Pentimento: a dystopian Beauty and the Beast by Jace Cameron

Author:Jace, Cameron [Jace, Cameron]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-01-20T13:00:00+00:00

25

Iris spent the night by Zoe's bed. Her parents had arrived and waited outside. Zoe's protective mother wanted to stay with her, but she had the flu, and the doctors couldn't risk Zoe catching it and complicating her situation.

A while later, the night-shift girl entered the room to check on Zoe.

"Is she going to be alright?" Iris asked.

"Don't worry. Physically, she is a strong girl," the nurse said. "We're only hoping she won't suffer from any post-traumatic stress. What she's been through wasn't easy. "

"Poor Zoe. So when will we know that?"

"I’m not sure, but she’s not going anywhere until she's better. Are you her sister?"

"I feel like I am," Iris said, "But I’m not. She doesn't have sisters. Her mother is waiting outside, because she has the flu."

"I see." The nurse nodded. "Do you have any idea who visited her once she arrived? The tall, young and attractive fella?"

"Tall? No, Cody isn't that tall. And I am glad you find him attractive."

"I don't think his name was Cody," the nurse said. She was only about two years older than Iris. "While changing shifts, the other nurses kept talking about a boy who came here named Colton. Yeah, I am sure it was Colton, not Cody."

"Yes. Colton was here. He's Cody's brother, and he arrived before me." Iris was puzzled. "What about him?"

"Hmm..." The nurse hesitated. "He was the first one to enter Zoe's room after the accident. That’s what I was told by the other shift nurses. They couldn't stop talking about him."

"He is an attractive boy. He is used to that." Iris's lips twitched.

"I don't think that was the main reason they gossiped about him." The nurse looked as if she preferred to leave, realizing she was interfering in a matter not concerning her.

"What do you mean?"

"Look. This is what I heard. Colton came into Zoe's room, and somehow she hadn't been fully sedated yet. She saw him and screamed. The nurses said it was a hysterical scream, as if he were going to hurt her or something."

"Colton? No way." Iris defended him, but then wondered why she'd suddenly felt mad at him hours ago.

"I am sure there is a mistake," the nurse said. "Sorry for bringing it up. I shouldn't have. It sometimes gets lonely on the night shift, and I can't seem to stop talking when I find company." The nurse excused herself and left.

Iris couldn't shake the thought from her head. Why did Colton arrive before her, and why did Zoe scream when she saw him?

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