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“You’re safe.”
You’re safe with me.
He feathers his knuckles along my cheek.
“My throat hurts,” I tell him.
He flinches.
I think my throat hurts him too.
“Baby, can I take Hannah? You need to get checked out.”
Hannah’s grip tightens.
“Please don’t touch her,” I beg, even when I know he won’t hurt her because his arms are the safest place to be.
“Ma’am.” The lady snaps her fingers again. Jake doesn’t like when she does that. “We need to get you to the hospital. Can you let us help you?”
I don’t know.
“She’s in a state of shock,” I hear her say.
Me?
I’m in shock?
“You should go with them. She’s only responding to you. She’s not in a good place,” Papa tells Jake.
Jake punches him.
Papa doesn’t fight back, even when he falls to the ground, and Jake picks him up by the collar.
“Because of us. We put her here. She’s like this because of us.”
No, Jake. Not you. It was the monsters.
Only the monsters.
Hannah screams.
She’s getting heavy.
Jake doesn’t roar anymore because his lips are on my face. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
I don’t know what he’s sorry for, but I’ve already forgiven him.
“I’m tired,” I say. “I think I’ll sleep now.”
“No, baby. Stay with me, okay?”
“Ma’am.” The woman snaps again. “Keep your eyes open.” She looks at Jake. “She’s quite bruised. We need to get her seen.”
Jake cups either side of my head, heavy tears floating in his eyes.
I look up because birds are singing in the trees.
It’s nighttime.
