A fractured fairytale

56

When I got her into my room, Rose crumpled on my bed, her head lolling to one side and her eyes immediately falling shut. I left her lay there, shivers wracking through her, and went to my wardrobe in search of some spare blankets.

"What happened, baby?" I asked her, my mind conjuring up every possibility.

This had happened twice now. I'd chalked it up to coincidence last time, but I was starting to believe something bigger was going on. Surely, she couldn't be the target of three random attacks in the space of a few months?

"I'm tired," she whined, tugging at the duvet beneath her, trying to pull it over her. I returned to her side and placed a hand on her wrist, halting her movements. She whined louder before I draped a thick, furry blanket over her.

"That better?" I asked, settling on the very edge of the mattress beside her.

She hummed in response, tucking it all around her before blinking up at me. "I missed you," she mumbled, eyes fluttering shut again. Her dark lashes fanned across her cheeks, damp and clumped together from her tears.

I grazed a finger down the right side of her face, avoiding her injuries, and then pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I missed you too," I told her. Her lips flickered into a smile and I felt myself relax a little.

A knock at the door sounded and I twisted to see my mom enter, a pair of grey joggers draped over her arm and some fluffy pink socks in her hand. "Hey sweetie, are these okay?"

I took them off her. "Perfect, thank you."

I turned back to Rose and brushed her damp hair out of her eyes. "Come on, baby," I called, "let's get you showered and changed into some nice dry clothes, yeah?"

She grumbled something incoherent where she lay, not even bothering to open her eyes. "Has she been drinking?" my mom asked beside me, her eyes filling with tears. I squeezed her shoulder and dropped the clothes she'd brought on the edge of the bed.

"I think so," I answered. I grabbed the hoodie I'd been wearing yesterday and had thrown over my desk chair before moving back to Rose. "Come on baby, you're freezing. A nice warm shower will make you feel better."

She didn't even deign to respond this time and I had to gently shake her shoulder to keep her from falling asleep. "Shower will have to wait." I looked up to see my dad in the doorway, Doctor Morgans right behind him.

The man was tall and thin, with greying hair and piercing green eyes. He had been our doctor ever since we were children and worked privately for the mafia, alongside a team full of people. This man was one of the few my dad had trusted to take care of his kids, so I knew he was not only good at his job but loyal to our family.

He strode straight past me to where Rose lay. "Hi, honey," he greeted, although I wasn't sure she heard him. Her eyes stayed closed and she made no indication that she knew someone else was in the room. "I'm going to take a little look at you, is that okay?"

He gave her a little shake awake and she mumbled a "mkay" before falling quiet again.

"Matt," my dad called, eyes narrowed in my direction. He gestured towards the door. "A word?"

I flickered my gaze between him and Rose. "I promised her I'd stay."

"I'll be here," mom assured me, hovering just behind Doctor Morgan. Rose didn't move or say anything and I guessed she'd passed out cold. No surprise since she was clearly drunk, upset and exhausted.

I turned back to my dad and furrowed my brows. "Make it quick."

With a swift nod, he left the room. I spared one more glance in Rose's direction to see Doctor Morgan wiping away the blood beneath her nose, and then followed dad into the hallway. As soon as the door clicked shut behind me, he pinned me with a look. "What the hell happened to her?"