Chapter 7: And I would do it again

October, 2019

Lilly Smith had once again started evaluating her patient. Right now she was asking her some questions and the woman in her loose baggy off white clothes sat cross legged on her bed, occasionally rubbing her abdomen.

Lilly noticed the woman’s action and asked, “Are you alright?”

The woman again rubbed her abdomen just below her breasts, “It’s just burning here a bit.”

Lilly frowned. “Do you want me to call in the nurse?”

“It’s fine,” the woman cupped her hand over her mouth and burped, “If you don’t mind can you get me some cold water with some sugar?”

Lilly brought in some cold water and handed it to her. Lilly watched her as she drank it.

Lilly’s mind had been preoccupied since she came back from the CPS’s office. No matter how hard she tried to forget Ms Acker’s warning about this woman, she couldn’t.

The woman had already finished drinking her water and observed the deep frown on Lilly’s face. She had seen how distracted Lilly had been since the painting day. She didn’t know why she felt hurt. Unconsciously she lightly touched the area above her heart as if to sooth it. She didn’t want to admit but she became used to this young girl. The woman coughed and handed Lilly the cup.

Lilly sat back down and started asking her some more questions but upon hearing no reply, she looked up to see the woman intently staring back at her. Lilly shuddered a little.

“Why, why are you looking at me like that?” Lilly slowly asked her.

The patient just stared at her gauging her every tiny facial movements. After a while of just two of them looking at each other, one with cautiousness and confusion and the other with scrutiny, did the patient shrug, “Nothing,” and went back to plucking at the loose strand of her shirt.

Lilly remained quiet for a while and stared at her notebook where she had been making notes.

“You told me that you weren’t treated well in your foster family?” Lilly hesitantly started while not looking up from her notebook.

“If you don’t mind, can you tell me what happened?”

The woman laughed a bitter laugh.

*

After Ms Acker came to the hospital to see the young girl, she quickly prepared the paperwork and found a temporary foster family who was willing to take her in.

The young girl stood outside a wooden double storey house, surrounded by a broken fence that seemed it had seen better days. She could hear the screaming sounds of children from behind the house.

Ms Acker held her hand and walked up to the house, ringing the door-bell. A Caucasian middle aged man and woman opened the door. They had a beaming smile on their face as their eyes drifted towards the young girl hiding behind Ms Acker.

The young girl felt sick to her stomach seeing their overly sweet nature. Spending such horrendous years with her parents, she was able to decipher a genuine smile from a forced one, also reading body language was her gift. Or maybe it was all in her mind.

The young girl stood with fear in the living room of the couple staring at 5 pairs of eyes. There were five more children in the house, ranging from sixteen year old down to 10 year old.

“Sweety why don’t you tell your brother and sisters your name?” the lady sat on the chair and smiled at her. Ms Acker also gave her a smile encouraging her.

The young girl shakily told her name and her age. The sixteen year old was named Audrey, the fourteen year old was named Axial, the thirteen year old year was named Dakota and the two ten year olds were named Skylar and Dani.

Audrey seemed like their leader or something. She stood with her hands crossed across her chest and leaned against the door frame. She was the classic mean girl and was giving the new young girl a stink eye. She obviously didn’t like the new girl and that made others hate her as well.

The young girl stayed in that house for two weeks. Two weeks of hell.

She was constantly bullied by Audrey and her evil spawns. They would give her their share of chores to do first and by the time Mrs Perez, their caretaker, would come by to check up on them, the young girl wouldn’t have finished with hers and would constantly get reprimanded by her.

She was always told to be more like her foster siblings. The young girl would clench her small fists in anger but would not say anything. And due to not finishing her work on time, Mrs Perez would not allow her to eat dinner that day.

The young girl would stay in her room which she shared with Dani and Skylar and cry herself to sleep. She didn’t want to acknowledge it but she missed her parents in some sick twisted way.

One time she was pulling out the weeds in the backyard garden in the scorching heat when she was grabbed from behind. Someone had placed a hand over her mouth muffling her screams. She could see Audrey, Dakota giving her a sinister smile. Judging from how strong the grip on her was, she guessed it was Axial. They dragged the helpless girl further away behind the trees.

They threw her on the dirt and surrounded her so she wouldn’t be able to run away.

Audrey crouched down to her level, playing with her lighter.

“What did you tell Mrs Perez? That we are bullying you? Making you do all our chores?” her voice had an icy chill to it that made the young girl shiver.

The young girl’s eyes were wide and were filled with tears. It was as if she saw her parents in front of her.

“Let me go.” The young girl stood up and tried to push her away past them. But they harshly pushed her back on the ground.

“I think its time she learns her lesson,” Audrey said loudly.

Axial and Dakota held the young girl in her place, covering her mouth while Audrey grabbed her hair and burnt it off, accidently burning the skin behind the young girl’s ear.

The young girl was left to cry. She came inside the house when it was already dark. Mrs Perez punished her for being out so late and for not doing her work. The lady completely ignored the young girl’s battered state and her burnt hair. As a punishment she was to sleep outside.

Two days before the young girl was to leave the Perez’s household, each kid was given a present for all their hard work in the house. When the young girl opened her box, all she saw was a pair of pink sock. She saw the presents the others received and instantly was filled with overwhelming hatred and jealously. She saw Audrey being very happy to receive the I-pod she wanted and clenched her fingers around her socks.

It was the day when the young girl was going to be adopted by a nice family. She was already packed and was waiting for Ms Acker. Audrey and her gang was making fun of her but she ignored them and sat quietly.

Ms Acker came and as they were walking towards the car, they could hear Audrey screaming in horror. The young girl smiled as she sat in the car and went to her new family.

*

The patient sat while rubbing behind her ear where the burnt scar is.

“Why didn’t you tell Ms Acker about what you went through?” Lilly asked. She wanted to know why this woman always kept everything to herself and not tell anyone and get the help she needs.

“One thing I learnt from my parents is that nothing good comes to a tattle tale.”

Lilly sat exasperated. She was angry. “If you would have said anything, you wouldn’t be sitting here today waiting for your trial.”

The woman lifted her eyes and looked at an angry Lilly.

After a while Lilly asked her diplomatically, “Why did you do that to her?”

The woman knew who Lilly was referring to. Her heart filled with distaste and scorn, she spat out disdainfully, “Because she doesn’t deserve to be happy with him.”

And added hatefully, “and I would do it again if I got the chance.”