Playing with Forever

Chapter 33: Burned

I was taking Lizzie Bennett her dinner in my room when I hear a clatter and a wail from the kitchen. I was just turning to go see what had happened when Nate came running into the room, eyes wild. "Abby!" he cried.

"What's wrong?"

"Paula!" he puffed breathlessly. "She got burned!"

I dropped the cat food on the ground in horror. "What happened?" I demanded.

"We were in the kitchen, and Paula tripped and knocked the pot of boiling water on herself! Get the first aid kit, we have to help her!"

I ran to the bathroom and pulled out the first aid kit, just like Nate commanded, before rushing back with him into the kitchen. Paula stood by the stove next to a pool of steaming water, rubbing her chest with a dish towel. There were tears in her eyes, but she was remarkably composed.

"Let me see," I said, striding over to her. I walked right through the hot water on the floor, hardly registering it pooling in my socks.

Paula gave me a scared look before shaking her head, holding the dish towel to her chest.

"Let me see," I repeated, this time taking hold of the towel. I had to see how bad it was. Would we have to take her to the hospital?

"Abby," she hissed, giving me a look I couldn't interpret.

When I finally rustled the towel off of her, I saw red splotches on her arms and chest, but not the serious burns I expected. I expected fiery red burns and Paula writhing in pain, but she stood quietly, arms wrapped up on her chest in comfort.

"I don't understand," Nate said as he stared at Paula's skin, echoing my own thoughts. "Where'd the burns go?"

Paula only shrugged with a sniffle. It took me a moment to piece together what had happened. Of course—Paula's immortal body was strong and healed fast. Immortals weren't easily hurt, but if they were, they healed incredibly fast. What must have been serious just after she'd been doused with the boiling water had quickly faded into nothing more than pink splotches that were disappearing even as we spoke.

"I don't understand," Nate said again, looking up at me in confusion.

"It must not have been that bad," I lied, horrified by my words of the necessary fib. "It just looked like it." I'd scorned Sam for gaslighting me back when I had no knowledge of immortality, and here I was doing it to Nate, a child in my care. It felt awful. Was that what Sam had felt when he lied to me?

Was this what immortality was like? Full of lies to the mortals immortals cared about? I hated it. 

"It just looked bad," Paula agreed. "It's cooled off now."

Nate looked between us skeptically, but his face cleared as he accepted the lie. "Let Abby treat it anyways."

Paula shot me a secretive glance, but I shrugged. If it made Nate feel better, we'd pretend.

Sam strolled back in at the moment, having been at the grocery store to pick up some ingredients we needed to make the pasta I'd been preparing to boil. He looked between us, the pool of water, Paula's soak shirt, and the first aid kit. Sensing the tension in the air, he turned to me with worry in his eyes. "What happened?"

"Paula got hot water spilled on her," I explained, downplaying it.

"Are you alright?" Sam asked, concern all over his face. He reached out to her and inspected her closely. Tears welled again in Paula's eyes, but she nodded bravely. The damage may not have remained long on her skin, but she'd obviously still felt pain.

"Come here," Sam said, pulling her into a hug. Paula sniffled against his shirt, but didn't start crying. "Let's get you fixed up, alright?"

I brought the first aid kit over, and Sam slathered Paula's chest and arms with anti-bacterial cream, gently rubbing it into her now unblemished skin. Nate watched on with worry.

"She's going to be okay," I told him, putting my arm around his shoulders.

"Will you?" he asked Paula.

She nodded bravely again. "I don't want pasta anymore," she said.

Sam gave her an indulgent smile. "No?"

"I don't want anything boiled."

"How about some microwave mac and cheese instead?" he asked. "I'm sure Abby has that. You know how often she messes up dinner and needs a quick fix."

I scowled. "Hey!"

Paula laughed, smiling for the first time that evening. "And ice cream?"

"As much ice cream as you can eat," Sam agreed and Paula's smile grew.

I held my hand out to her. "Come on. While Sam cooks it, let's get you a dry shirt to change into."

We riffled through my clothes until I found a tee-shirt I didn't mind parting with. With how small my clothing was, the shirt wasn't all that small on her. She huddled into it anyways, wrapping her arms around her middle.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked quietly.

She nodded her little head. "Yeah."

"I'm so sorry you got hurt."

"I won't play in the kitchen anymore," Paula said sternly, shaking her head.

"Good idea." I watched her with curious eyes. "Is it always this way? Having to lie when your body heals?"

She shrugged. "Yeah."

"I didn't like it. I don't like lying, especially not to Nate."

"It's not fun," she conceded, "but there's nothing we can do. You have to keep it a secret, Abby." She met my eyes with a severe look. "I'm serious, Abby."

I sighed but nodded my agreement. It sucked that someone so young had to be mature enough to lie convincingly and keep such a major secret, but it couldn't be helped. She was right, it had to remain a secret.

I just wished it was easier.