"How does it feel to be going home?" Emma questioned as she pushed the wheelchair-stricken Skaii into the opened elevator in front of them. 

Skaii was discharged from the hospital today and she almost cried at the miniscule freedom; the was days prior were agonizing. Not only could she not use her phone but she couldn't leave her room because if Emma wasn't there to accompany, who else would take her? The Asian doctor only came to check on her vitals silently, the nurse spent most of the time with her adding IV fluid to her tube and change her bandages and prepare her for an x-ray where she only saw strange faces. 

This had Deane Shaw written all over it, but who was she to question his reasons for leaving her be?

Emma pulled Skaii's packed suitcase behind her as she joined Skaii in the spacious elevator and leaned her body against the iron wall and then blew out a sharp breath. She waited for Skaii to reply to her question, but the only noise between them was the elevator counting down as it went past each floor. She glanced down at her and realized that she was just staring blankly ahead.

"Skaii," she called again. Skaii sniffed and wiped her hand across her cheeks, her hands coming away wet. It was then that Emma realize the tears trickling down Skaii's face. "Skaii are you crying? Are you okay?"

Skaii's abruptly spun herself around to look at Emma. Her eyes were blood red, it was evident that she was far from being okay. "Does it look like I'm okay, my neck and my arm is broken Emma." She hissed.

Emma shook her head quickly. "I know that you won't be able to cheer for a while. And you're so used to being head cheerleader that you will not be able to stand watching someone else running your squad, but you have to try Skaii. You're hurt." Emma explained while she slowly reached out to rub Skaii's shoulder.

"Cheer," Skaii scoffed at her. If only she knew that her squad was the last thing on her mind right now. Emma rose an eyebrow at the one little word. Confusion was etched on her face and Skaii suddenly felt the urge to apologize to her. But she bit on her bottom lip and said nothing further. She turned back around to face the elevator door. The atmosphere thickened with tension, more than before. Skaii could still feel Emma's eyes on her.

"I didn't mean to hurt you by saying that." Emma said after a while. She felt as if she wronged Skaii in some way by the words she uttered.

"You didn't." Skaii replied dryly. Emma nodded, even though she knew that Skaii couldn't see her.

She opted to stay quiet but her eyes caught Skaii's pale neck and they slightly widened. An image flashed through her mind.

Emma cleared her throat and spoke up. "Skaii, can I ask you something?"

She was met with silence so she took the liberty to speak. "The night I found you at the bottom of the stand, I thought you were dead, so I searched for a pulse. When I looked at your neck, it was bruised badly, those bruises looked a lot like handprints." Silence. "Did- did someone hurt you?" Emma's voice shook as she added the last part.

Skaii's body stiffened and her heart started beating a little faster. With trembling fingers, she scratched her forehead, trying to rid herself of the full emotional turmoil that had developed.

"Skaii, if I'm right-" Emma sounded doubtful but stern. She was worried.

"Emma," Skaii gritted out "stop talking."

"No!" Emma's voice rose to an almost muffled shriek. "Who did that to you? If I'm right, you need to do something. That is abuse and you should not be covering it up. Matthew said-"

"Emma!" Skaii screamed out in anger at the mention of her step brother's name. "I'm not covering up anything. Just mind your damn business. Visiting me in the hospital everyday doesn't suddenly make you my friend, not even an acquaintance. You're still just a girl with some big fantasy of us painting each other's nails someday. Leave me alone and back the hell off."

She spun her body around and pulled her suitcase from Emma's grasp. She realized that neither of them pressed any buttons on the elevator so she punched the ground floor icon and waited for the elevator to stop. When it did, she hopped up out of the wheelchair and gingerly stalked off, leaving Emma staring after her with her mouth hanging open.

********************************

She got home fairly easy and in a daze. The taxi that was at the hospital entrance brought her home right away. It was the first time in three weeks that Skaii had to access her phone. The doctor had kept it from her as a precaution, but Skaii knew that Deane ordered it. It was sitting on her dresser when she got back. There were almost three hundred persons who texted her on messenger and SMS. Most of them were urging her to get well so far. None of which she knew personally. She started feeling a little better after concluding that these people did not visit her at the hospital, but they still wished her well in her health.

