew that it was a cover up and if it had gotten out that we knew…" Nooshy paused as though remembering something. "Granddad must've known of the danger. He served too. Said that we'd be safe with them, away from the Crown and their people. And mum…" A bitter, mirthless smile appeared on her lips. "Ha...she started taking drugs to help herself sleep but she took more than the prescribed dose. Wouldn't stop, no matter how many times Grandmum begged her."
Nooshy gripped her knees, so hard her nails started to pierce her skin. "And a month later, we found out the hard way that mum was pregnant."
That stunned the entire group into silence.
"No!" Rosita gasped, hands on her mouth.
"Nooshy…no," Meena whispered.
Nooshy balled her hands into fists. "It was a boy. Looked just like dad. I was gonna have a little brother...and mum killed him because she couldn't cope."
Ash's mouth tightened, turned her head away as tears ran down her face.
Clay put a hand on her back, gently and soothingly rubbing it.
Nurse Sue clenched her teeth in sadness and anger. Such a thing was not unheard of and in her line of work, it was more common than people know.
Crestfallen, Nana downed her tea, starting to look more her age at that moment.
Nooshy stopped shaking. Now she looked exhausted and weary. "Mum got fifteen years to life. Haven't seen her since the cops took her away." Nooshy sighed deeply. "That was almost ten years ago."
"You haven't seen your mother in ten years?"
Rosita asked.
Nooshy turned her head away. "Yep."
"And you haven't visited her since?"
"Nope."
Meena looked aghast. "But…"
"But what Meena?" Nooshy demanded harshly. "After dad died, my mum completely shut down. She couldn't get on with her life. She practically abandoned me and her way of coping got my brother killed." Her bitter anger turned to weary sadness. "Besides, she probably doesn't want to see me anyway."
"What do you mean?" Ash asked. "Why wouldn't your mom want to see you?"
"Because of what I said to her, the last thing I said to her. While the police were dragging her away, she called out to me, begging me to look at her, but I couldn't. Grandmum was holding me, keeping my head down so I wouldn't have to watch. And then I said it, just loud enough for mum to hear. I told her...I told her...you're dead to me."
Nooshy flinched miserably as she divulged this, not bearing to look at the others. She chuckled mirthlessly. "I suppose you all think I'm a horrible person now."
"Not at all," Rosita said firmly but tenderly.
Ash scoffed. "Are you kidding me Nooshy? Of course we don't think you're a horrible person."
Meena nodded. "Not only that, we think you're the farthest thing from."
Nooshy looked up at the others and then back to the mother of 25. "Really?" she said. "You mean it?"
"Why in the world would you think otherwise?" Rosita stood up from her chair and placed both hands on Nooshy's shoulders, looking her straight in the eye. "Your mother was wrong to let herself fall to pieces like that, especially when she's with child. She suffered a terrible loss, as did you, worse still knowing how your father went."
Nooshy gasped as new tears formed.
"You've lost a brother Nooshy but your mother lost a son, and worse, she has to bear the burden that she's responsible."
"I know," Nooshy whispered, mind reeling at what she had only considered but never confronted directly. God Almighty, she's right. I had been blaming mum for what happened, but I never really thought about how she felt on her end. I told her she was dead to me and I never bothered with her. Ten years, ten years I've left her alone.
Tears started to stream down Nooshy's white fur and cheeks. "I wanted to hate her, I carried so much bitterness inside for her and it's been destroying me and I never realized…"
Ash chimed in. "All it does is strangle your heart and it makes it hard for you to love someone."
"That's right," Nooshy responded. "Granddad told me much the same thing. There aren't many of his kind today, Ash."
"What happened to them? Your grandparents?" Meena asked, but deep down, she knew the fearful answer.
Nooshy bowed her head. Johnny offered a handkerchief which was passed to him by Nana. The lynx took it without hesitation and she blew her nose.
"They...they died in their bed," Nooshy answered distantly. "Both of them."
"No...both of them?" Meena said, covering her mouth.
Ash bit her lip, sniffling. Wiping her eyes furiously, unable to keep from crying, she slipped off her seat and she ran to Clay Calloway's side, who held an arm out so Ash could hug him around the middle. Looking quite sad himself, Clay encircled the young porcupine in a comforting hug, gently rocking her as she sobbed with abandon.
