Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 82 (part 1)

Chapter 82 part 1
"Mija?" Sinu said, peering in to her daughter's room from the doorway with an anxious expression on her face. Camila opened her eyes, her lids fluttering heavily as though she'd been sleeping for so long that they'd forgotten how to work. The light that greeted her was blinding and harsh, forcing them instantly closed again until she was able to work up the courage and the effort to open them fully. "Mija," the soft voice came again from somewhere close by, a hint of audible concern etched in it. Camila pried her eyelids open to search for the source of the sound but instead they fell on to the ceiling above her bed and the white tiles of the hospital room that she occupied. All around her was the slow, rhythmic sound of electronic beeps and as she struggled to remain awake, to pull herself fully out of the deep slumber that she'd been consumed by she felt a gentle touch on her right arm and slowly twisted her head in response until she was greeted by the sight of her mom. The older woman looked tired as she sat in the chair beside her bed and her eyes were dark and laden with

the weight of her endless nights of worry. She smiled at Camila sadly when their eyes finally found each other and the youngster wanted to reciprocate the gesture but found that she couldn't, that her body would not obey her command no matter how much she willed it to. Camila cleared her throat and licked at her lips, her mouth feeling dry and parched from a lack of oral fluid intake as a result of the nasogastric tube which was providing her nutrition during these early stages of her recovery. "W...w...whe..." she started stuttering, her voice low and hoarse; the use of it making her throat protest painfully. "What?" Sinu probed kindly, brushing the hair at her daughter's temple lightly with her fingertips and leaning closer to her small form, her elbows resting on the bed and sinking in to the mattress. "W...w...ww...where's....L..ll..lauren?" Camila asked and Sinu's forehead creased in confusion. "Camila," she started, wearing a sympathetic look on her face as she continued to play with her daughters' hair comfortingly. "Who's Lauren?" Camila felt her stomach lurch horribly at the question and a panic welled up within her that made her chest constrict tightly and trapped all the air in her lungs without leaving any way for it to escape. "Camila," Sinu said urgently, sitting down on the edge of her daughter's bed and shaking her shoulder roughly with one hand. "Mija, wake up." Camila muttered something inaudible as she dreamt and Sinu moved the hair out of her daughter's eyes, noting the thin sheen of sweat that glistened on her skin and the

way that her breathing was more laboured than usual. Her limbs were twitching in the bed as she slept and Sinu could see the same distress on her daughter's features that were always present during one of her nightmares. "Camila," Sinu said more firmly, shaking the girl on the bed vigorously, determined to rip her from the bad dream she was obviously trapped in. "You need to wake up now sweetheart," she encouraged, her voice strong and loud as she shook her again, "Mija!" This time Camila's eyes flew open and it took her a moment to orientate herself, her eyes darting from side to side and being brutally accosted with her bedroom wall and the multitude of photos which littered it. Camila felt disorientated and her chest still heaved rapidly as her lungs fought to replenish the air which she'd previously believed to have been imprisoned within them. As her breathing started to settle and her faculties returned to her, Camila's eyes managed to focus on one of the photos directly in front of her on the wall. It was a picture of her and Lauren during one of their many trips to the beach and Camila closed her eyes and smiled to herself on seeing it; a slow, relieved sigh escaping between her pursed lips. "Mija?" Sinu asked tenderly, her fingertips moving back and forth across the fabric of her daughter's Ed Sheeran tshirt in an attempt at comfort. "Are you ok?" she asked uncertainly. Camila rolled over on to her back beneath her covers and met Sinu's troubled

eyes. "Yeah," she answered, wiping at her forehead with the back of her hand to rid it of the perspiration which coated it. "I'm ok," she sighed truthfully, placing a grateful hand on her mom's forearm. "Nightmare?" Sinu questioned knowingly and Camila nodded her head minutely in answer to the query. "Yes," Camila replied. "It's been a while since you last had one," Sinu remarked and Camila shook her head in disagreement. "No it hasn't," she responded, pushing herself up slightly in the bed so that she could talk to her mom properly. "You haven't said anything," Sinu commented as Camila leant back against the head board, her eyes glancing at her alarm clock to find that it was just coming up to nine in the morning. "I know," Camila said, reaching for the spare pillow beside her and pulling it over in to her lap. "I didn't want to worry you," she shared with Sinu, her small hand manipulating the fabric of her pillow case distractedly as her eyes watched. "Are they still about the accident?" Sinu probed interestedly, taking hold of Camila's hand to stop its fidgeting. "Not exactly," Camila replied evasively. "Do you think that we need to talk about them?" Sinu asked and her daughter lifted her eyes and smiled at her. "I don't think so," she said, squeezing her mom's hand before elaborating a bit further. "It's kind of weird but I actually find them useful." Sinu studied Camila for a few moments, evidently debating whether to press the issue any further but she decided against it, trusting that if it was anything serious that her daughter would tell her. "Ok, but you know where I am if you change your