Finding the Ground Beneath the Feet - стр. 7
«No one will ever chase you away,» Mother said sternly. «You are our daughter forever, remember?»
«Yes,» I nodded, which made my eyes dim. «So what about the punishment?»
«You haven’t deserved it yet,» Dad murmured thoughtfully, listening to something. «I think it’s a restriction3, but why?»
«It depends on the anamnesis4,» Mother said unclearly.
She got up, came to me, squatted down, and hugged me. I felt so warm that I relaxed completely.
«Do you know where you lived?»
«I don’t know exactly, but I think it was a pantry,» I answered what I had read in books when I was Mariana.
Mother’s eyes got larger, and Herman started to look like an owl. He stared at me without even blinking, and then he hugged me promising that no one would ever touch me again.
Dad went somewhere and came back with a big blue cylinder. It turned out to be medical oxygen. They put a mask on my face, and my breathing immediately became very easy, and Dad just sighed. Also, they put some kind of a… peg on my finger5. It glowed red, and my dad looked at the little screen and stroked his head. Then, Mum was talking to me for a long time, asking me why I thought I was going to die. So I told her everything I knew. Then they washed me and put me to bed with my mask, peg, and device. It was a bit sad to part with Herman, but I hoped to wake up tomorrow.
While I was asleep, I was having some completely magical dreams and, for the first time, I didn’t want to die. I saw adult Herman putting a ring on my finger and calling me his dear one. It’s a pity it was only a dream…
Price
Elsa sat next to Gerhardt, telling him what she had learned from Gabriella. Herman honestly eavesdropped. First of all, he was curious. Then, the girl who called him «fiancé» touched some strings in his soul, which made him want to understand the situation. Herman didn’t know any other way to get information, so he lurked behind the sofa listening to his parents’ conversation – something he had never done before.
«Ehlers-Danlos syndrome6,» the man repeated after his wife thoughtfully. «And a high-intensity pain syndrome, because she did everything despite the pain. We have to figure out how to relieve it.»
«The easiest solution is to ask your colleagues,» his wife smiled.
Elsa saw both Gabriella’s pain and the «delay’7in her age which indicated a very difficult life of the child, but she had faith in her husband. The former sadistic caretakers were already being dealt with by the police and psychiatrists. The police also visited the girl’s school and found numerous irregularities there.
At that point, Herman couldn’t take it anymore.
«Daddy, when Rie nods, she has syncope8,» the boy shared his observations.
«Yes, we should have a look at the neck,» Gerhardt nodded and gave his son a sign to approach. «How do you feel about becoming a ’fiancé»?»
«She really needs this, Dad,» Herman replied seriously. «And it’s impossible not to love Gabriella. Let her call me her husband as long as she lives.»
There was so much tenderness in this phrase that Elsa looked intently at her son and smiled again.
«Then, I’ll study some literature and ask my colleagues,» Dr. Stiller decided. «Until we figure out how to relieve Gabriella’s condition, we’ll treat her like a five-year-old – with the greatest tenderness and care. Also, we will have to decide about the oxygen… In the morning, we will take the girl to the hospital and look for it.»