"Eirenae?" A voice called. They pounded on the door so hard I thought it might break. I made no move to go and open it, and for obvious reasons, I didn't call out.

"Eirenae, what are you doing? Are you alright?" I knew it was Kota pounding and shouting.

I sat there, ignoring him, and let myself continue crying. What did he want? Why did he care so much about a broken girl like me? One he barely even knew.

The pressure on my ribs had intensified in the last few minutes, and it was getting harder to breathe. Still, I made no move to unfurl myself from the fetal position on the floor of the shower.

"Eirenae, open up, I can smell your tears." Who can smell tears? Who says that?

"Eirenae. . ." He continued slowly. A few moments later, the door swung open.

I couldn't see it, behind the shower curtain — plus my head was on my knees— but I heard the lock click and door fly open. I sighed. He'd picked the lock. Really?

Much to my surprise, and gratitude, he didn't rip open the curtain like I thought he would, instead staying on the other side. I could tell he wanted to comfort me in any way he could though.

"Eirenae? Please tell me what's wrong. Or at least come out." I made no move to get up, but I tried to silence my sobs to no avail. I ended up making some kind of choking sound.

That's when he whispered "screw it" and pulled the shower curtain back. I stayed curled up, but I lifted my head to look up at him.

His eyes were wide with worry and he looked like he was going to break down in tears himself.

"What-what happened to you?" He stuttered as he caught sight of my arms, my neck, my back, and parts of my legs. I ducked my head again.

The knob squeaked as Kota turned the shower off. When I looked back up, he had grabbed a towel and was holding it up for me. Being a gentleman, he was blocking his sight with the towel, waiting for me to grab it. Slowly, painfully, I gripped the edge of the tub and heaved myself up and taking the towel from his hands, I wrapped myself in it. He opened his eyes when I lightly touched his arm and he reached out and lifted me from the tub.

I held the material close to me and shivered, leaning into him. Kota carried me over to his bed and I stayed covered, wrapped in the towel and shivered again, this time my teeth rattled.

"Here." He tossed a pile of folded clothes at me and turned around. "They're Eva's, by the way. You're too small to fit into Jaycee or Sydney's clothes." Kota faced the other wall and waited patiently for me to change.

They were still oversized on me, but I pulled the sweatpants and t-shirt on before curling in on myself again. My hair was all wet and in a big tangled mess but I didn't care. I was too worn to do anything. After a few moments of silence, Kota turned around and came over to me.

"Do you want me to still put on a movie?" He asked. I blinked up at him and shrugged. I wasn't even sure what movies I liked, I'd been a child last time I had seen one.

He smiled, "I'll put one in anyway and you can fall asleep to it, alright?" I nodded and he turned on the TV, flipping through stuff until he clicked on one called The Greatest Showman. I had never heard of it, but the very beginning was music, so that alone made me like it.

He came back and leaned over as if he wanted to kiss me on the forehead. Thinking better of it, he straightened up and said, "get under the covers if you need to, okay? Don't hesitate. I'm going to go get some work done, so if you need something, walk down the hall and you'll find Jaycee's room." I gave him a small smile and he left the room, leaving me alone.

Work? He was eighteen, in school. What work did he need to do? Although it shouldn't surprise me, they all lived in this nice house with big rooms, of course he worked! Wait, we're they all related? Why else did they all seem to live here?

The confusion I felt about this entire situation was hurting my mind. I focused back on the movie, watching as the little boy got backhanded just for making the little girl laugh. I feel that.

I must've fallen asleep because the next thing I know, a sharp tap on the bedroom door woke me up. I sat up slowly, smiling at how little it hurt compared to the day before. I was healing! Looking around the room I noticed nothing appeared different, Kota had left me alone. I appreciated him giving me space, but I also was wondering where he was.

I made my way to the door and swung it open to see Holly, the doctor from the other day, and Jaycee. I gave them a confused smile and they let themselves into the room.

"Hello Eirenae." Holly said sweetly. "It's been over a day now, and I just wanted to come check on everything. Kota assumed you'd prefer me coming here than you coming to the infirmary." He was right, but the truth was I didn't want either. I doubt I had a choice there, but I knew they were just trying to make sure I was okay.

I glanced sideways at Jaycee and she smiled at me. "She's here because you seem to trust her and are comfortable around her. Kota also assumed you'd prefer her over him." Again, he was right. And I did trust Jaycee, but Holly was the one who bandaged me up, she had already seen how beat up I was, Jaycee had not.

"I can always leave if you'd rather." Jaycee said. But she was my friend, and I think I did trust her. I turned to her and closed my hand to a fist, sticking my thumb and pinkie out, holding it up and then dropping my wrist: the sign for stay.

