Page 29 of Retribution

‘I noticed there’s no razor in the shower,’ I begin, and she starts shaking her head before I’ve even finished talking.

‘What do you need to shave for?’ she asks.

My nose wrinkles. ‘What do you mean? Don’t you?’

‘Well, of course, honey, but you’re… well, who doyouneed to shave for?’

‘Myself?’ I mutter.

The nurse purses her lips. ‘I don’t see why it’s necessary for someone…like you to shave, but you can’t have one. You might hurt yourself. If you need to shave, I’ll either do it for you, or maybe, if you show me you can use one without hurting yourself, I’ll supervise you.’

‘You do realize I’ve been living as a normal human being since I returned to Richmond, right?’

‘An oversight that Mr. Banderville would like to rectify. You’re clearly not suited to everyday life. You got yourself hurt. Very badly.’

My eyes narrow. ‘How was the…gas leakmy fault?’

‘Well, it wasn’t, not directly, but Mr. Banderville just doesn’t understand why you were in a place like that. It’s dangerous for girls like you.’

I try not to sneer at her, but it’s very hard.

‘Eat your dinner. Lights out at nine. Tomorrow, maybe you can have a little walk outside for some fresh air if you eat all your dinner and you’ve slept properly.’

‘I have class.’ I say. ‘I’ll need to attend.’

She titters. ‘Sure you do, sweetie.’

I tilt my head. Does she think I’m lying about having to go to school?

With a final little laugh and a roll of her eyes, she leaves the room, and I stare at the door after her. I open the stinking silver dome and look down at the seabass that’s staring up at me. As predicted, the knife and fork are plastic. The fish hasn’t even been deboned. I cut it into small chunks and, leaving the spine and the head, I put the rest into the toilet and flush it.

I eat the steamed carrots and broccoli, even though they’re tainted bya dead aquatic creature, and a couple of the small, boiled potatoes. Afterward, I sit on the bed and message Lu, who starts blowing up my new phone immediately with questions and righteous anger on my behalf.

She makes it funny, too, and in no time at all, she has me laughing quietly at the situation I’ve found myself in. Knowing that I have her in my corner makes me feel better, at least on the surface, even though I know that almost no one out there can truly help me.

A maid comes in around eight thirty, giving me a tight-lipped smile.

‘Are you finished with your dinner, Miss Marguerite?’ she asks.

I nod and she picks up the tray, but not before she puts something into my trashcan carefully.

‘You’re Samantha?’ I ask, wondering if she’s actually on my side, or if this is a trick of some kind.

She nods. ‘Is there anything else you need? Stephens said I should ask you whenever I’m in here if we’re alone and he says he’s sorry you never got the refreshments you asked for earlier. The nurse said no.’

Yes, the nurse is a giant problem I didn’t anticipate.

I glance around the room. ‘A TV?’

She winces. ‘That nurse told us all that you weren’t allowed screens in case it made your condition worse.’

‘My condition? Are you fucking kidding?’ I mutter. ‘What a Class A bitch.’

‘No arguments here,’ Samantha says under her breath.

‘Nothing right now, thanks,’ I say, flopping back on my bed with a sigh.

‘It’s kind of warm in here,’ Samantha remarks.