Porsha covered her face as she burst into tears as well. Buster came to her side and soothingly patted her leg. The wolf girl, almost without warning, scooped up the koala and hugged him. Buster was a tad shocked but not wishing to upset Porsha further, returned the awkward hug.
Nooshy seeing the way her words were affecting her friends debated on whether or not she should continue. She had wanted a reason to stop anyway because the next part of her story...it was one she did not wish to remember ever again.
"Look," Nooshy said regrettably. "I can see what I'm saying is upsetting all of you, so l can stop if-"
"NO!" shouted Ash, Meena, Rosita and Porsha in unison.
Startled, Nooshy jumped in her seat.
The others in the room recoiled at the shout as well.
Nana nearly spilled her fresh cup of lapsang.
Gunter was visibly shaking, lip pursed.
Clay held his hands up slightly at Ash's outburst.
Buster was shaking a bit in Porsha's arms, who did not let go, even when she shouted with the other girls.
Nurse Sue simply stiffened in her chair, before brushing some of her hair out of her eyes.
Alfonso was shaking a bit, not used to seeing Meena raise her voice like that.
Johnny barely moved. His focus was on his lady love.
"W-What?" Nooshy said timidly.
"Nooshy, don't stop now," Rosita said.
"Yeah dude, not after you've come so far," Porsha agreed.
Ash nodded firmly. "If you lose your nerve now, you may not get it back. I can tell you got more to say. If you want to heal, you have to open up."
Meena nodded as well. "It's true Nooshy. It's a little hard to listen...but we don't want you to stop...not if it means you not getting through this."
Nooshy's lip quivered, a hand over her heart. "You guys…"
Johnny took her hand and gently squeezed it. "Noosh...don't stop now." He sealed his words by giving her a tender kiss on her cheek.
Nooshy blushed fiercely, her head bowed.
She cleared her throat.
And without letting go of Johnny's hand, she continued.
"Right...so...It's not uncommon I'm afraid," Nooshy said, her eyes still quite red and raw. "Their doctor told me that there were plenty of cases where old couples would just die together. That night they were doing fine. And the next morning, they weren't up like always and I found them in their bedroom. They were already gone."
Nooshy bit her lip, mind-rending anxiety stirring up in her chest. Dredging up that memory was almost unbearable. What came next would be so much worse. Nooshy was not sure if she could go into that.
I have spent so many years shoving that down into the back of my mind. If Johnny knew…
Nooshy felt a large, long arm encircle her in such a gentle way as though she were a fragile thing. She didn't have to look up to see who it was as that arm pulled her into the broad chest of the young man who had only just become her boyfriend.
The anxiety began to melt away as she nestled into Johnny's massive bosom, both arms around her, making her feel so safe that she felt she could face the world and all its darkness.
"Were they holding hands?" Nurse Sue asked.
Nooshy blinked away tears as she turned to the nurse with a start. "How did you-?"
Sue nodded grimly. "As a nurse, I've seen many elderly couples bedridden, side by side, and...holding hands as they...passed away."
Meena smiled sadly. "I heard of stuff like that. It's beautiful...but tragic too."
Nooshy nodded. "After that, the doctor called the funeral home and signed the death certificates. I watched as they took my grandparents away. I would never make it to the funeral."
"What?!" Rosita gasped. "Why?!"
"Because I was put into foster care."
Ash looked beyond angry. "And they didn't let you go to your grandparents' funeral?!"
Nooshy clenched her eyes and her jaw. Tears leaked and she shook her head. "It's not that they wouldn't let me, I just never got the chance because...because…" Nooshy covered her face, pulled her knees to her chest and she began to tremble terribly.
Johnny felt cold, like a frozen void opened in his chest. He heard stories about what happened to kids at foster care and he began to fear the worst.
Nooshy never told him, he realized.
No. No. No no no no! Not her! Not her!
Johnny reached out to Nooshy but before he could touch her, she recoiled violently as though his touch would burn her.
She looked terrified, so much so that the thought of being touched would cause her to jump out of her skin.
At this very moment, she couldn't bear to be touched by her boyfriend.
Johnny looked shocked beyond belief. Nooshy never acted this way before. What has shaken her so bad? Johnny did not want to know but he knew he had to. For her sake.
