Chapter 8 – Doc

Elizabeth's POV

After my father came into the room I was in, I immediately felt something was different. His eyes had lost their warmth and his demeanour was on high alert.

I jumped off the bed and run towards him, hugging him, but the cold stiffness that came back to me was like a cold shower. I rose my head trying to investigate his deep green eyes. But the only thing I could see was a void I have never seen before.

I was ready to question his look when his features softened and he finally returned the hug.

His voice was almost broken when he finally talked.

"I thought we had lost you forever, cupcake."

He tighten his arms around me, and my mother also joined our hug. I felt their love washing over me.

I could hear my heart squeezing. Was it really possible that those people who had supported me through all my life were impostors? Could they really be the enemy?

"I am sorry, Liz. But I can't trust them, and you shouldn't too."

Diana's voice brought me back from the reality I so desperately wanted to be in. The one where everything was like always, where I was safe and happy.

We all reluctantly stopped our affectionate gesture and I came back to the bed.

"What happened at the party? I'm sorry if it hadn't finished how it was supposed."

"Everything is fine now, dear. Our guests were a little startled, but the important thing is that now you're okay."

"Oh, and you wouldn't believe how worried was Dean!"

My mother's attempt to lighten up the situation was successful. As if I could give a single thought to that boy after the last encounter. Once again, my own thoughts surprised me, but I washed them away as soon as they formed in my head.

"How cute of him...speaking of, where's my phone? I am pretty sure Maggie and Nick are really worried and I could send a message to Dean too."

The glance my parents exchanged was quick, but I could not notice something strange in it.

"I'm sorry honey, but when you fell it crashed on the floor. But don't worry, we had already informed your friends."

I tried hard not to look overly sceptical. I didn't remember much of that night, but I was sure I didn't have my phone on me. The dress didn't have pockets and I wasn't one of those people that always carried that thing around.

"Oh, what a shame."

The silence in the room seemed to grow every second, I had so many questions, so many doubts I could make them go away in a blink of an eye, but Diana slowly growling in my head prevented me to do so.

"Anyway, Lizzie, in a few moments doctor Frazier should be here. Do you remember him? He is the one who treated you when you were little. He'll come to check on you again, and tell us what we should do from now on to keep you safe, okay?"

I simply nodded, trying to stop the last evoked memory of the doctor to overlap all my childhood memories. I was still trying when the door opened and the doctor came in.

He was smaller than I remembered, his hair was greying ungraciously and I had to use all my will not to move a muscle and softly smile.

"Hello, my dear! Do you remember me? You always called me Doc in your tiny little voice. I hoped we wouldn't see each other so soon, or at least not in these circumstances. Anyway, let's see what we got here."

I scooted on the bed, while the man got closer to me, a stethoscope, and some sort of tablet in his hand.

"I think I do remember you. You always gave me strawberry lollipops after the visits, right?"

He smiled, but it was so fast it didn't reach his eyes. He visited me, under the watchful look of my parents. When I thought he had finished he took the strange tablet and started waving it right in my face.

Before I could even understand what was happening, Diana started crying in my head. I had to master completely my face in order not to start crying along with her. I couldn't understand, I wasn't feeling absolutely anything, but why was D. crying her eyes out?

After a while, just when I thought I could no more, he stopped the torture, grinning widely towards my parents.

"All is well, our new pill and the increased dosage should have made it, despite the latest events."

I could finally see my parents really relax. I looked at them with a quizzical look on my face. Was it normal I wasn't understanding a single word? Or at least the real meaning behind it?

"Does it mean I'm okay now?"

I asked, trying to gain back some attention.

"You're okay for the moment, darling. But you see, what happened to you some nights ago was a strong episode, a huge shock, if you could say so. So I will prefer to keep you under observation for some more, I'll say a week or two."

"That's the longest! I don't like him, Liz, we should try to escape from here ASAP!"

I had to find a way to silence the thing inside me, or it will expose me faster than fast. I looked at the room around me. There was only a door, no windows, and no way to escape.

"I will have to remain here all that time?"

I tried to sound less appalled but judging by the looks on their faces I wasn't so successful.

"Maybe even some weeks more, you know, to be sure the marking didn't have effects..."

It was almost a whisper, but I heard it clearly as if it was said out loud. Again, that word! That was another proof I wasn't going mad, or that I was but so was everybody around me.

"Yes, cupcake. Just for your safety. But we'll ask Maggie and Nick to come and visit you, okay?"

I finally smiled sincerely at something my mother had said. I had to talk to them, maybe they could do some research outside of here.

"It's perfect then. Maybe could I ask for some books while I have to stay here? Just to spend the time..."

My father looked at me knowingly.

"Of course, dear, everything you want. For you...everything."