Her Guardian Angel (Fire and Snow)(35)

Where the hell was she?

How did she have clothes again?

She looked up in confusion and trailed her gaze around the room then stopped still when her eyes landed on a woman sitting there looking straight at her. Her eyes went wide, and she tried to push herself away from the woman but couldn't move. She was attached to the machine with the tube, and the rails on the bed wouldn't allow her movement. She panicked, thrashing her arms and legs. She felt the pain the jerky movements caused, but she couldn't focus to stop. Her body and mind had left her behind.

"Shhh, Kelly. You are safe. You're in a hospital. No one here will hurt you, cherie. You are safe."

The woman kept repeating herself as she slowly moved closer to Adele. Kelly's body finally stilled and she focused on the woman. Did she know her?

"My name is Adele. My friend, Dominic, and I found you wandering by the lake. Do you remember?"

"I don't...what happened to me?" she said on a scared whisper. Her last memory was of Cole coming home early and dragging her downstairs. She tried to get her brain to focus, to remember that day.

"We don't know what happened to you, cherie. You were very badly injured when we found you, so we brought you here to the hospital. You told us you were worried someone would come and take you. We've kept someone outside your room guarding you; I have been here watching you as much as I can. You haven't ever been alone. No one will hurt you again, Kelly."

Adele's voice was calm, soothing and helping to anchor her. Suddenly pain lacerated her skull and she closed her eyes, clenching her teeth against the pain. As memories flooded back to her, she pressed her palms to her eyes. Oh, damn, the things he'd done to her, threatened to do to her. She remembered everything now, getting away, being found. She dropped her hands away, desperately holding onto Adele's worried gaze.

"He was going to rape me; he told me that tomorrow he would finish my training. That I would be fully his forever after that. I--I got out. I ran away."

Kelly watched as tears flowed from Adele's eyes. This woman who had only just met her seemed so upset by her pain. No one had ever offered any sympathy toward her, not even her mother. Adele reached her hand slowly toward her own. When their hands were nearly touching, Kelly grabbed hold of Adele's. Her touch was warm, gentle, safe. Adele moved closer to the bed. Kelly watched as she lowered the side rail and slowly lay down next to her. She allowed her body to be pulled into Adele's embrace. The comfort she offered was too much, and tears began to fall as she fell apart in the safety of Adele's arms.

"He won't get near you again, Kelly. I promise, I'll do everything I can to protect you."

After a few minutes, her tears began to lessen. Suddenly, she felt so sleepy. Adele's soothing hand began stroking her curls.

"You were so brave, cherie, running away. You saved yourself and you were so strong, petit fille. Now, you have help. We will all help you get better and stronger."

Kelly couldn't remember ever being cuddled so lovingly. She snuggled into Adele and breathed in her smell. She smelled like vanilla and sunshine--and protection.

"How long has it been?" she asked on a yawn.

"You have been here eight days, cherie. You were very badly injured so we kept you asleep so your body could heal without causing you any more pain. You're going to be sore for quite a while. You have a number of cracked ribs which take time to heal."

Adele's voice was so gentle and soothing. Kelly wished she could stay forever in Adele's embrace, feeling safe and secure, but she knew better than most that life wasn't that easy. She took as deep a breath as she could without pain before bravely asking her next question.

"What is going to happen to me when I have to leave? I have no where to go, I have no one."

She buried her face into Adele's shoulder as a feeling of hopelessness enveloped her and she started crying again. How did she think running away would help? She would have been better off if he had just killed her as he had her mother. While she cried, she felt Adele rest her cheek on top of her head and begin to hum to her. When her tears slowed, Adele spoke to her.

"It's okay, Kelly. Don't you worry about anything. When you leave here, if you want, you can come live with me. I've been talking with the Child Protection Agency and since they can't find any of your biological family, you will need to go into foster care. I've been going through all their tests so I can take you in. I promised to keep you safe, Kelly. I meant it. You will never be alone again, cherie."

Adele's words made Kelly so happy she started crying again. Maybe, just maybe her life would be better now. She sobbed until the exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep snuggled in Adele's warm embrace.