Little Snake - A Black Legacy

Chapter Twenty - Forbidden Forest

The meager breakfast, of a bowl of fruit curd and tea, did nothing to improve her mood when she went to the hospital wing once again.

"Oops, where did you leave Ominis?" Noreen asked when she found Hazel alone. "He is tired of me" she grumbled and sat down on the bed in front of Noreen, where she had already prepared everything. Noreen pulled the curtain closed as Hazel stripped off her sweater and blouse. She had already carelessly tossed aside the cloak. "What's the matter today, Hazel? You're not supposed to be so grumpy and you show everyone your smile?" Noreen asked as she palpated Hazel's belly. "I could list a lot of things for you and you know it. But my own snake gave me away yesterday. Told Ominis I wasn't doing as well as I told him. He... was pretty mad at first..." towards the end Hazel grew quieter and quieter.

"Of course! Do you know what you mean to him? He worries and if you always hiding from him how you really are, he must always worry!" Noreen said. "Ow... ah, it's okay. It's not like I want him to worry like that. If I'm not well, these are conditions he can hardly change... why should I bother him with it? Yesterday I was just nauseous and in pain, but I wanted to help the boys... I don't like feeling useless. So, since that's not going to change for the better for a few days, I told him it was okay- careful!" she yelled out as Noreen patted her back. "There, we'll put some more ointment on those bruises. You're already much less sensitive to pain there. So, arms away!" commanded Noreen and took care of the bruises before she - while the ointment soaked in - took care of the stab wound. "There you go, it looks much better already. I'll just clean the remains of the ointment, then you don't need anything more over it. Or should I put another soft plaster on it, without ointment, to cushion it?" Hazel nodded. It certainly wouldn't hurt if they were out today.

"So, you may get dressed again" Noreen said when she was done. Relieved, she tucked the white blouse, with the ruffles on the collar and sleeves, into her black skirt and pulled her dark green sweater over it. The sweater was a bit too big for her, which is why it was a bit long. She pulled the ruffle collar over the collar of the sweater and rolled up the sleeves of the sweater a bit, so that the ruffles on the sleeves came out.

"Could it be that Ominis likes ruffles?" Noreen asked suddenly, and Hazel froze. Was it that obvious? She asked herself. "I-is that...so...? O-obvious?" she stuttered, embarrassed. Nervously, she pulled her ponytail out of her collar and smoothed her hair with her hands. " A little bit. For the past few weeks, you've been wearing a lot of stuff with ruffles. Even the blouses of the uniform you changed from time to time" Noreen laughed. "I thought at first you were doing it because you like it, but I think you want to be pretty for him" she teased now and Hazel slapped her weakly on the upper arm.

"Shh! Not everyone needs to hear that," she mumbled sheepishly. Her face had gone all red. "Anyway...I was a little bitchy at breakfast just now. I felt so sick, but he insisted that I eat this stupid curd and I snapped at him pretty hard at one point... Though I'm not really like that at all. And it's not that I'm not hungry either. And I know that it was unjustified, he can't help it. I'm just so infinitely tired that I'm always injured. Everything has become too much for me then momentarily. I am so stupid. When I left, he didn't even follow me, as usual," she sniffed. She wiped her eyes in displeasure, but the tears didn't stop, she cried.

"I'm sure he just wanted to give you space to calm down. It's not easy for him if he can't help you. I'm sure he's not mad at you" Noreen talked to her and gently took her in her arms. "I just love him so much, you know? I don't want to lose him and act like a stupid bitch" she sniffled in her arms.