Questions I'll have answers to.

Samantha felt a person come into the room. The footsteps where heavy and slow.

" That is not Nigel."

Awareness rose inside her, lapping at the back of her throat. Her mouth threatening to scream.

" Nigel honey?"

" Sam, it's me Dustie..." Then a laugh balled up in arrogance.

" Oh hello Dustin." Fear stiffened the muscles of her back.

" You Sam, I trusted you wouldn't betray me but you are worse that the heart thieves."

" I don't know what you are saying Dustie."Samantha said trying to get Acer from the bed.

"No, no...let the child be, we don't want to involve him in this now do we?"

Samantha walked away from Acer.

" Please, don't hurt my child..." I only hurt those that hurt you, right now and the the day you married that man, you hurt yourself."

" Am not, am happy Dustie."

" Exactly."

Samantha tried leaving the room, to get away from Acer. She didn't hear Dustie following her. He didn't speak either. She held her breath until it felt like someone was strangling her. Then she realised that someone was strangling her, his hands closed around her throat. He pulled her back against himself, slapped her across the face and pushed her down on the floor.

Gasping air into her lungs.

" Dustie, am sorry... please don't hurt me."

" I have to finish you like I did your mother, Grace Wilton...

" My... Mother...you killed my Mother?"

" ofcourse, she hurt you...that's what I do."

" They said she killed herself."

" It's that naiveness that has brought you here. St Clara hospital is Lean Miller's play ground, do you think, he would get his son arrested for murder? you are just too stupid for your own good Sam... "

Dustie laughed. His laugh was so excruciating to Samantha's ears.

" I don't know why you want to ruin me, or killed my mother but if you are going to kill me, don't torment me, it's too degrading."

Acer started to cry and Samantha knew, he was awake.

" Let me go to my son..."

He pick her up by the neck, the helmet head sock that she was wearing came off.

"You don't have to do this."

" You whate happened to your hair?"

"That's funny, you think me not having hair is worse than the pain you just inflicted on me?"

He didn't move as long as he saw her bald head. He wondered if she could be invincible.

He went and stood in the shadows of the corridor.

Samantha closed her eyes her eyes and started the breathing exercise to slow her heart rate down but Acer's cries only increased her adrenaline. She forced herself to her feet and made the obligatory walk back to her room. She carried him in her arms not minding where Dustie was.

Unbidden came the memories of her mother sitting on the floor of her bathroom. The tears came then as she realised what had happened to her mother, my God...She sank down to the floor on her knees as she held on to Acer tightly.

She felt tired. Physically, mentally and emotionally.

She missed Nigel, she wondered how it might have been if he was here, rest her head on his chest and have him put his arms around her.

She felt him as a strong hand held her shoulder, solid strong beside her, as if to tell her, everything was fine.

"Samantha...?"

" I need to take a bath, you can stay here with Acer."

" Samantha, don't you want to talk?"

" Not now, I know you have a lot of questions."

" Yeah, question I'll get answers to but let's eat first and Acer has to be fed and bathed, let's do that first."

Nigel felt like he was treading on thin ice with Samantha. She was clearly​ angry with him...And the bruises she had on her face, he wanted to know what happened. The bandages he had put on her feet and hands earlier where bloody.

"Who came to you?"

"Just Dustie..."

His heart sunk, he did this to you? with these hands of mine, he hurt you?"

How much has she suffered with his mental issues.

He did as she had said to do.

For dinner they ate with Samantha making small talks that had nothing to do with that day's events with Acer on her laps. She didn't want to part with him even for dinner time.

After dinner Nigel watched TV with Samantha listening in, even laughing when it was funny.

Nigel was confused, he didn't know what to think anything. He felt uneasy the whole time.

" Samantha...Honey..?

" Shhhhhhh, you will wake Acer up."

" It's past 9:30 P. M..."

" If you are tired, go ahead and sleep..."

" Let me have Acer then..."

" He is fine here with me."