12 A Promise To Mia...

Leaving the bathroom Lucas hurriedly changed his clothes and stood beside the bathroom door holding a pair of clean clothes of himself for Mia. He was afraid that Mia might once again do something but it was completely silent on the other side.

Around twenty minutes later he heard Mia's weak voice;

"Can you bring me some clothes!"

Lucas came into the bathroom and found Mia standing close to the basin her back facing the door. She had wrapped a towel around her body which fell upto her knees. Lucas averted his eyes but he caught a glimpse of her back. There were deep scratches maybe running down further below.

Lucas cleared his throat, "I'm putting these here," and hung the clothes on the rack then he continued, "there's a first-aid kit on that drawer."

Mia opened the drawer and took out the box; Lucas turned around to leave but something crossed his mind. He scratched the back of his neck and stood there thinking whether to say it or not.

Mia saw him still in the bathroom, after a minute she asked "Anything else?"

Lucas froze for a second contemplating to say or not. He then said in a low voice without turning around, "Do you need help?"

Mia was silent. She didn't understand what he meant. Then she heard him again.

"There are some wounds in your back. Do you need help?"

Mia turned around and looked at her back in the mirror. She slightly lowered her towel. There were indeed long deep scratches on her back. She remembered it was Jacob's doing. There was no way she could apply medicine on her own.

Lucas thought Mia doesn't want his help and stepped forward to leave when he heard her say, "Okay."

He turned around walked to the basin. Mia stood there facing the mirror, her eyes closed and her hands tightly clutching on to the towel.

Lucas didn't say anything else and took the medicine and started applying gently on her back. As she felt his touch on her skin Mia stiffened. She was trying hard not to cry but tears rolled down her eyes involuntarily.

Lucas saw the girl's tears and felt helpless inside.

"It's done."

He finished up and left the bathroom. Mia stepped out of the bathroom after tending to her other wounds and found Lucas sitting on the couch.

Seeing her he asked, "Do you want anything else?"

Mia shook her head.

"You should rest for a while. Later when it stops raining I'll take you home."

Mia just nodded without looking at him and lied down on the bed pulling the blanket over her head. Lucas stepped out of the room to bring her some water. When he came back she was still under the blanket but her muffled cries could be heard.

Lucas remained in the room silently not letting her feel his presence. After a while she stopped crying. He thought she might've fallen asleep but he saw her shaking.

Lucas walked to the bedside and pulled down the cover a little. Her eyes were closed, tears streaming down and she was shivering severely. He touched her forehead and realized she was having a mild fever.

Lucas raised the temperature of the heater and put a couple more blankets on her.

It had been an hour but her conditions remained same. No! It was getting worse! She was feeling even colder than before!

He racked his brain to think of a way. He already did everything he should and the only thing he could do now was something very uncomfortable for the both of them. Especially when Mia was in such a state of mind.

But he couldn't just stand to see her suffer like this, so with a bit of hesitation he said,

"Mia!? Can I lie down beside you?"

Mia froze and her expressions darkened but she kept her eyes closed.

"I promise you won't feel me beside you at all. Once you are warm enough I'll leave." Lucas quickly added.

Mia was still silent but her face showed traces of confusion, pain and fear.

Lucas didn't wait any longer and laid beside her but as promised kept his distance. Mia stiffened as she felt his presence next to her. She was still trying hard to control her emotions but it was worthless after she heard Lucas's voice next to her a few minutes later.

"Mia..." His voice was so soft it sounded like a whisper. Seeing her suffering, Lucas didn't know when he called out to her. But in the next second she lost all her control and cried out loud. Lucas extended his arm to pat her shoulder when she turned around and held him tightly.

She was trembling. Lucas circled his arms around her and took her in his embrace. Her face was buried in his chest and she was crying continuously pouring out all her pain and suffering;

"Why, why did they do this to me!

Am I that bad! Was I so wrong to stop them that day!

Why this happened to me Lucas!"

Lucas was silent. He was not aware of his own feelings right now. What was this feeling of hurting! This girl in his arms was one of the strongest girls he has ever seen. Though he hated her but he couldn't deny it. And now she is here so vulnerable, so weak, hurt, broken, crying...

"...they are disgusting!

they...they touched me...

they tried to...to do...

oh my god...why did they...why..."

Lucas didn't know what to say to comfort her. He just held her tightly in his arms and gently patted on her back. After a while she fell asleep crying.

Lucas shifted a little and looked at Mia. There were traces of tears and still wet tears on her face. He softly wiped those tears away. All this time a voice was ringing in his ears...Mark's voice!

"She is not someone to be treated like that Lucas! She deserves better!"

'You were right! She deserves better! And I'm going to make sure of that! Whoever dared to hurt her is going to pay hundred times back!'

He leaned in close and put a soft kiss on her hair making a silent promise to Mia and to Himself!