Unlicensed Babysitter

If you've never seen an accident up close, you should try, if simply out of morbid curiosity. It's so gross that you can't tear your eyes away from what's in front of you. It's so hard to stop looking. A piece of you wants to study the damage, see what's been done, while another part of you wants to watch the wreckage from a far to see what happens next.And I've gone with the former.Just a few feet ahead of me is some poor woman half engulfed by a car. It looks like its eating her, metal hungry for flesh. The woman's legs are hidden underneath, presumably, her overturned car. I dip my head to peek inside a shattered window and see her things scattered about. A coffee cup, some pens, receipts, a purse, and even some extra clothes. Perhaps she was going somewhere? Whatever the case, she's not moving and won't be arriving anywhere. In the back of the car are the normal things people keep with them- things that help them in times of accidents. None of them would help in this situation.M

A random suit I don't remember ever meeting drops Mariam and I off at SaDian Hospital, where Emma is being treated. Even someone untrained could tell that the place is crawling with men in black. There are even a few guys with navy blue suits, and I wonder if that was on purpose or because their attire didn't matter. Maybe they were special and could wear whatever color they wanted. Perhaps they were from a different faction from the men in black and had a different set of skills. Either way, their presence did not go unnoticed. Neither did mine or Mariam's.The suits follow Mariam and I with their eyes, not even attempting to be discrete about it. To be fair, Mariam and I do look a bit odd. We don't look sad or have flowers or cards to say were visiting a friend or relative. We don't even look happy to say that were visiting someone who's recovering fabulously. If anything, we look a mother and daughter on a mission. I would find us suspicious, too. Their looks make me wonder, though.

Mariam plops down next to me and crosses her legs at the knee. We watch as a bodybag is taken away to be disposed of properly, and I wonder if the guards will put it in the morgue area of the hospital or if they have other plans for the body. I can't imagine they'd want the body to be discovered."He was, in fact, trying to kill Emma," Mariam murmers. She shakes out her arm and tufts of air like dandelions make my nose scrunch. "He had a gun on him, plus a few other nasty weapons. We checked his other belongings for anything to identify him but we didn't find anything. How did you know what he was going to do?"I rub my nose. "I talked to him and described Emma as a red head. He didn't correct me. Then I told him how much she hates reading and he agreed with me." I shrug and stifle a sneeze."Smart. Good job."Sure, it was, until I lost control. But there's no point in bringing that point up. It's over. "Should we tell Emma?" I ask instead.Mariam sighs. "Richard is doing it right now.

Mariam didn't bring up the book thing as we drove, nor did she ask any questions about it. I know she's never seen me read outside of facility and books was never something I asked for when we moved into the apartment. But she still didnt push. She's always known whether or not to talk about something, especially with me. Despite it being her job to keep an eye on me and make sure I dont step out of line, she has also always been hyper aware of what might or might not be good for me more than I have. If she notices something and doesnt talk about it then she's definitely keeping an eye on it.For the rest of the ride Richard is on his phone, Mariam is as well, Emma is reading another book, and I'm staring out the window at the scenery. The cityscape had left pretty early into our trip and was replaced with a few barren lands and then a quieter, more peaceful woody area. After all of the nature civilization eventually came back but this time it wasnt a well used, slightly dirty city. T

The next few days pass as if there's a fog over the household. We're all forced to stay indoors, by Richard's insistence, and with every day I grow agitated. There are more guards around, more experienced guards, and security is up to oar. There are periodic check ins through earbuds and Steve has really come out of his shell. Though security is tighter than ever, and it's a good thing, I feel like an animal in a cage. Mariam tries to hang out with me but her presence only makes me feel more suffocated.Wisely, Richard offered the gym for me to use to get rid of my excess energy, and I used it while Emma read silently in the corner of the room. Her and I managed to come to a mutual agreement that we'll be together at all times but stay out of each other's business. It worked, but I still got the feeling that something was bothering Emma. She'd give me odd looks over her book while I worked out and would quickly avert her eyes when I turned to her. It frustrated me to no end but I didn