Village

Village Part 6

Fernando seemed to loosen slightly at the news. Louisa adopted the same look that every woman in the village would give her had she the chance. Poor child, it said. You poor, poor child.

"So sorry to hear. Very sorry," Louisa offered.

Celeste asked, "So, can I take a look at her? What is her name?"

"Her name is Mary," Louisa said, taking Celeste by the arm and leading her through a short hallway to the right and into a room filled with colorful drawings and posters. The color blue permeated everything. The bed covers, walls, and the clock on the bedside table that looked as if it had been painted blue in a hurry, its caked on layers of azure exposing the heavy brush strokes from small hands. The room was dark, save a wiry, seven legged lamp that stood in the corner with multicolored lamp shades over the seven different lights. A single blue one was on, casting a faint, muzzled sea color over part of the room. The girl, Mary she had said, lie in the edge of shadow with the covers drawn up to her head. Celeste could already smell the sweat.

"She says she is freezing. I don't want to cover her too much. I try to put cool cloth on her back but she hollers it is cold."

Celeste looked around at Louisa only to find her and Louisa were alone in the room. Fernando had stayed in the living room. Not a good sign. She would press on.

She could make out shoulder length, dark hair and what appeared to be a small frame through the sky colored sheets.

"Mary, sweetie. Hi there. My name is Celeste and your mom wants me to take a look at you real quick, okay?"

A weak, sickly voice responded. "Are you an Elder?"

"Oh, no baby. Just... a doctor," she lied.

"I'm not a bad person," the faint voice offered.

"I'm sure you're not, darling. I'm just going to ask you a few questions and look at a couple of things and then you'll be all set. Okay?"

Celeste could not see the child's face very well. It was too far from the one light in the room. She asked Louisa for more light. Louisa went to the lamp and turned a knob two or three times.

When the extra bulbs came on, Celeste found herself struggling momentarily to not change her facial expression. The light washed over the girl's skin revealing a pallid complexion. The eyes were what bothered her the most. Huge, dark ellipses surrounded each eye, and when taken in conjunction with Mary's tiny frame, looked almost sunken in like a skeleton's. Her hair was a tangled and sweaty mess, matted together from lying in the bed. The fear that resided in Mary's eyes was heart wrenching.

Celeste knew in a second what the child was feeling. She herself had gotten ill when she was fifteen. It was a simple stomach virus, but it had been two weeks before the Festival. Too close for comfort. No, it didn't choose children, but it scared the shit out you just the same. The thought that it could be you tied to the post when the sun dropped below the horizon. All alone. In a dark, deserted village.

"Can you open your mouth and stick out your tongue for me, baby?"

Mary did, and Celeste could immediately see that her tongue was white. She was dehydrated.

"Can you lean up just a bit?"

Mary slowly complied. Celeste placed her hand on the child's back. A furnace.

"Thermometer?" asked Celeste.

Louisa looked embarrassed. She shook her head, no.

"Can you bring me a cool damp cloth? Make sure it's not cold, just a little cool, okay?"