Chapter 13 - Mallory's P.O.V.
1572 Words
Mallory’s P.O.V.
I keep my eyes closed even though I can’t sleep.
So much has happened today. I didn’t think I’d have the courage to be poked and prodded by Leo’s doctor, but I did. I did it and it wasn’t so bad.
Leo was right. I placed my trust in him, even if it terrified me, and I wasn’t deceived.
He has been trying so hard to make me feel comfortable and at ease. I don’t remember the last time I felt this safe. I supposed I wouldn’t remember, since it seems my memories have been tampered with.
Could he and Claire have been right? Could I really be his wife and her mother?
I take in another deep breath, hoping I'd relax enough to finally fall asleep, but my door burst open with a loud thud against the wall.
A sobbing Claire rushed in, jumping on my bed and into my arms.
“Claire? What is it? Are you OK? Are you hurt?” I ask, trying to take a better look at her, but she holds my neck so tightly I can’t move her.
“Claire, tell me what’s going on. You’re scaring me.”
“I’m sorry,” She finally sniffles out. “I know I should be letting you rest. I know daddy said to give you time.” She sobs again.
“I know you don’t remember me. But I just need you. Mommy, I need you. I just…” She hiccups.
Claire…my poor little Claire. What in the world happened to her to be this upset?
I let her cry until she has no more tears coming out.
Softly rubbing her back, telling her everything is going to be OK. That I’m here for her.
It feels strangely familiar, and I don’t hate it.
I kind of have this sense of completion, if you will. It sounds strange, even to me.
“Are you ready to tell me what happened that made you so upset?” I ask, tenderly stroking her hair.
“I’m sorry if I disturbed you.”
“It’s ok. I wasn’t even sleeping. Now tell me, what's going on?”
“It’s daddy and uncle Lo,”
“What about them?” I ask, suddenly nervous.
What have they done to upset her so much? Have they hurt her? Have I been trusting them too fast?
“I told them some things.”
“Ok,”
“Please don’t be mad!” She sobs again.
“Why would I be mad?” I ask furrowing my brows.
“I told them about when Alexander hurt you,” She says, making me take in a sharp breath.
“H-How do you know t-that he did?” I ask, my heart pounding hard against my chest.
“You have a bite mark on your right shoulder,” She murmurs, taking me by surprise.
“How do you know that?!”
“I remember when it happened. I was little when it did, but I remember. I was so scared. But I helped clean up all the blood.”
“You what?!”
“I’m sorry, mommy. Mallory…” She whispers, choking up another sob.
How could she know I have a bite scar on my shoulder? I don’t even know how I got it! I mean, I’ve gotten so much worse from Alexender, it’s no surprise that I have a bite mark somewhere. But how could she know if she wasn’t with me?
That must mean…
“You really are my daughter, aren't you?” I whisper, a tear sliding down my cheek.
“I am, mommy! Do you remember me now?” She shrieks lifting her head to look at me.
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t. But if you knew about that scare, and I technically, for me at least, only met you a few weeks ago, there's no way you could have known about it. And if you really are my daughter, and from what I’ve found out since being here, you were taken by Leo five years ago. That would mean you were with me before that, wouldn’t it?”
“It would, and I was!”
I sit up on my bed, taking her back into a tight embrace.
“I really do have a daughter?” I half ask her and no one in particular.
We sit there, holding onto each other for dear life.
I might not remember her, but I will do anything I can to remember her! And every other memory that has been taken from me!
“How often did you help me get cleaned up,” I ask after we’ve dried our tears.
“Every week for a while. If he was in a good mood, he was nice, but it never lasted. He always found a reason to bully you.”
“If you knew him, why didn’t you say anything when we met at the ice cream parlor? You know it was him that picked me up, don’t you?”
“That was him!?” She yells, jumping up on the bed.
“It was, did you not recognize him?” I ask, my heart deflating.
Are we making a mistake? If she didn’t recognize Alexander, that means there is a chance that she might not be my daughter after all. Are we just too confused about everything? But how could she have known about my scar?
“I never looked at him much. He scared me too much. I guess I don’t really remember his face, but I remember what he did to you. Oh! And that weird tattoo he had on his left forearm. Whenever he rolled his sleeve to hit you, I could see that!”
She does know him!
“What else do you remember?” I ask, taking her tiny hand in mine.
“Well,” She goes on and tells me what she can remember.
Some are good, others are bad, and some are horrifying. How could she have witnessed all of those atrocities at such a young age?
The more she tells me, the harder my head pounds.
“Mommy, are you OK?” She asks.
We’ve been talking, more like I’ve been listening to her for more than two hours.
I feel hot and sweaty.
“I’m fine, Claire.”
“But you’re sweating. Your forehead and hair are all wet,”
“I’m fine…” I start saying before a wave of nausea hit me.
I slapped my hand over my mouth and jump out of bed, rushing to the adjoining bathroom.
“Mommy?! Are you OK?” She asks, following me in.
“I’m OK, just a little…sick,” I try saying before my vision starts to blur.
“Mommy?... Mommy!” I hear Claire scream, as I start to sway from left to right.
“Daddy! HELP!!!” I hear Claire screaming as she ran out of the bathroom.
What is wrong with me?
I shiver on the floor, unable to regain my senses. My vision is full of black and white dots that won’t go away.
“What’s wrong? Where mommy?!” I hear a frantic Leo ask.
He sounds so far away…
“She's in here!”
“Mallory!” He yells, lifting me up and onto his lap.
“Mallory, look at me. What happened?” He asks, slapping my cheek a few times. Not too hard, but enough for the dots to go away.
“I’m fine, just tired,” I mumble.
“You are not fine! How can you say that?” He scolds before turning to Claire. “What happened and why are you here? You knew she was resting! You knew she had a hard morning with Dr. Sam! Why would you come in and disturb her?” He yells at her.
Her tiny sobs are enough for me to find a little energy.
“Don’t you go scolding my daughter! She did nothing wrong!” I grunted, my head pounding hard again.
I let out a hiss from the pain.
“You…Do you remember?” He asks in disbelief.
“No,” I croaked.
One moment, I’m on the floor, the next, I’m in the air and in Leo’s arms.
“What are you?”
“I’m taking you to the hospital!”
“No, please, no hospital, please,” I beg.
“No! I’m not listening to you now! You need help!”
“But,”
“NO buts! There’s clearly something wrong! Sam must have missed something,” He mumbled the last part more to himself.
“Please, Leo,” I call out, placing a hand on his cheek, making him stop dead in his track.
“I just need some rest, please,” I tentatively smile, but my head pounds, making me hiss again.
“Mallory, you need to see a doctor. I am not going to gamble your life! You need help.”
“Then call back Dr. Samantha. She said to do so if something went wrong, didn't she?” I say softly.
“She did,” he sigh in defeat.
I smile at this small victory.
“Don’t think you’ll be off the hook. I might not be rushing you to the hospital, but that doesn’t mean you’ve won,” He says, taking out his cell phone from his pocket.
“Ok,”
- Writer