Everyone else looked just as shocked and terrified as Johnny.
Nooshy was shaking as though she had a chill but one look from Johnny's eyes, those gentle, compassionate chestnut eyes, the most beautiful she had ever seen, and the terror and anguish began to wane.
Seeing that she was beginning to settle, Johnny reached out to her again.
This time, Nooshy did not back away.
Instead, she threw herself into his arms.
Johnny caught her and they both fell to their knees.
Nooshy wailed into his chest as he held her tightly while she in turn held onto him for dear life.
The others watched in tears, some with terrified anticipation of the implications.
What happened to Nooshy while she was at foster care? What terrified her so that she couldn't bare to be touched?
The implications seemed to speak for themselves and the others could not bear to even think about it.
Rosita covered her mouth with both hands, tears streaming down her face.
Meena was leaning into Alfonso, who held her tight as she wracked with sobs.
An almost hysterical Ash was back in Clay's arms sobbing as well, while Nurse Sue gently rubbed her back.
Porsha no longer had any more tears to cry. She was young but she was not unfamiliar with tragedy and when she was not coping with having a late mother and absent father, she was informing herself with the current events of today. And the abuses that occurred at foster care was among them and it never ceased to shock her and rend her heart.
Buster stood beside her, shell-shocked and unfathomably sad.
Nana Noodleman on the other hand, sat aloof, fanning herself incessantly and with tears in her eyes, wore a look of livid fury on her aged face.
Nooshy continued to cry hysterically, gasping raspily, as a devastated Johnny held the trembling girl close.
Johnny whispered in her ear everything he could think of to comfort her, whatever it took to make this ok.
Was she keeping this in the back of her subconscious all this time? If this is what I think it is, can we help her?
Suddenly, Johnny felt Nooshy's body tighten and then convulse. She shook even more and she gagged violently.
Johnny acted at once. "Nurse Sue! Trash can!"
The golden retriever sprang out of her seat, grabbed the bronze trash bin near a desk space in the private lounge and fast as lightning, presented it to Johnny.
Gently letting go of Nooshy and turning towards the trash bin, he placed a hand on her back as she lowered her head into the can.
All the fear and emotional pain came full force, making her feel sick, so sick she could no longer keep her breakfast down.
"HUUUAAAGHHHH!" Nooshy retched violently abd painfully as Johnny gently and soothingly rubbed her back.
It took two full minutes for her to finish and recover.
The room was filled with the sharp, acidic smell of vomit.
Nana wrinkling her nose, produced a small bell and rang it.
Johnny flinched and instinctively looked to Gunter, who, catching Johnny's look and reading his thought, merely blushed slightly.
Get a hold of yourself Johnny. Gunter has been cured of the hypnotism. He's not going to turn into a secret agent again.
Douglas Hobbs entered the room and without being told twice, the old penguin picked up the trash bin and shuffled out of the room.
Once the smell was gone, and once it was clear that Nooshy was finished, Johnny pulled a handkerchief from his leather jacket and thoroughly wiped Nooshy's mouth clean.
And then he pulled her back into a hug and she simply rested against his chest.
It went against every fiber of Johnny's being, but it was necessary.
"Do you want to stop?" Johnny whispered.
"No," Nooshy gasped, coughing a bit. "No...I can tell it...I can."
"You'll need this then."
Nooshy turned her head to see Nana Noodleman kneeling beside her, hot teacup and saucer in hand. "Mint tea," she said softly, her eyes a bit red. "It will help."
Nooshy shakily reached out a hand but Johnny beat her to it. He prepared to have Nooshy drink the tea from the cup.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Gently lifting the teacup to her lips, Johnny lifted Nooshy's head so she could drink the contents.
She coughed, not realizing how strong the tea would be.
"Slowly dearie," Nana said with the gentleness as one would expect from a loving grandmother, which she was, even if she had a way of showing it. "You must drink it slowly."
Nooshy nodded.
Johnny, with one hand behind Nooshy's head and the other holding the teacup, helped her finish the tea.
Once she was done, she coughed a bit before she continued.
"I was eleven years old. It was the first week. The people in charge were not very nice people." Nooshy gulped. The aftertaste of the tea was rather strong too. How light she felt definitely helped keep the anxiety and sickness away. "The kids there were nice enough but they were scared a lot of the time. Like something was being held over them. I knew something was wrong with that place the second I walked in."