"Alright," Holly said, "why don't you come sit on the couch and let me look at how you're healing." I followed her and Jaycee trailed behind me. I plopped down on the couch and Holly got out supplies from the bag I hadn't noticed she was carrying. Jaycee walked around the room for a second, turning on the fireplace — though I wasn't cold, but it was nice of her to think of it — and drawing open the curtains behind us to let in light.

"It's getting colder!" Jaycee squealed. I looked over my shoulder to see her looking out the window, as if she was willing the sky to give her snow. Though, it was still pretty early in the year for it. After a moment she wandered back over to us, sitting down next to me.

"Do you mind lifting your shirt so I can remove the bandage around your ribs?" Holly asked, grabbing special scissors. I did as she asked and she carefully sliced off the wrapping. Jaycee sucked in a breath and shifted to the floor next to the doctor. I closed my eyes. If she was just going to pity me the whole time, I didn't want her here.

"Why is she healing like a human?" She said softly.

Huh? Weren't we all human, what did she mean by that? Everything was so confusing here!

Holly tilted her head as she touched my rib with gloves fingers. "Not quite that slow, but not as fast as we want." I was so lost. I grunted a little when she added pressure to the area. When I made the sound she drew back. "Still painful, then?" She asked me. I nodded, holding up my thumb and pointer finger close but not touching. "Just a little, okay that's good. Does bending over hurt? Or other movements?"

I dropped my shirt and stood up, bending over to touch my toes. It didn't necessarily hurt, but was definitely uncomfortable. I sat back down and shook my hand to say so-so.

Jaycee suddenly popped up from the floor and headed towards the bed. When she came back, she had a notepad and pen. Where did she get this? It didn't matter, as now I could talk to them. I signed thank you and wrote down: It's uncomfortable but not the worst. Moving with the bandage on makes it hard to breathe sometimes.

Holly took the pad and read my writing out loud. "Okay. Well you had the wrapping on for just about forty-eight hours, so I it should be fine to leave off now and just let your body heal it naturally." I nodded, relieved and she moved on to my arm.

"How about this? Any better? Worse?"

I thought about it for a moment before taking the pad back. The cast is heavy, but I know I'm just weak. The pain is manageable, and the cast protects it.

When Holly read the first line Jaycee frowned at me, but I couldn't tell what was going through her mind. After the second line, Holly pauses and thinks. "Alright, I'll leave that untouched for now, but here's some mild pills for pain to take when needed in six hour intervals." I nodded and took the bottle from her.

She packed her things up and got ready to head out the door, I followed her over there. "I'll come check on you in another few days. In the meantime, keep resting as much as possible and have Kota send for me if you need anything, okay?" I bobbed my head and signed thank you and she let herself out.

"Would you like me to stay or are you going back to bed?" I immediately signed stay. I would like some company.

Beaming, she took my hand and led me back to the couch. But when we got there her face became solemn again. "Now that I've seen the physical pain you've been in, can I ask how it happened?" Looking into her eyes, I think she had a guess. I mean, she'd been watching me at school every day and knew I only went there and home.

"You know, telling people could help your mind heal. And knowing the truth isn't going to, like, I don't know, send you back there or something!" I ducked my head because that's not what I was worried about. I feared they would try to hunt Jack down, and he would track the trail back here and find me. Or hurt all of them in the process.

I took in a deep breath, unsure what to do. I trusted her more than Kota, but I already was seeing me trust him more too. It was strange, three days ago I was a shell of myself running from anything trying to help. Now, I was living in this mansion with my new friends and they were beginning to get through to me, whether they realized it or not.

When I hadn't said anything in a while, she cleared her throat and changed the subject. "Alright, not today. I get it. Oh! Isn't your birthday in two days?" Oh no here it comes. "Do you want to do anything special for it?" I instantly shook my head. "Really? Come on there's got to be something!"

I thought back to previous birthdays. My gift was always a day off. No beatings no scoldings no cleaning or cooking. Honestly, every day here has been more special than those spent at home, so I couldn't think of anything I truly wanted to do. I just knew I definitely did not want a big deal.

"Hmm," Jaycee pondered, "no big party, Kota already mentioned that, but maybe we can all go out to eat together?" When nothing about me changes, she shrugs. "Well, think about it, okay? I can make it happen, whatever you end up wanting." I smiled and she hugged me, ever so gently now that she'd seen what I hid beneath my shirt.

She opened her mouth to say something else when the door burst open, making both of us jump. "Sorry," Kota said, sounding excited about something. "Eirenae, I have a surprise for you!"