Saints and Sinners

Chapter 14

Amelia lay in bed she was burning up from a severe case of pneumonia, the sheets were drenched, and her dad paced the length of her bedroom. Her eyes slid open a bit and her hoarse voice sounded foreign to her ears, “Daddy,” she called, but he didn’t cease his pacing. She tried again a bit louder, “Daddy,” she was so very tired. He turned his head in her direction and came to sit on the edge of her bed, “I’m here sweetheart, do you need a drink?” he asked, reaching for a cup of electrolyte rich drink. She took a small sip, coughed violently and looked at him, her eyes filling with tears, “Where’s mommy?” she asked. Her father’s face fell, and he gathered Amelia’s small frame into his arms and held her wiping the sweat drenched hair away from her face, “Mommy had something to take care of but she’ll be back soon.” Amelia nodded her head into his chest, “Daddy? Do you think I’m dying?” she asked another coughing fit ravaging her body. He held her tightly to him. “No baby, you’re not dying, you're just very sick but you’ll get better, we’ll listen to your mommy and wait one more night to see if the fever breaks but if not then I’m taking you to the doctor okay?” Amelia’s eyes closed and she was sucked back into a fitful sleep.

*

Amelia woke up to shouting outside her door, “Damn it Claire, she needs to see a doctor. Your herbs aren’t doing anything for her, do you know what she asked me while you were off doing god knows what?” her father shouted getting quiet at the end. When her mother didn’t respond he continued, “She asked if she was dying, do you have any idea how hard that was to hear?” Her mother’s soft crying came through the door, “Marcus, you know Amelia is different, even if she were to see a doctor they wouldn’t be able to do anything for her. She doesn’t respond to medications like other people. You know this,” he growled. “You think I don’t but Claire, I can’t keep watching her suffer. She’s five, and she’s asking if she’s dying.” he stressed again.

Amelia tried to call out but her voice was barely above a whisper, her body felt heavy and light at the same time. She went to reach out her hand and ended up knocking the glass of the side table and it shattered on the floor. Her bedroom door flew open and her father ran to her bedside with her mom close behind. “Mommy, daddy,” she whispered, as soft singing filled her ears, “There’s pretty music, do you hear it?” she asked, her eyes fluttering closed again but not before she caught the faintest shimmer of tears rolling down her parent’s faces.

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Amelia woke with a start, her body was drenched in sweat, “The f**k,” she said thinking over the nightmare. She hadn’t even thought of that time in her life because she never remembered it but it came back to her in a damn nightmare determined that she remembered the night that her mother’s secret became revealed to her father causing a rift in their happy family. She got up from where she had been sleeping on the couch once again and went into the bathroom turning on the hot water and peeling off her sweat drenched clothing before stepping into the shower and washing away the grime.

Once through Amelia continued to stand under the hot water until it ran cold making her flesh pimple and forcing her to turn it off. Dried off and in clean clothes she grabbed a blanket and stepped outside into the very early morning sitting in her favorite spot to watch the first trickles of sunlight make their way over the horizon. “You shouldn’t be sitting out here, you’ll catch a cold.” came Damien's voice from beside her where he appeared sitting on the ground beside the chair making Amelia jump and then glare at him, “Why can’t you just leave me the hell alone?” she asked. “Because I want to know what the hell you’re doing to me.” He stated not breaking eye contact with her. “This whole thing in my chest started as soon as I met you, so now you’re stuck with me until you tell me what you're doing or until I figure it out.” He reached up wrapping a strand of her wet hair around his finger and Amelia’s head grew warm. She reached up to see what was happening and touched dry strands of hair. “Nice parlor trick,” she said begrudgingly. “You know it wasn’t your fault. This world isn’t meant to be found out by humans.” Damien said, sounding sincere and Amelia felt her heart twinge.

“Nooooooo get away from her, you can’t kill her!” screamed a now wide awake Bethany who came rushing out through the open door and tackling Damien.