The Puppets get Scared

In a flash, Mr. Winspere, who I hadn't even realized had left the room, re-appeared over Nikki and stuck her with a giant needle.

"Hey-" just as I was about to voice my alarm Nikki came to with a cough. A look of panic flared in her eyes when she saw her father standing over her. I quickly hurried over and held her hand. "Hey sweetie, I'm here."

With an audible sigh, she calmed down and sat up. "I'm sorry about earlier. I have been having-" "Don't worry, I already explained it to them." I interrupted and squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"Yes, Tianna has explained everything. She is a good friend. I am glad you found someone to be there for you when we couldn't be."

Mrs. Winspere' eyes glistened with tears, but I wasn't buying it. Just a few seconds before Nikki woke up she had stood across the room shooting me looks filled with contempt and annoyance.

Mr. Winspere jumped in, "Yes, but we are here now and will take care of you." I wasn't surprised. Something told me that they would eventually try to get rid of me, so I was prepared. I jumped in before Nikki could say anything that would jeopardize her parents' willingness to help.

"I know we have just met Mr. and Mrs. Winspere and you don't know anything about me, but I have been by Nikki's sides for the last five years and I know everything about her. I can't, in good conscious, leave now in her hour of need. I have to stay and support her."

There was a tense silence as Nikki's parents communicated with just their eyes. Nikki looked up at them pleadingly while holding my hands in a death grip.

After a few more seconds passed, they nodded, and Mrs. Winspere replied, "You are right my dear and you have been a good friend indeed.

Since you are staying, why don't you help us get Nikki situated? We need to take several blood samples and run a battery of tests. We will have a proper diagnosis in a few hours."

I nodded graciously and said thanks but not before shooting her a triumphant look. They may have fooled Nikki but I saw through their act. I just couldn't understand why they were behaving like this.

Even as I sent her that look, I knew they would try another way to get Nikki by herself. While we waited for the results to roll in, I called Aria's babysitter and asked if she could stay a few hours longer than originally planned. God must have been in a good mood because, luckily, she was available for the rest of the day.

It seemed like it took forever but slowly the results of the tests began to come back. At first, the Winsperes had had been excited but as the day wore on and the rest of the test results came in the happiness that had practically been oozing from their pores diminished.

Although I was talking to Nikki about trivial things to distract her from the constant probes and pricks, I was paying close attention to her parents so I didn't miss when Mr. Winspere stepped into the corner and made a phone call.

The haughty look he had been wearing since entering the lab, disappeared and he looked anxious. Whoever he was talking to seem to scare him shitless. His lips hardly moved and I realized that whoever was on the other side of the phone was either someone he had a healthy dose of fear of, or his boss.

The conversation didn't last more than a few minutes but by the time he hung up, his dark skin glistened with sweat. On unsteady legs, he walked over to his wife and whispered something in her ear.

She blanched, looked over at Nikki, and then at me. She gave Nikki a blazing look of scorn mixed with triumph but the moment her gaze shifted to me she assumed a sad, lost look.

I could tell that they had figured out how to get rid of me and the theatrics were about to begin. However, since Nikki had rescued me and Aria from my husband and taken me out of that house, I had found my courage again. She had saved me, and my baby's lives, so I refused to allow her parents to drag her into whatever scheme they had concocted.