The Girl with Cat's Eyes

C H A P T E R 2

'I heard your breathing over the monitor... Everything okay?'

I nodded quickly, hoping she wouldn't notice that the TV was magically on. I'd been told 'bed rest' would 'do the best for me at this current stage'. Er... No.

'Was that TV on earlier?' she said looking at me confused.

Damn it.

I put on my most innocent smile and nodded my head enthusiastically, so much so that I ended almost looking like a hyperactive penguin.

She narrowed her eyes at me. 'Are you sure, young lady?'

I nodded harder.

'Okay...If you say so...' She said and walked out shaking her head.

I reached for the remote and smiled to myself as I switched channels.

The pad still sat there, next to me, and my gaze was drawn to it, but I knew I couldn't, I shouldn't touch it. I'd be punished. He would break my fingers like he did the last time.

Who? I asked myself. Who would punish me? Who broke my fingers? But as ever there was no reply and I reminded myself of the vow I had mad the previous night.

I shrugged and turned my gaze back to the TV trying hard to ignore it.

As promised, Jesse returned home at four, and talked with his mum for a long while before he came in to the room. He glanced at the pad, and his face looked a little disappointed to see it empty, but he soon covered it up.

'Hey...' he said.

I waved at him, and gave him a smile that said 'well this is awkward...'. He laughed and I shrugged.

'So how are you?' he asked.

I crossed my arms and looked him up and down. How does he think? I gestured to my bandaged hand and arm and the rest of my battered broken ugly body. Ugly. That’s what I was. I remember being called that so many times. By who? Ugh! I hate this! Why can't I remember? I thought to myself.

Jesse saw my face, and my frown and looked at me confused.

'Are you okay? Should I call Mum?'

I shook my head quickly, not wanting Sarah to come in and fuss over me again. I was fine, and she had better things to be doing than coming in here every five seconds...

He smiled at me. 'Too fussy?'

I nodded, smiling slightly.

'Don't worry. She's like that with me when I'm ill.' I nodded again, this time in understanding and amusement. His eyes twinkled before his face hardened again. He shook his head slightly.

'I've got to go. See you...'

I looked at him confused. Bi-polar much? Then I shrugged, and he left. Really? What's with the mood swings.

As the days went by I started to walk more, when Sarah wasn't there of course, when I was completely alone. I just smiled when ever she came in to check on me, saying she thought I was having another panic attack, but I always just shook my head at her and I think gradually she was beginning to feel better about it, although I could see she thought she was going a little mad what with all the times she had 'imagined' hearing heavy breathing through the baby monitor. Gradually, I learned to control my breathing, until I didn't need to concentrate at all. I could walk completely normally with out difficulty. But still I didn't tell her, Doctor Feilds, or Jesse, because I was still officially ordered bed rest, so I knew Sarah would get all fussy and worried, and Jesse would have some other serious conversation with me, and go all bipolar on me again, while Doctor Feilds would just look at me over the tops of his glasses and take notes.