The Tens, Vanessa Jones [i like reading books .TXT] 📗

anxiety show, she struck back the heavy blankets that were pinning her to the uncomfortable makeshift bed. 'Actually, I need to go because I'm meeting someone this morning and they will be so confused about why I'm late!'

Clive's smile vanished as if Sophie had insulted him. He put his hand on her sternum and steadily pushed her back to laying down. 'No.'

It wasn't her mind tricking her. Sophie was in real trouble.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Comfortingly mousey, Abigail gently pushed her way into the tent with a heavy book in her hand and a small, hand bashed copper bowl. Timidly, she approached Sophie and knelt beside her, her back as straight as it had been witnessing the sermon the night before.

'If you're about to read me passages of the fucking Bible you can fuck right off.' Sophie aimed at the woman.

'It's not The Bible,' she said softly.

'Unless it's a phone so I can call a doctor, you need to turn the fuck around and get out of these shambles of a freakshow camp and get me some help. My legs aren't working! I am too exhausted to move. Do you want to be responsible for this?'

'I bought you some food.' She carefully lay the bowl on Sophie's chest. The tang of orange segments sprinkled with tiny violets and rosemary sprigs sprang up at her. Unwilling to admit it, she was starving and incredibly thirsty.

After Abigail tenderly slid the segments into her mouth, Sophie decided to reason with her. 'Please. I think I'm going crazy. Having psychosis or something. Everything feels wrong. Can I see a doctor? Or speak to my therapist?'

'I'm sorry madame. That's not possible right now. But I want to assure you that everything is okay. You're going to be okay.' The earnestness in her eyes actually aggravated Sophie more than soothed her.

'That is absolutely not true. I need to take some Valium or something, my mind is going to split apart. I thought I heard a baby before!'

The woman hesitated and ran her fingers over the cover of the book. She opened it to a page, scanned it and looked back up at Sophie, her finger holding the place in the book. 'We don't have Valium here. I can get you a relaxing tea, a herb, if you like?'

'I don't want any tea from you whackjobs.'

The woman flinched. 'It's temporary.' She tugged her sleeves down and tucked her chin in. Her eyes darted to the opening of the tent and then back to Sophie.

'What?'

'It's temporary. The legs.'

'How do you know that?' Sophie hissed at her which made her recoil a little.

'It's in the tea.'

'Are you kidding me?' Sophie felt a rage that was new to her.

All the anger that had been asleep inside her, from Alex leaving, from the resentment of having to go to therapy, from not being in the familiarity of her own home... all arose. 'You all ought to be arrested.'

'It's not what you think.' Abigail’s face glumly fell.

'Well, what I think is that you've drugged and paralysed me and now you're keeping me hostage in the middle of...' Sophie gestured about the place with her screwed up face '...nowhere. And you're going to end up on the news and then in jail.'

'You did hear a baby,' she said quietly.

'There are babies here? That's inhumane.'

'Of course, there are babies here. They are so loved and taken care of more than anyone can believe. You, of all people, should see that.'

'Well if drugging someone is taking care of them, then you've got it twisted and the police should be called. The babies should be taken away. Where are their parents?' Sophie stared hard at Abigail, as if her eyes could coerce her into getting up, leaving the tent and sourcing help.

'I know where to find your husband.'

'I beg your fucking pardon? How do you know him? Where is he? Take me to him!' Sophie’s eyes bulged. Her speech had become crystal clear with outrage.

'I can't... just please trust that this is all happening for good.'

Sophie reached toward her throat with a dense arm. But as she connected with the woman's skin, she got an electric shock which made her pull back.

'I don't know! I don't know where he is exactly. I just wanted to give you some hope. I’m sorry, it was the wrong thing to say. I shouldn’t have said anything.’ The woman leant back a little from Sophie, her hands raised and fright on her face. She bowed her head lower so that Sophie could see her meticulous part, slicing from her forehead to the back of her head. 'Please,' she whispered, pushing her hands, which had sandwiched the book between them, towards Sophie.

Sophie slid it out and frisbeed it towards the tent wall. 'I told you that I don't want to read the fucking Bible,' she hissed at the woman, who looked horrified and scrambled after the book. She picked it up and smoothed its cover to make sure it was okay, hugging it back towards her chest like it was a kitten. Sophie's legs of lead were both a saviour and a frustration. If she were mobile, she would have held a lithe hand to Abigail's buttery neck and squeezed the sides, pressing on the tendons to make her squawk.

'I thought you would understand once you read it.' The woman's eyes and tip of her nose had reddened from crying. At that moment, Clive burst his way through the tent flaps and unflinchingly told the woman to get out. She obeyed, hanging her head even lower, dropping the book in front of her crotch. 'I'm so sorry, I just thought once she saw the book...'

'Get out.' Clive repeated stonily which left a motionless chill in the tent. He followed her out and Sophie sucked in so much air that her jaw strained and screamed and screamed for help, causing Clive to rush right back and bring his pointy nose up