Page 121 of The Sun Sister
‘Yeah,’ I sighed.
‘You want anything to drink?
Vodka...I thought, but ‘Coffee, thanks,’ was what I said.
‘You wait here, an’ I’ll be right back.’
I watched her go, at this moment hating my fame more than I ever had and not giving a shit if I got papped by every two-bit newspaper in Tucson. I just wanted to be inside with Vanessa.
Twenty minutes later, I’d been smuggled in through a back door and given a side room that contained a couple of easy chairs and a TV. A doctor with kind blue eyes was waiting for me there.
‘Hi, Miss D’Aplièse, I’m Dr Cole.’
‘How is she?’ I asked him.
‘Her stats are stable now, so we’ve moved her out of the emergency room and settled her for the night. She’s a tough little nut,’ he smiled. ‘Would you like to see her?’
‘Yes please.’ I stood up.
‘Electra,’ Mercy said to me, ‘I’m going to head back to The Ranch now, but someone will be here in the morning to see how Vanessa is and collect you. And remember, you saved Vanessa’s life tonight.’ She reached out, gave me a warm hug and smiled up at me, before following us out of the room.
‘Vanessa’s awake, but not talking much. We’ve given her some strong meds for the pain, so she’ll be feeling sleepy,’ Dr Cole said as he led me into a dimly lit hospital room. ‘I’ll leave you to it,’ he said as he left.
I walked round the bed and sat down in the chair next to Vanessa. She looked so frail and young lying there. I could see her eyes were open and her arms lay on top of the sheets, bandaged from her wrists to her inner elbows. She was attached to a drip and a monitor that beeped every so often.
‘Hi there, Vanessa, it’s me, Electra,’ I whispered as I leant towards her. ‘How are you feeling?’
There was no response as she continued to stare at the ceiling.
‘The doctor says you’re doing real well, that you’re strong,’ I said, searching desperately for positive things to say. I lifted a hand, not sure where I could put it on her overcrowded forearms, so I laid it on top of her head and stroked her lovely hair. ‘I just wanted to tell you that I’m here for you.’
Still nothing.
‘I came with you in the ambulance; I’d never been in one before. It was like being in an episode ofGrey’s Anatomy, but the doc says you’re gonna do just fine.’
There was a long pause, and then Vanessa made a noise.
‘My...’
It sounded like ‘my’ anyway, I thought, as I watched her lick her cracked lips.
‘My mom used to do this,’ she whispered.
‘Do what?’
‘Stroke my hair. Feels nice,’ she said.
‘Then I’ll keep right on doing it. Would you like your mom to come here?’
‘Yeah, but she’s dead.’
I watched as two tears trickled out of Vanessa’s eyes.
‘I’m so sorry, sweetheart,’ I murmured, feeling tears burn behind my own eyes. ‘I’m gonna stay right here with you, and stroke your hair until you go to sleep, okay?’
She gave a slight nod and slowly, her eyes began to close.
‘You’re safe,’ I added as her breathing relaxed into a rhythm and I settled in for a long night.
