Cage choked back a laugh. “She’s fine, Jackson, just needs to get back in bed. Watch out,” he said, barging past him.
Jackson followed them up the stairs, muttering and swearing as he went. Toby followed behind, quietly laughing.
Opening the door and holding her steady at the same time, Cage rushed into the room and deposited Katalina on the bed. She immediately rolled over, looking away from her outraged father.
“I think we best let her rest. She needs to change out of those wet clothes and get warm.”
“Yes, but…”
Cage herded him to the door. “She won’t go anywhere again, will you, Kat?”
“No,” she whined.
A wet Arne pushed past into the room.
“Urgh, that dog needs to be downstairs,” Jackson huffed.
“He goes, I go,” Katalina snapped, glaring over her shoulder.
Arne curled up on the floor near the foot of the bed.
“He’s no harm,” Cage added.
“Right, yes, well, I want you guarding this door, Cage!”
Katalina glanced over her shoulder and mouthed ‘thank you’ to Cage as he ushered Jackson out the door.
‘No probs,’ he mouthed back, giving her a salute.
With the door closed, Katalina climbed back off the bed and gently pulled off her wet clothes, replacing them with dry ones.
Maybe a sleep would be nice.
*****
Grinding metal, smashing glass and her mother’s screams. Hair and skin burning, she’s surrounded by the sound of howling wolves. “Kat, help us! Help us!”
She tries to shout, but inhales ash and dust. Her lungs burn. She’s nothing but fear, pain and fire…
“Kat, help us!”
“MOM! DAD! DAD!” Katalina woke shouting their names. Her skin felt as if it were on fire. Surrounded by darkness, for one horrible second, she thought she was back in the car, trapped, burning.
The door burst open with a crash; the room suddenly immersed in light.
“What? What is it? What’s wrong?” Jackson scanned her room looking for danger, his face one of concern.
“Nothing, I…it was…” She took a deep breath, to calm her ragged breaths and racing heart.
“Kat, tell me what’s wrong? I heard you shouting for me and I—”
Katalina interrupted him, “I wasn’t shouting for you.”
“Oh, sorry…I could have sworn I heard you shout Da... Oh, right.” She saw hurt cloud his eyes briefly.
“I had a dream. I’m fine. You can go now.”
Jackson looked at her, unsure of what to do. Running a hand through his unkempt hair, he looked at the floor and then back at Katalina. “I’m sorry, you know…it was never supposed to be this way,” he murmured.
“Sorry won’t bring my parents back.” She regretted her words the second they left her mouth and yet she still couldn’t quell the temper inside of her.
His face dropped, the hard line of his mouth softening. For the first time, Katalina could see the man he must have been, the man with a wife and a child. “I—”
“Look, I’m sorry. I just…I don’t have room for you right now. I get I’m your daughter, but I’ve just lost my parents. I’m not ready for another dad and I’m not sure I’ll ever be. A day ago, I was happy and I had a family. Now, my world’s been turned upside down and I’m all alone.”
Jackson looked at her one last time and then switched the light off. She heard the door creak, but before it closed, he spoke softly, “I’ll be here whenever you’re ready. If you need anything, shout for Cage. He’s asleep on the sofa. I think Toby’s hidden himself away somewhere, too. He hates to miss out on the action. You’re not alone, Katalina, please remember that.”
“All right,” she answered, not sure what else to say, or how she even felt by his words.
As soon as the door closed, Katalina let the flood of tears she’d been holding back fall down her face.
Feeling emotionally wrung out, Katalina cuddled up to Arne when he jumped onto the bed. Trying to sleep, she struggled; she couldn’t relax, and the longer she lay in the silence of the darkened room, the worse she felt. Slipping from the bed, she crept from the room across the dimly lit landing. The house was quiet and in darkness. Fumbling for the light switch, Katalina flooded the bathroom in light and walked to the sink. She turned the tap and splashed water onto her face.
A headache throbbed behind her eyes and she felt weak and dizzy. Reaching for something to steady herself, Katalina missed the basin and she slid to the floor, her head spinning.
“Toby?” she whispered loudly. “Toby?”
“How’d ya know I was here?” he asked, popping his head around the door, a big grin on his face.