The Muse

Chapter 18

They went inside the house and Jenny decided that the time had come to call Winter's mother. It was a phone call she was not looking forward to.

They had Winter lie down on a towel on the couch with pillows behind her head and the fan pointing at her.

A little while later Jenny returned and sat down opposite the couch.

"Winter honey," she began. "I called your mother and she said she'll call Doctor Allen and have him come out here to check on you soon. And she said that she and your brother will come home a day early. They'll be back tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh, is my mum coming back?" asked Winter. She was still a bit spaced out.

"Yes, but not until tomorrow, ok?" repeated Jenny.

"Oh... ok," she said.

Feeling more relaxed now at the state of things, Jenny went off into the kitchen to get out some leftovers for tea. Tania followed along to help.

Winter dozed on and off on the couch and Reuben sat near her feet, slumped backwards and looking over at her. He still didn't feel entirely relaxed about the whole thing and felt responsible for it. During one of her water breaks Winter looked down at herself while sucking on the straw and suddenly noticed that she was only wearing her underwear.

"Where are my clothes," she asked a little distressed. She began to get up but Henry, who was sitting near her head leaned forward and took hold of her shoulders to lower her back down.

"We'll get them for you," he said.

"Stop grabbing me—you're always doing that," Winter told him off and pushed his hands off her.

Sugar was sitting in an armchair opposite them. She stood up.

"Yeah, stay there, I'll get you something to put on," she said and started across to the stairs.

"It's for your own good," Henry said and clutched Winter's closest forearm with both of his hands, for a joke.

"Get off me," she tried to pry his fingers from her arm with her free hand but they wouldn't budge. Then she looked up at him and realised he was teasing her. She smiled. "Fine, have it your way," she said and pinched and twisted the back of his hand.

"Ouch," he squawked letting go with the pinched hand but then grabbing another part of her arm with his other hand.

Reuben watched on, looking cheerless. Sugar came back with a singlet top, shorts and dry underwear for her to put on. Winter stood up, self-consciously, and grabbed the clothes and she held them against the front of her to cover herself. After assuring everyone that she was capable, she walked shakily, but alone, over to the laundry to get changed. Henry lounged back on the couch and swung his bare foot up on the coffee table. He rubbed both of his eyes and when he'd finished he saw his sister was looking at him intently.

"I know, alright, I know. You were all right and I was wrong," Henry said, getting in first before she could.

"So, have you learnt anything from this?" Sugar continued.

"Yes, Blaze is a little more excitable around sheep than I remembered."

"And?" she pressed.

"And... oh, I don't know—and Winter looks hotter in her underwear than I could have imagined?"

"Henry!" Sugar and Reuben reprimanded him together.

"That's a little inappropriate, isn't it?—Considering..." said Reuben curtly. His expression darkened.