Their Sister, Their Strength (Old)

Chapter 6 - Broken Doll (pt. 2)

RECAP:
Of course, the shocked silence didn't last long. Silence never lasts long in a house full of six boys. I mentally prepared myself for what was to come next.
———

"What the fuck?!" Blake practically yelled, breaking the tense silence.

He was furious. Even that was an understatement. He looked like he wanted to go on a murdering rampage.

"What the hell is that?" Xander snapped furiously. He thought it was disgusting, he thought I was disgusting.

"You gonna tell us you got that from being clumsy too?" Blake snarled, aggressively.

Elijah must have told the others about how I blamed my bruised wrist on my tendency for being clumsy. A subtle reminder that I can't have secrets in this house anymore as they tell each other everything.

"Maddie, who did that to you?" Elijah asked softly as if I would break into pieces on the spot. Treating me like glass. A broken doll.

"Are your ribs broken?" Harley sounded panicked.

"Maddie?" Elijah reminded.

"That explains the nightmare." Cole gritted through his teeth.

"Why didn't you just fucking tell us?!" Xander yelled, making me flinch back.

The questions were all too overwhelming and I couldn't focus on anything or anyone, their questions were overlapping and they gave me no time to answer. I just wanted to scream at them all but nothing came out of my mouth.

"How bad does it hurt?" Harley asked.

"This is fucking ridiculous," Xander muttered, shaking his head in frustration carelessly. He had given up. I didn't blame him.

"Just give us a name, hun," Cole asked calmly, though his fists clenched by his side made it look like he would explode any moment.

"For fucks sake, tell us the truth for once!" Blake yelled.

"That's enough!" Mason boomed calmly but loudly, his voice reverberating around the room. He effectively sent the whole room into a deadly silence. It was as if he read my overwhelmed mind.

Mason turned to Harley, "When was the last time she had painkillers?"

I was grateful that he prioritised my pain first and I hoped that meant I had got out of the interrogating questions for now.

Harley looked at his watch and back at Mason, "2 hours ago, give or take. She can't have any more paracetamol but I can give her some ibuprofen."

Mason nodded and Harley left the room to grab the ibuprofen painkillers.

"Xander, go get her an ice pack," Mason ordered sternly whilst looking directly at me.

"Mase-" Xander was about to object.

"Now."

Xander grumbled in protest but left the room anyway.

I wasn't sure whether Mason sent him out of the room to actually get the icepack or so that I wasn't intimidated with him still in here, either way, I appreciated it.

"How badly does it hurt?" Mason asked me, slightly more gently. He was still crouched by my side next to Elijah.

I shrugged my shoulders.

The burning pain had disappeared from when I knocked my ribs on the floor, replaced by just a throbbing ache now. Mason looked back down at my bruise.

"It doesn't look broken, just badly bruised. When did you get it?"

"About a week and a bit ago." I murmured, sitting up from where I was laid down.