Xalia Squalor; because sometimes being in is not enough

Taste of your own medicine

I jump awake to the noise of Mum bursting into the room, holding two cups of something. She groans, "I couldn't find anything."
"Anything?" I ask, taking a cup out her hands. It's really hot, and I take a sip, before coughing a little. She sighs, "Not a single vending machine in this entire hospital sells parsley soda. It's quite frankly just rude. They did have this hot brown stuff, it makes me feel alive. Caw fay?"
"Coffee?" I take another sip. It is definitely coffee. Mum shrugs, before saying, "I don't know, but it makes me feel alive. Olaf, I've had three cups of it."
"You should be looking for orphans!" Olaf yells. Mum scoffs, "I am not one of your Hench people, therefore I am not to be yelled at. You do not pay me, Olaf."
"Actually, he doesn't pay them either," I shrug, "I think I've been paid the most so far actually, and that was from the nosy banker."
Mum and Olaf both look at me, taking a seat on either side. Suddenly, mum snaps, "We need to get out of here as soon as we find the sugar bowl."
"We're not leaving until we find the Baudelaires," Olaf snaps, "Also, how are you comfortable with Xalia May wearing shorts that short?"
"Why are you bothered?" Mum scoffs. Olaf glares at me, and sighs, "She's going to get cold. I don't want her to complain."
I raise my eyebrows and Mum snaps, "I am going to go searching for... multiple things. I did heavy lifting in crow town, I'm the one who caught Bab's and I am the one who looks great in a hat, so actually, I am going to go and get that sugar bowl while you stand around, staring a hallways. I'll slip into something more freighting and then I'll have the sugar bowl."
Mum elbows the hench people who have just appeared as she walks off, and I sigh. Olaf smirks, saying, "Xalia? I've got an idea. You follow your mum to the library of files thingy, I haven't looked at the name. Then, I'll help you after that."

I nod, sprinting down the hall to catch up with mum. She storms into an empty room and raids the cupboards while I stand back. Then, she rips the curtain round the bed and begins getting dressed. I lean against the wall, sighing, and gasping as she rips it back. She smirks, "How do I look?"
"Wow, mum," I splutter, "Mum, that's amazing!"
"Right, but the bags under my eyes could carry the sugar bowl back to Olaf," Mum groans, "Honestly, Xalia May? I am only here for Olaf and the sugar bowl. If you took one of those things out the equation, I would not be here. When you're older, I'll tell you all about the sugar bowl."
Mum walks passed me, storming to the library of records. I gasp as we creak open the door, and we pause at the door. Mum sprints ahead, and I hear her laugh, "I'm wild about movies."
There are screams, and I sprint to where I think they're coming from. The Baudelaires are here, and I gasp as I see Klaus. He groans at the sight of me, and I just shake my head, hands over my mouth. I think he understands, because he sort of forces a smile as he runs off. I spot Violet, and scream. Mum yells out in anger, and screams, "THESE SHOES!"
After a minute, she smirks, "I'm looking for something, children. Maybe we can help each other. Small, round, full of secrets. Jacques Snicket thought he could hide it from me, and now he is dead. But because of that... I WANT IT!"
Mum shoves yet another filing cabinet down, and I watch in horror as Klaus and Sunny fall into the laundry shoot. I think it's that. Then, a filing cabinet blocks the entrance, leaving Violet on the outside. Mum screams, trying to get to them before they fall, but she is too late. That doesn't stop her. She turns to Violet, who is trying desperately to open the doors. I follow her as she says, "HOW DOES IT FEEL VIOLET? YOU'RE ALL ALONE. ALONE, ALONE, ALONE."
Mum clearly spots Violet, because she begins throwing the shoe in her hand and shoving filing cabinets down. I watch in horror as Violet swings open a door, and Olaf's hands wrap round her mouth. Mum laughs, "Isn't it wonderful when we work together?"
Frantically, they both strap Violet down to a hospital bed, and I hold her hand as they push the bed along corridors. Mum and Olaf both clearly think I'm helping push, because they don't tell me to stop. Violet squeezes my hand, terrified, and I squeeze it back as she snaps, "You'll never get away with this. You're not real doctors."
"You're right about one of those things," Olaf smirks. Violet tries moving her legs, but the restraints keep her from moving. We finally find a spare room, to which Olaf shoves her bed in the room and tells me to keep an eye on her. Once they've left the room, I look over at Violet and she looks at me. It's hard to believe we are the same age, when she is so much braver than me. I whisper, "Violet, you'll be okay. Klaus and Sunny will find you."
"Why do you let them do this?" She asks, as I stroke her hair away from her face. I sigh, "I have no choice. Its awful, I know. If I had a choice, trust me, you'd be out of her. I can't die."
"I know what you mean," Violet looks up at me, "I'd do anything to save Klaus and Sunny. They mean more to me than my life. I think losing our parents has made me realise that life is more important than I realised. I've protected them as much as I can, but now I'm stuck here and Olaf can get to them."
"You've done so much," I sigh, "Let me try now."
"Why would you though? We aren't friends?"
"We could be," I shrug. Violet smiles and mouths, "Friends?"
"Friends," I mouth back. Hench people enter the room and I sprint out. I've got children to help.