Penny & the Guardians

16 - Barielles

My mum asked me to come back to town for one night to help with decorating for my dad's birthday and I was happy to do it. I headed over and started decorating in the early afternoon. The party was small in our garden. Only one couple came over that my parents had made. I knew they talked about loads of people so I wondered why they had such a small gathering. Probably will party hard when I'm gone.

Seth's in the kitchen when I head back the next morning.

"Morning" I cough some of my coffee down and smile.

"Did you have a good evening?" He asks as he reaches for a mug. He looks tired.

"Yes, it was a great night. Did Alice sleep through?" he's still at my question, with his back turned to me I feel uneasy. I arch my brow at his silence.

"We had a bit of a rough night." He mutters irritatingly slowly. His hand resting on the counter as he faces away hunched.

"What happened?" I say to his back, irritation growing.

"She had a nightmare and tried to get out of the French doors. She hurt her hands." Seth say's behind me, I put my coffee down and head straight for her room.

I see her still asleep in bed, her hands neatly on her lap bandages around them. I check them closer and see he has done a decent job. Seth follows me in, only now do I take in the boarded-up French door.

Since looking after her, waking Alice had always been a jumpy experience, she would reach out and grab the collar of her disturber and glare in your face. A tense four seconds followed her grip strong and unyielding, eyes staring so hard you can see them shaking in their sockets as she glared. Then like the sun coming through the clouds her grip released and her eyes took on a knowing focus as she softened. Often apologising quietly. This time I knew it would be no different.

I wake Alice as gently as I can, my palm on her shoulder, "Alice it's me Penny." She grabs my shirt as aggressively as she always does and for a few seconds I still wonder whether she is going to pull a knitting needle out from under her pillow and jam it in my throat. I stare back waiting for the shaking to stop in her.

This time when she comes round and sees me she releases me letting out a wail, staring at her hands.

Her cries scare me more than the assaults ever could. I wrap an arm around her shoulders and rest her back on her pillows.

"I need Barielles." She cries.

I try to soothe her as she repeats herself. Seth looks uneasy at the end of the bed.

"What's Bareilles?" I look to Seth for answers

" It's an old medicine from her childhood. He's not looking me in the eye.

"Have you used it before?" I ask him wondering why he is pointlessly adjusting a throw cushion instead of talking.

"Me? oh uh no."

"Okay. I will look it up to see if she's requesting some sort of party drug and trying to trick us."

He gives me a small smile. As I step out of the room to get fresh bandages, cream, hot water and towels. I wanted to see the damage to her hands for myself.

I give her tea and breakfast in bed and then change her bandages. It's bad, deep cuts along her fists from the glass. Swelling and bruising.

I'm finished with her and she's nodding off in front of theTV in the living room "She must have been doing this for a while before she broke the glass." I don't hide my accusation to Seth as we stand in the kitchen.

"I heard one big crash and I rushed in. She was through the French door and outside." he arches a brow at my hesitation.

I stay silent as I have nothing civil to say.