God, please heal.

“Couldn’t have had anything to do with you. Parents need to supervise their children. I’m surprised those kids weren’t being watched given everything that’s been happening.”

“It means they’re losing hope.”

“It’s just a paper cut. Don’t you worry, I’ve had worse.”

“What an angry piece of paper it must have been.”

“I just wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“Was it a low door frame? Or a sharp corner? Where was it? Maybe it should be fixed.”

Auda laughed out loud. “They probably thought they were being completely hilarious. ‘Guess what I saw yesterday?! A real, live boob.’”

“But they weren’t even that young. They could have just as easily asked one of their friends to take off her shirt.” They shook their head. “I just wonder how they got in without anyone noticing.”

“I’ve tried, but t doesn’t respect me.”

“Maybe a restraining order, then.”

“I mean I went from being three months pregnant to being six months pregnant in a night. My body should be - I felt my own bones break and heal. Neither of which were pleasant. But now I’m fine. Better than I was before, even. I don’t suffer any of the side effects of pregnancy. I should be so nutrient-deprived I should be dead, but I’m not. None of it makes sense. And the babies are fine, exactly as they’re supposed to be. For six months, anyway. I don’t know if this is divine intervention, but it hurt, and it frightens me.”

“Not divine intervention, no. That’s not what divine intervention looks like.”

“It’s just a bump. I’ll be okay.”

“If you're sure. How did it happen?”

“They wouldn’t even let me set foot in the hospital when I tried to go see someone about it.”

Renée shook their head. That seemed like something that would go on at the hospital. “I would like to say, and am, perhaps, obligated to say, that I’m sure they had a good reason, but as I’m not sure they had a good reason, I don’t know if I can bring myself to say it.”

“I really need something. I ran out of meds last week and it’s killin’ me.”

“Are you unable to get more?”

“I can’t even feel it. Not specifically. At this point everything just hurts.”

“Everything?”

“It - it’s healing. I’m not sure exactly why it’s healing, but it is.”

“Do you mean you aren’t sure how you got it? Or is there something about it that shouldn’t be able to heal normally?”