came at exactly the same time. The cramps were always nice enough to announce the inevitable, bloody mess that she had come to expect.
She rolled over and tried to crawl up to her bedroom, but only made it to the bottom of the stairs. Mrs. Peterson hung up the phon e and ran back to the hallway. She almost fainted when she saw the long trail of blood that led to the stairway, but took a deep breath and walked quickly over to Rosalind, doing her best to avoid the crimson trail on her tiled floor.
"The ambulance is on its way. Just hold tight, honey," she said, running her hands through Rosalind's red, sweaty hair.
"My baby," Rosalind said and then passed out.
Chapter 11
She woke up at Lincoln County hospital in Hampton. The white room, littered only with a few medical instruments and a chair in the corner, was the cleanest room she had ever seen in her life. Sure, Mrs. Peterson kept a tidy house (even more so with Rosalind around) but this was something else. It made her nervous. She'd never seen a doctor before, let alone a hospital, but when Mrs. Nancy walked through the door, she put all of that out of her mind.
In the month that she'd spent at boarding house, Nancy had only come around once. This upset Rosalind a little, but Mrs. Peterson had always said that she was busy with work and her home life. She knew what a busy home life could be like—taking care of babies, cooking for her father, making sure her mother didn't burn the house down when she fell asleep with a cigarette in her hand—but she missed her, and right now all of that was gone. Rosalind smiled from ear to ear and Nancy ran over and hugged her.
" It's like someone's out to get you," Nancy said. Rosalind didn't understand what she meant, but she didn't care what she said. Nancy had come to see her.
" Is my baby okay?" Rosalind said. Nancy's smile disappeared. She grabbed Rosalind's hand, squeezed it tight, and pushed the hair of her face.
"Honey, don't talk. You need to rest and get better, okay?" Rosalind nodded and started to cry. Nancy leaned in and hugged her again. "Some things are just wrong in this world, honey. They ain't meant for it. Do you understand?"
She nodded with tears streaming down her face. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Oh, God no, Rosalind. Your body was…you was just too young for this honey. I don't know what dumb boy would go and do this to you, but they deserve to be castrated." Rosalind didn't know what boy she was referring to and what castrated even meant, but if she was talking about the man who impregnated her, she knew by now that it was her father, and she was so happy right now that Nancy was here, she told her.
" Daddy," she said.
"What? Your Daddy? Are you finally gonna tell us where your parents are? I'm sure they're worried sick—"
"No. My daddy done this to me," she said. Nancy backed away from the bed, her face twisted.
"Jesus Christ."
She wanted to run away. Nancy wasn't blind to what kinds of things happened in the world—what Hitler had done to the Jews a few years back—but none of that seemed real because she was removed from it; far away from the smoldering bodies dumped in mass graves after being taken out of the ovens . But now she was here, standing in a room with a girl she knew was younger than sixteen. She felt responsible. Not directly, but there was an adult part of her that felt remorse for not being able to protect a child. And she felt guilty for not coming to see her as much as she could. Rosalind bowed her head and said, "I'm sorry."
"Rosalind , you don't ever say that word again. You don't ever say you're sorry to anyone ever again. What's been done to you…it's awful," she said. She realized that awful might have been understating the situation, but she was in shock. She sat down on the bed and pulled Rosalind into her arms. She expected Rosalind to cry, but she didn't. Instead, Rosalind hugged her back and, although she didn't see it, she felt her smile.
Chapter 12
She rolled over and tried to crawl up to her bedroom, but only made it to the bottom of the stairs. Mrs. Peterson hung up the phon e and ran back to the hallway. She almost fainted when she saw the long trail of blood that led to the stairway, but took a deep breath and walked quickly over to Rosalind, doing her best to avoid the crimson trail on her tiled floor.
"The ambulance is on its way. Just hold tight, honey," she said, running her hands through Rosalind's red, sweaty hair.
"My baby," Rosalind said and then passed out.
Chapter 11
She woke up at Lincoln County hospital in Hampton. The white room, littered only with a few medical instruments and a chair in the corner, was the cleanest room she had ever seen in her life. Sure, Mrs. Peterson kept a tidy house (even more so with Rosalind around) but this was something else. It made her nervous. She'd never seen a doctor before, let alone a hospital, but when Mrs. Nancy walked through the door, she put all of that out of her mind.
In the month that she'd spent at boarding house, Nancy had only come around once. This upset Rosalind a little, but Mrs. Peterson had always said that she was busy with work and her home life. She knew what a busy home life could be like—taking care of babies, cooking for her father, making sure her mother didn't burn the house down when she fell asleep with a cigarette in her hand—but she missed her, and right now all of that was gone. Rosalind smiled from ear to ear and Nancy ran over and hugged her.
" It's like someone's out to get you," Nancy said. Rosalind didn't understand what she meant, but she didn't care what she said. Nancy had come to see her.
" Is my baby okay?" Rosalind said. Nancy's smile disappeared. She grabbed Rosalind's hand, squeezed it tight, and pushed the hair of her face.
"Honey, don't talk. You need to rest and get better, okay?" Rosalind nodded and started to cry. Nancy leaned in and hugged her again. "Some things are just wrong in this world, honey. They ain't meant for it. Do you understand?"
She nodded with tears streaming down her face. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Oh, God no, Rosalind. Your body was…you was just too young for this honey. I don't know what dumb boy would go and do this to you, but they deserve to be castrated." Rosalind didn't know what boy she was referring to and what castrated even meant, but if she was talking about the man who impregnated her, she knew by now that it was her father, and she was so happy right now that Nancy was here, she told her.
" Daddy," she said.
"What? Your Daddy? Are you finally gonna tell us where your parents are? I'm sure they're worried sick—"
"No. My daddy done this to me," she said. Nancy backed away from the bed, her face twisted.
"Jesus Christ."
She wanted to run away. Nancy wasn't blind to what kinds of things happened in the world—what Hitler had done to the Jews a few years back—but none of that seemed real because she was removed from it; far away from the smoldering bodies dumped in mass graves after being taken out of the ovens . But now she was here, standing in a room with a girl she knew was younger than sixteen. She felt responsible. Not directly, but there was an adult part of her that felt remorse for not being able to protect a child. And she felt guilty for not coming to see her as much as she could. Rosalind bowed her head and said, "I'm sorry."
"Rosalind , you don't ever say that word again. You don't ever say you're sorry to anyone ever again. What's been done to you…it's awful," she said. She realized that awful might have been understating the situation, but she was in shock. She sat down on the bed and pulled Rosalind into her arms. She expected Rosalind to cry, but she didn't. Instead, Rosalind hugged her back and, although she didn't see it, she felt her smile.
Chapter 12
Similar Books
Yesterdays Gone: SEASON TWO (THE POST-APOCALYPTIC SERIAL THRILLER) (Yesterday's Gone)
Sean Platt, David Wright
