Hotel Ambrose

Chapter 12: The Table

We always brushed our teeth together at night. It was just this stupid thing we did. I liked the sound of those two brushes scrubbing away at the same time. We spat out at the same time, and gargled mouthwash at the same time. Sometimes we'd spray mouthwash everywhere we were laughing so hard.

I'd slopped some toothpaste on the floor. It looked like a big white slug lying there. Gross. I crouched down and scooped it up with my toothbrush. As I started to get back up again I saw there was blood going down Sophie's leg.

"Sophie?"

"What?"

I pointed at her leg. The blood was coming down from under her nightie. Sophie looked at the blood and her face went white. She's like that with blood.

"Must've cut myself," she said faintly. She got a piece of toilet paper off the roll and wiped the blood away, but as soon as she did another trickle came down.

"Where's it coming from?" I said. The first thing I thought of was Elinor bleeding from her bum.

"I'll see," she said. "Well? Do you mind?"

"Oh. Right." I hurried out of the bathroom. After a minute had passed I called to her through the door. "Is it coming from your bum?"

"No."

"Where's it coming from then?"

"From my -" She mumbled something.

"Your what?"

"My vagina."

Was this worse? I didn't know. "I'm coming in," I said.

When I got back inside she was standing next to the bath. Bits of bloody toilet paper were laid out along the rim, like it was a cake she'd been decorating. There was a stain on her nightie.

"I'm scared Ben."

"You'll be okay," I said. "Does it hurt?"

"Kind of. I dunno."

"We're going to a doctor."

"But..."

"No. Get dressed."

"What about Fred?"

"I'll go get him. Get dressed."

Some people lose it in emergencies. They cry and panic and everything. Not me. I'm all action. I ran in and woke Fred up. He wasn't happy, but when I told him we were going for a night walk he was wide awake in a second. Fred liked night walks. I wondered how long Sophie had before she died. I knew people didn't bleed from inside their bodies unless there was something really wrong with them, like Elinor.

"Come on Fred! Get your bloody coat on willya!"

Fred started to cry.

"Please Fred," I said, lowering my voice. "Please."

He stopped crying then. I helped him with his coat, then I carried him to the other bedroom where Sophie was waiting.

"Was there more blood?" I said.

"Calm down Ben."

I didn't.