Take Care (book 5 in The Droplet Series)

10

Steve wakes up seeing a girl looking at him from above, his hands are bandaged. "Who are you...?" Steve asks, his sight blurry.

"James called me to look for you." The girl says, her hair brown and tall, her eyes brown as well.

"But who are you...?" Steve asks.

"Rosie." The girl says.

"Where is James?" Steve asks anxious.

"Downstairs." she replies.

Steve nods and sits up, realizing he's put in bed. "Where are you from?" Steve asks, looking at his bandaged arm.

"I'm your neighbour, James used to do a lot for me and my family... he actual called my brother Mikey but ... stuff happened so I came." Rosie tells.

"Stuff?" Steve asks, feeling dizzy.

Rosie carefully pushes him down, noticing it. She knows that stuff too well because of her brother who gets beaten up a lot. "Things you shouldn't worry about." Rosie smiles.

"I want to go downstairs and check on James..." Steve says protective.

"He's fine." she says, she sits down on the bedside. "Why did you hurt yourself?" She asks suddenly.

"I got told to." Steve responds.

"By James?" Rosie asks.

Steve shakes his head. "He is the one who makes me stop hurting in fact." Steve replies. "But I don't know you, Why would I trust you?" Steve asks.

"Because I trust you." She says.

"Are you insane...? Why would you trust me?" Steve asks, surprised and confused.

"Because you look after James in the best way you could and that means you have a big heart, I saw the stitching, James told me you did it. It signs patience, caring, perfectionism and love. I know I could trust you." Rosie says. "That's why James loves you."

Steve feels triggered, he stares at Rosie. "He loves me?" He asks surprised, hopeful. feeling his body warm up.

Rosie smiles. "He cares about you so extreme much." She cleans Steve's chest again and chages bandages since they turn red quick by bleeding. "You bleed a lot." She says.

Steve nods. "Thin blood, meaning I bleed easily and it'll continue bleeding for a while." He says.

Rosie nods.

"You are young." Steve says.

"I'm 16." She says.

"Why aren't you shocked about me doing such things like this to myself, and deal with a human skeleton downstairs?" Steve asks.

"Because my brother was as thin as Janes, and because my sister dies this stuff all day." Rosie says, she's starting to cry.

Steve spreads his arms and hugs her, cradling. "Just cry girl, sometimes just cry."

Rosie cries in Steve's shoulder.

"Can you tell me a bit about your family?" Steve asks gently.

"My brother is smart.. he knows everythibg about maths-"

"sounds like James." Steve says.

"-yes.. but he didn't got taught anything. He never went to school, He taught himself." Rosie tells.

"That's not like James.. James had school." Steve says.

"Then there's my sister Ella, she's 12 years old and she cuts all day. Especially when mum hurts Mikey or make him do anything, exhausting him a lot.... Mikey takes care of my family. We don't have money so when Mikey cooks, he won't cook a lot... he'd give us everything he cooked and nothing eat himself." Rosie sobs, telling him everything. "After eating. Mum - she's usual drunk - would go to him and hit him with empty wine flasks. He'd strumble upstairs and come to me. Asking me to help me get the pieces of glass out of his skin..." She cries.

Steve cradles her. "You're doing a really good job to help your brother." He says.

"Thanks..." she says, sobbing, looking at him.

"Should I make you some hot chocolate?" Steve asks.

"I never had that..." She says.

"Then today will be your first time. Come downstairs." Steve says, poking her nose a little playfully, trying to cheer her up.

She nods and gives a small smile.

Steve gets up and shoves one of James shirts over his head and goes downstairs, taking her along, he quickly goes to the kitchen to listen to James earlier orders to keep away.

Steve makes Rosie some hot chocolate.

"Can I ask you something?" Rosie asks.

Steve nods "Sure."

"I forgot your name, what was it?" Rosie asks.

"I'm Steve." He says.

"And... How did you meet James?" Rosie asks.

"In prison." Steve replies, giving her hot choco.

"Why were you in prison... You're so caring." Rosie asks.

"Because I accidental killed someone." Steve sighed.

Rosie nods quietly. "Let's sit in the living room." she says.

Steve shakes his head. "James ordered me to keep away."

"You can come, really." Rosie goes to the living room, sipping the chocolate and enjoying it a lot.

James laughs a little as he sees her loving it. "Steve makes the best choco." He says.

Steve listens from the kitchen, his heart melting.

"It is amazing, Mikey would love this." She says. "Don't you want anything James?" she asks.

"Rather not..." James says, sighing.

Rosie nods sadly.

Steve carefully comes over. "Don't disappoint her..." He says.

James sighs. "You know I fail." James says.

"You never fail as long you're alive." Steve says.

"I agree." Rosie says.

James groans a bit anxious.

"Hot cho?" Steve asks.

"Yeah." James replies.