WOUNDED

CHAPTER 29

"Remember you promised to stop crying?" I smile and wipe the tears streaming down her face. Her eyelids and lips are so swollen, much worse than they were on Saturday.

"You've been in those clothes since yesterday, they must be uncomfortable. I'll find you something you can change into." I smile and walk towards the closet. "There's nothing here. It should be in the laundry basket downstairs. Give me a minute." I say after looking for a while.

"OK." She whisper and puts her hands between her thighs. I step out of the room but then remember all the times when I turned away only to look back and find her gone. I walk back and open the door again, she's sitting on the bed still.

"Az... You'll be here when I get back, right?" I ask.

"I will." She smiles faintly and I smile back.

I head quietly downstairs and search the laundry basket for the pyjamas. I found the trousers but not the shirt. The lights suddenly come on and I look over my shoulder to find mom.

"Honey, what are you doing?" She asks and I stand up.

"Why are you awake mom?"

"I heard noises. Is something wrong?" She asks and rubs her eyes.

"Nothing, I... I came to... To get a clean pair of trousers" I stutter.

"Why? What's wrong with the one you have on?"

"I um... I ... I peed on it." I voice out and she raises a brow. "I mean I... I was sleepy and I went to take a piss and it... got... wet." I elaborate and she stares at me awkwardly before giggling.

"It happens to all of us." She says.

How weird is this?

"I just thought I'd check where the noises were coming from. I'm going back to sleep now."

"Ok mom." I say, grateful that she didn't take it too far.

"And Kace," she adds and I look at her. "Learn how to aim next time." She smiles and enters her room.

Great. Now my mom thinks I can't aim at a toilet pot. Just great.

I finally find the pajama shirt, so I grab a bottle of water and hurry back upstairs. True to her promise, she's still there.

"I haven't had time to iron this, it's a little wrinkled but... It's not that bad." I explain, handing her my pair of green pajamas. I would have been able to iron it if I wasn't away with her today.

"Don't be ridiculous Kacely" she chuckles. "That's the least of my concerns right now." She takes the wrinkled clothes from me and stands up. She holds the waistband of the trousers and brings it to her waist and it's way oversized.

"There's no way these can fit me, do you have socks I could put on instead?" She asks me and I nod before heading towards the door again. "Are they downstairs? If they are, don't bother. I can manage."

"I don't mind." I shrug.

"No... Kacely. I've pestered you enough." She exhales.

"Have mine then."

"Don't bother. I'm really OK. I promise." She says and I nod.

"Where can I clean up? I haven't taken a bath since yesterday night and I feel really sticky. But it's also too cold to take a bath."

"That's the bathroom. There's a spare face towel and toothbrushes in the small cupboard. I don't know if the water's still flowing." I tell her

She heads in and I wish she had changed her clothes here rather than in the bathroom.