Fifty-Three

VALERIA

When I woke up, I was afraid to move at first. All too clearly, I remembered the pain in my stomach which I had felt a while ago. Then I remembered that I had woken up a while ago and I had felt better then. I shifted in bed and sighed in satisfaction when I found that I was still okay. Someone touched my arm the moment I shifted in bed. I turned to see Amelia smiling at me.

"You're awake," she said.

"Uh huh." I glanced at the window and saw that the sun was much lower in the sky than the last time I had seen it. "How long have I been asleep for?"

"Hours," was the reply.

"What?" Instantly I felt uneasy. I couldn't remember the last time I had slept that long. I had slept away almost all of yesterday evening as well as most of today as well. No wonder I felt a little stiff and sore.

"But why didn't you wake me up?" I asked Valeria.

"You needed the rest, dear." She brushed a lock of hair away from my cheek. "You look more like your old self now. Mr Dimitri will be glad to see yo