Nooshy leaned into Johnny but keeping her head turned so her words would not be muffled by the fabric of his shirt.
"I was put into a single bed room. It was not taken care of very well. There were stains, the floorboards were cracked and the one window did not have locks. The bed was cozy though."
No one dared to comment or ask questions, fearing how Nooshy might answer.
"Three nights later…" Nooshy closed her eyes tight. "...I was told it happened a lot afterwards...this man...he comes to your bed at night…"
All eyes on her were filled with a mix of horror and sadness.
Rosita covered her eyes. "No…" she whispered.
"I didn't recognize him," Nooshy said, almost as though in an unpleasant dream. "I knew he shouldn't be there. And I knew he was up to no good because of the look in his eyes." Nooshy felt sick again but the tea helped keep her from vomiting again.
"Did he…?" Johnny asked, tears running down his face as he held Nooshy tighter.
"No," Nooshy replied in a hollow tone as though she had no life in her voice. "He tried to...but I clocked him on the head with a lamp before he could so much as touch me. I hit him two more times before he could try anything else. I dressed up fast, packed what I could and I ran out of the house."
"He...he didn't…?"
Nooshy shook her head. "No Johnny, he didn't."
Johnny hugged Nooshy tight, and yet it was so gentle as though she were glass. She thought she'd flinch from the touch but knowing who it was from, it gave her some peace of mind.
He whimpered. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
"You got nothing to be sorry for," Nooshy said assuredly but shakily, weakly wrapping her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his matted hair, slightly damp from perspiration, undoubtedly produced by the traumatic experience of this encounter group.
She found it easier to talk now. Seems that the worst was over now that she had gotten the worst of her story out.
Thank God, she thought. Thank God.
"What happened next?" Ash asked, drying her eyes.
"Hang on...just hang on a minute Ash." Nooshy looked up at her boyfriend. "Johnny...do you...think I'm disgusting now?"
Everyone in the room blinked in bewildered shock at that question.
"What?!" Johnny exclaimed. "Nooshy, never! How can you even think that?!"
Nooshy lowered her head. "Because...because...I'm damaged goods."
"Nooshy!" Johnny said firmly, taking his girlfriend by the shoulders. "Don't you dare say that! You are nothing of sort! What happened to you was not your fault and I'm not going to treat you any differently for it! Do you understand?"
Nooshy smiled weakly as she nestled her head back into Johnny's chest until he brought her head up again, and placing both hands on her cheeks, very, very gently tilted her head so he could look her in the eyes.
"Do you understand Nooshy?"
The lynx sniffled and nodded. "Mmhm."
"Good." Johnny held Nooshy close to his heart, the gentle beat of it helping her relax and her breathing began to soften.
Nooshy smiled meekly and sighed happily.
And then she closed her eyes and she slumped.
Johnny took notice of this and looked down at the unmoving, lightly-breathing Nooshy.
"I think she passed out."
Nana sighed as she took a sip of tea from her ever-present cup. "Probably for the best."
Johnny gingerly picked Nooshy up in his arms. "I'll put her to bed then." He looked up at the rest of his friends. "Girls, could one of you be with her so she isn't alone when she wakes up?"
"I'd do it," Rosita said, slightly ashamed. "But I have to be with my kids."
"No no no, of course Rosita. You have to be with your family."
"I'll do it," Porsha said, standing up from her seat. "We sleep in the same room anyway."
"Me too," Ash said strongly.
"I'll go too," Meena said shakily.
"Thank you," Johnny said with a warm smile. "All of you."
00000
Johnny laid Nooshy on her bed, adjusting her pillow and then covering her over with her covers, gently tucking her in and wrapping her feet in the blankets.
And then he removed his leather jacket and placed it over her as additional covering and a gesture of love.
Porsha sat by the bed, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
Ash sat beside her, snuggling up against her.
Meena laid by the foot of Nooshy's bed, also with a blanket wrapped around her.
None spoke.
No words would work at this moment.
Johnny taking one last look at Nooshy, he leaned down and kissed her on her lips. The kiss held for almost a full minute before he parted from her.
He walked out of the room and he closed the door.
…..