Sniffle

The sniffle that I make echoes throughout the room, making me jump. Cal walked through the door and sat in the gray chair, huffing. I played with the end of the hospital gown he helped me find. The doctor then made his way in, sitting on a roller chair that squeaked. He clicked away on his computer, then looked at me with concerned eyes.

"How long was he hurting you?" He asked, clasping his hands together. I looked at Cal then at the doctor. Using my fingers, I held up seven fingers. The doctor sighed, then took his glasses off. "Years? Months? Days? Weeks? Hours? Minutes? I need you to answer the questions I have, ma'am." He sounded angry. It's been so long since I've talked. I cleared my throat and looked at my feet.

"Seven-teen years." I gulped, messing with my fingers. He nodded, putting his glasses back onto his nose. Cal looked at the doctor and sighed.

"As far as I know, Mr. Brynner hid the scars and injuries in places that were harder to find during a physical. Also, there was clear evidence in the house that there was another person at one moment in time. Neighbors couldn't tell me whether or not it is true." He loosened his tie and then the two had a conversation. My heart began to beat almost as fast as the fan spinning in the room. There is no fan.

Cal and I sat in his car, silence filling the air like a gas. He started the car and we sped off.

"Good job on talking to the doctor." He mumbled, turning the wheel. I smiled, nodding. We drove for a long time. Then, he stopped the car at a house bigger than the mall down the street. The two of us exited and walked to the front door. When the door opened, a little boy ran to the door. He picked him up, holding him close. I moved over, watching them laugh and talk to each other. The little boy looked at me, pointing his finger at my nose.

"She's pretty, daddy, who is she?" His small finger touched the tip of my nose. I smiled and stuck my tongue out. Cal walked through the door, pulling me along with him. We sat on the couch, the little boy sitting on Cal's knee. Cal looked at me, slowly nodding.

"I'm. . .Maurice. Just call me Mari, though, okay?"My voice was soft when it left my mouth. He smiled, hugging me tightly. Charlie. That's his name. I didn't think that Cal was the type of person to be a father. I smiled, knowing that it was okay to feel scared and to cry and show weakness.

Cal put Charlie to bed, leading me into a spare room filled with a bed and books. My eyes grew wide, a smile growing almost as big. I plopped onto the bed and wrapped myself up with the giant blanket. Cal laughed, opening a dresser filled with clothes. I sat up after he handed me some clothes. I smiled, saying good-night. He responded with the same things and left, closing the door behind him. I'm safe here. I'm okay. Right?

~End~