Recovery Period

Chapter 19

"Nico!" Raina yelled as she watched her disappear around a corner. Where the hell is she going? She's not even going towards the front door. Raina thought. She heard a door slam and she just...stared at where Nico had been sitting. Her instinct was to give chase but she had a feeling that she'd end up scaring Nico even more. Plus it's not like her hiding in a spare room was going to cause anyone any harm. Raina wondered if she'd go rifling around in drawers and things, but she dispelled the thought quickly. Nico was definitely hiding in or under something, just like she had at her own apartment.

Raina rubbed her eyes with both hands and groaned to herself. What have you gotten yourself into? she thought. Where did that whole thing go wrong? She thought back to the shove, the wincing, the panic, but before that it was calm conversation. "Was it about the name?" she murmured aloud, leaning her chin into her hand.

Down the hall, Nico had found a room unlocked with the curtains drawn and the lights off. She darted beneath the first thing she could find and hunkered in the corner furthest from the door. Her eyes began to adjust as she laid in the darkness and she started to piece together her surroundings, at least what she could see from her hiding spot. The lower 3ft of the room, which is all Nico could see, showed a 2 doors, a dresser, and another piece of furniture that was similar to the dresser but smaller.

Nico looked at both doors and realized that she didn't know which she'd actually come in through, so she watched both closely. She was waiting for Raina to follow, to find her, to yell at her, to yank her out from her safe place, discipline her, and then leave her alone to think about it all. Nico knew that her punishment was inevitable, but delaying it was better than facing it, even if that made it worse. 

Despite her resolve to hide as long as she could, the fear and the shame and the anticipation of what was to come bubbled out of her within a few minutes in soft, choked sobs. She clamped both hands over her mouth to soften the sound, but the gasping for air through her nose wasn't much quieter. She tightened her hands, squeezed her tear-filled eyes tight, and shoved herself back against the wall in desperation. 

Shut up, shut up, shut up, the brat panicked, also near tears in Nico's mind. The little was frozen completely, unable to cope with being in so much trouble. Nico was trying desperately to find a calm place to go but there was nowhere, her mind was an ocean of anxiety.

Raina lifted her head and looked over her shoulder at the sound of muffled sobs down the hall behind her. She was on her feet to respond to Nico when the oven's timer went off. Shit, she groaned, turning away from the crying. She made quick work of removing the pizza to let it cool and shut off the oven, ditching the oven mitts on the counter as she headed up the hall. 

By then the crying had gotten significantly quieter and Raina had to pause outside a few doors before she found the right one. You're kidding me, she thought with a wry smile. You picked the one room that's got the stuff most likely to freak you out. She was thanking herself internally for neutralizing the space a bit after her last partner moved on. The twin bed had a slightly childish comforter on it and there was definitely still a toy box in there, but unless Nico was opening lids and drawers, she was unlikely to notice too much.

Raina took a slow breath and then opened the door quietly, closing the door behind her to prevent Nico from having a quick escape if she panicked again. She cast a quick glance up to the lock at the top of the door frame, but she decided against it. She'd likely be fast enough to catch Nico if she made for the door with the temporary handicap. She moved into the middle of the room and sat on the carpet, crossing her legs casually. "Hi, love. Are you okay under there?" she asked softly, leaning down a little to get a look at Nico.