Perception

Part 10

Kota POV:

I know it was most likely the power of suggestion because until she said anything, I was completely comfortable holding Sang in my lap-even with the gravel digging into my backside. Unfortunately, once she mention the need to delouse, I just could stop feeling the phantom critters crawling all over my skin.

Sang and I climb into one of the borrowed vehicles, "You know, I have no idea if this thing will need to get fumigated now that we're infested!" I say with funny widened eyes. I seem to be taking things in stride now that the mission was mostly complete. I saw how enchanting those kids found her. From her tone of voice, her movements, her funny stories, even how she got the kids to trust Sean, and accept Nathan's help, she handled it with grace.

"Head lice. Ick. The whole time I was down there in the cellar, those stupid facts and statistics were running through my head about the bug populous in the area. Sometimes, it's better not to know," she said with a shudder as I laughed.

We pull up to the hospital, and I ask where to find the three children that came in shortly before. Sean strides out with a slight frown and tired eyes and sees us there. "Thank god! I want to get those kids cleaned up before trying to assess them, but they won't let anyone else near them!"

Sang and I look at each other with laughing eyes, but she quickly realized how traumatic the situation is and offered to help. "We'll need delousing agents. Those kids, and now Kota and I are infested. Is there a whirlpool tub here? I can help out or stay in the room so they don't get scared," she offered.

"Yes, there are a couple therapy tubs that we can make available to you all, and you and Kota are welcome to use the shower off my office," Sean said. I see Sang blanch and shudder but she waves her hand in a circle to indicate the need to get moving. I walk with Sang and Sean to a small unit where the children are huddled together and Nathan is trying to reason with them.

They see me and start to shake. "Hola!" Sang says warmly. She introduces the children to me and tells me their names. The older girl is Paula, the younger Mia, and the boy Mateo. She says she is sorry she took so long to get there, but she is there to help. Explaining that they need to bathe went over as well as getting stuck in a tub filled with scorpions might, but they finally consent. I only know this because she repeats herself in English so that I can follow along. Mateo is still looking at me like he's ready to punch me in the face, and Nathan is attempting to make himself small in the corner of the room where the kids can easily watch. Paula and Mia keep darting their eyes back and forth between me and Nathan.

Sang starts talking again but does not translate for me. Nathan has gone rigid but looks absolutely thrilled as he pulls out his phone and starts texting. I'll have to ask him later.

Sang POV:

I tell the kids that they are safe with my friends. I say that I love each and every one of them with my whole heart, and would trust them with whatever is most precious to me. It wasn't until I catch Nathan stiffen from the corner of my eye that I realize what I have just admitted. Don't leave me. Don't kick me out. I want to cry, and run, but the children need my help. Help first, then run, Sang. Dr. Sean comes back with bundles of clothing for the kids, and I pick up little Mia and carry her bridal style so I do not hurt her.

"Here we are!" I coo softly in Spanish. "Do you want me to leave? I can sit outside in the hallway so I can hear if you need help," I offer. Paula and Mateo both accept this and use individual stalls large enough to accommodate the whirlpool tub and likely a wheel chair. They are able to bathe at the same time while I hold Mia on my lap while laughingly trying to translate songs into Spanish for her. Some vocabulary just does not fit into the song's notes so we end up with strangely held notes or creating our own notes for additional word syllables. Soon enough, the older children come out, dressed and rosy cheeked. They request to stay in the room with Mia and I as I bathe her.

I do not know any soothing songs in her language, and most of the ones I find calming are instrumental. I proceed to hum Brahm's lullaby to her as I scrub her hair with the special shampoo, and help her lather her back. I see the evidence of abuse, and am sickened. I hear my voice deepening as I withhold tears. Poor baby, oh poor little one I internally sob. I supervise as she washes her chest arms, and legs. When Mia hesitates, I tell her that it is important to keep her bottom clean. When she flinches while washing herself, I am filled with so much rage I shake with it.

After she is fully dressed we exit the therapy room with Paula and Mateo. Mr. Blackbourne, Gabriel, Nathan and Kota are all watching me closely with looks of...awe?...confusion? something on their faces. I smile, and hand the little ones back over to Dr. Sean, and a kind-eyed female translator.

"Did you bring me some clothes, Meanie?" I ask hopefully. I will not be sorry to get out of the soiled and infested clothes I am wearing. "Meanie?" I ask when he doesn't respond.

"Let me show you where to find the shower off Dr. Green's office, Miss Sorenson," Mr. Blackbourne offers. I cannot help it. I have been up for over 24 hours at this point, and cannot even attempt to be brave. I shake my head, back away into the wall, and tremble until I slide down. All four were on their knees next to my shivering form instantly.

"I can't. I hate the shower. I just can't," I mutter with tears coursing down my cheeks. They look at each other, and a look of understanding passes between them.

Kota lifts me up into his arms again and sits on a plastic chair inside the whirlpool room. "Sweetie, I won't ask why you didn't tell anyone. I won't even ask how long this has been a problem for you. I can make a pretty good guess. For now we'll have Nathan do a quick sterilization of the tubs in here, and we'll each take a stall. Is that alright, Sweetie," he asks somewhat panicky. Oh yeah. Boys hate crying female, I laugh to myself.

"Thank you, Kota," I whisper. Nathan hops to work spraying the hospital grade cleanser into the tubs then rinsing them thoroughly. He sets me in my stall, and Gabriel lays the clean clothes on a shelf nearby. I turn on the perfect pre-set water temperature, and pull in the bin to hold the bio-waste that is my clothing. As I'm closing the stall door, I see Mr. Blackbourne looking on with steel eyes, and a look of calculation on his face.

At this point I don't even care if anyone could peek through the thin gap between the door and its frame! I strip down, and climb into the tub. "Mmmm..." I moan to myself. It wasn't until submerging in the water that I realized I was freezing.

I hear shifting in the room, and realize Nathan, Gabriel, and Mr. Blackbourne never left the therapy room. "How's it going in there, Trouble? That was quite the sound of satisfaction," Meanie says with a laugh.

"At this point, the only way this could be better would be if I didn't have to do the actual washing. I just want to lay here!" I complain piteously.

"Shit," Nathan says.

"Indeed," Mr. Blackbourne responds. I hear quite a bit of splashing from Kota's stall then, and figure he's in a hurry to finish. The others must have heard it too because it sounds like they're choking back laughter.

"Koootaaaaa, you're going to wait for me, right?" I ask in a low sing-song voice. I hear a grunt next door, and shrug. Everyone laughs, and I blush in confusion. Oh well. I finish washing up, dry off, and get dressed in the comfortable clothes Gabriel brought me.