RIVER The smell of freshly cooked rice and some chicken soup simmering over the fire woke me up again. After Taykor had come in to make sure I wasn't dead, I slept off again because the pain was less when my eyes were closed. I took off the covers that had made me feel warm, even though the weather outside did not need a thick cover. The pain patches on my stomach are no longer needed, and I take them off. Looking at myself in the mirror, I try to look a bit put together. I had never had anyone else take care of me this well during my period, and it made me feel a bit special. I wipe off the sleep in my eyes and throw on a huge hoodie to hide the fact that I was not wearing a bra because my breasts hurt. "Hey!" he said as I walked up to the kitchen. "You are cooking dinner," I said. I

