Protecting and Healing You

Chapter 14.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Is the first thing my boyfriend said when he rushed into the ER.

"She's okay, she's awake now. Colouring actually"He sighs.

"I would've been here sooner but I was in Brooklyn and the bridge was backed up"

"Leo breath" I instruct. He nods slowly.

"Right, sorry. Has anyone from the orphanage come for her yet?" He asks. I shake my head.

"Julie"Erica says coming out of Nellie's room. "How about you make sure Nellie is comfortable while I talk to Leo"Julie says. I nod and look to my boyfriend. Who looked as sleep deprived as me.

Leo looks down at me "can you tell her I'll be in to see her in a second?" He asks me, I nod and he presses his lips to my forehead before we split. I knock on Nellie's door before opening it.

"Hey there pretty girl"I smile at her. Thankfully she didn't have any internal bleeding, but she did have a broken arm. She smiles at me a bit.

"I have a special visitor for you"I smile as I walk closer to the bed, she looked so small and fragile in it, it broke my heart.

"Who?" She asks me, her voice hoarse.

"Remember Leo?" I ask her. She nods, her face lighting up. "He's just outside talking to Mrs Erica, he'll be in to say hello" I smile at her. She nods.

"Mrs Erica gave me colours"she says and I look to the desk in front of her "want to colour?"she asks me. I nod.

I sit down beside her, half of my body hanging off the hospital bed just to make sure she still has some room.

"Is Leo gonna ask me questions?" She asks me suddenly.

"Maybe"I nod. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to"I assure her. She nods just as the door opens and in steps my boyfriend. His tired face lights up to the man I fell in love with.

"Hi Nell"He smiles.

"Colour?" She asks, offering him a blue crayon. He shrugs and sets his jacket down on the chair in the corner before sitting on Nellie's left side, he hangs off the bed as well wanting to leave her some room.

"So Nellie, I have some questions"Leo starts slowly. "And you don't have to answer if you don't want"he reminds her.

"I want too"she announces.

"Okay, just try your best at answering"He says as he places his phone down on the desk in front of us and that's when I knew he was recording.

"Okay"She agrees. I listen to their conversation. Nellie explains that the kids at the orphanage have been mean to her and often tease her to the point she gets bruises, and the owner of the orphanage isn't all sunshine and rainbows either. She would hit the girls with a belt, which I didn't know still existed and clearly from Leo's posture he was beyond pissed.

"You know the number to call me Nellie, why haven't you?"Leo asks.

"Because she would have hurt me more"

"Who would've?" I ask Nellie.

"Mrs Sheen" she says.

"And she is?" Leo asks

"The owner"I look over her head to Leo and we make eye contact.

"Tell me how you got hurt today Nellie"Leo says calmly.

"I tried to call you today"She says, engrossed in her colouring.

"Me? Today?"Leo asks.

"Yes"She nods her head. "And then she heard me and hurt me"