She stopped scrolling down when Ian's name popped up on screen.

New voice message was what it read.

She plugged her earphones in and started to listen. Ian began talking after the beep. "Skaii, this is your brother, again, for the twenty sixth time today. It has been three weeks and I haven't heard from you. We're worried, a lot. Just please call me back and let me know that you're alright. Please call me, I love you."

Skaii gripped the phone tighter at the second beep, and closed her eyes. It was really good to hear her brother's voice, she had to savor its familiarity and comfort . She then quickly sent a text to him, explaining what happened. There was no response yet so she slowly made her way downstairs to collect a well needed bottle of water.

"Honey you're back. It's so good to see you well again." The chirpy voice of her mother greeted her as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

Skaii was startled for a second, she thought that she was alone. After a while, she collected herself but didn't bother to look where the woman was. There was a sudden wave of disgust, Skaii no longer wanted water, there was only the urge to breathe air that was not within these walls. Her feet diverted towards the front door.

"It's locked, by the way." Her mother called out in a carefree tone, clearly amused.

"Why would you lock the door?" Skaii turned slowly, afraid to hurt her neck. She then searched the room for her mother. She was sitting in the kitchen isle on a stool, her legs crossed. Sophie was wearing a dark blue western dress that showed off her bashfully exquisite collar bones, her hair was done in a sleek bun. Her appearance oozed affluence but among it all, there was tinged of ridicule in her eyes as she sipped a pink sparkling liquid from a clear glass.

"I thought we could use a talk after all this time." She smiled it never touched her eyes, but Skaii knew better than to think that it was real.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Don't get smart with me. You're lucky the boys aren't back yet. The doctor told me about your behavior towards him. What were you thinking?" Sophie placed the glass on the table, it met the surface with a clink. Then she straightened herself, "I raised you better than that."

"You raised me?" Skaii scoffed at the small figure before her. Her mother seemed a bit slimmer than her usual self, or was it just the days spent away from the woman playing tricks on Skaii's mind?

"Skaii please let go of your past. It's unhealthy." Her mother spoke calmly and sipped from her glass again.

"Are you f*cking kidding me here. I spent three weeks in the hospital and this is what my mother greets me with." Skaii balled her right hand into a fist, her fingers dug into her palm at the pressure. This woman could not be her mother, there was no way.

"It seems you have been so busy doing your own thing that you seem to be missing some things. Let me fill you in baby girl." Sophie rose from the stool and walked towards Skaii's direction. Her gaze was malicious, calculating. Skaii's eyes darkened, what happened to her?

"You are nothing but a mere object in our lives. The Shaws' own you, do you understand me?" Sophie reached out to brush away the stray strand of hair on Skaii's forehead. She narrowed her eyes, "So the next time when Matthew tries to get between those leg of yours, you open them as wide as you can."

Skaii was anticipating a vicious ploy from her but not this. The revelation threw her a little off balance. Her face reddened from anger. "But you're supposed to be my mother. You should protect me from them." Tears welled up in her eyes as she finally spoke.

"Skaii, the day I left your daddy was the day I sold you. He was broke and I needed money. When I told Mr. Shaw about my family, he was willing to make a proposition." Her tone was casual as if she was explaining a recipe. It was that simple for her, her daughter was that simple. She lightly chuckled as the girl's tears started to fall. She paused, "It's not as hard as it was then, now you're just a sad and angry little girl."

"Are you telling me that you, my mother, sold me when I was just thirteen?" Still, Skaii tried to make sense of her mother's words. But it couldn't be real, could it?

"Skaii if you don't cooperate, it's harder for me." Her tone was serious now. "So when Matthew comes home, you could go to his room and bathe him, massage his feet. That's how I started with his father, but you're a pretty girl, he'll want more than just bathing." Skaii shrunk back at the hidden meaning behind her mother's instructions.

Sophie chuckled darkly and added more clearly, "If Matthew wants to have you, you let him. I suggest you do, before I show you what I really am capable of."

"I think it's clear you conniving bitch." Skaii turned to walk away from her but Sophie held on to her left shoulder, urging her not to move. The pain that action sent through Skaii's body was uncanny. Her right hand instinctively rose, and before she could stop herself, it was planted across her mother's cheek.