Punishment
Natalie Alienova Romanova
~~~
Natalie approaches the Madams office with a newspaper in hand. She gave the pencils and paper to James to hold while to spoke to the Madams. As she gets closer she notices a noise coming from the room.
It sounds like screaming.
"HELP NATALIE HELP!" Nova calls. Natalie immediately runs into the office and looks around for Nova. Nova isn't here. The screaming is coming from a tv playing in the corner.
Natalie slowly walks towards the tv and watches in horror. She lets out a loud cry of anguish when she sees Nova being tortured on the scream.
"Nova?" Natalie whispers and shakily touches the screen. Nova is screeching as they burn her arms with a heated bar. "What have they done to you?"
"Natalie!!" Nova cries when they take the bar off and then cut her other arm with a knife.
"Oh my god what have they done to you?" Natalie mutters.
"What was rightly deserved. Five burns on her right arm for the five minutes you waisted after pulling the fire alarm. Forty cuts on her left arm for the thirty survivors. You failed so she payed," Madam Grim states coldly making Natalie whips round to face her.
"Give us the paper Natalie and go," Madam Knox orders. Natalie throws the newspaper in the table and storms out of the office blindly. Nova is hurt.
Nova is hurt because Natalie screwed up!
Natalie stricken with worry dashes back to her room and bursts in. Nova is one her bed completely asleep or knocked out. The cut ones her arm are fresh and still bleeding slightly. The burns are red and inflamed.
"Nova, Nova, oh no my sweet Nova," Natalie gasps and kneels by the bed carefully examining the wounds. "I'm so sorry my sweet. I'm so sorry."
Sobs come spilling out of Natalie and she heirs her head in the covers of Novas bed. This is her fault. It's all her fault.
"I'm so sorry my soul. I'm so sorry."
~~~
"How did you fail?" James inquires. Natalie is sitting next to Nova and watching her sleep.
"I didn't pour accelerant in the children's ward and I pulled the fire alarm five minutes before setting the fire," Natalie responds. "I couldn't bring myself to burn it down so heartlessly."
"I understand and I'm sure she will too," James utters and nods. He places the paper and coloring pencils on their shared bedside table and pats Natalie's shoulder.
"I don't know how to feel. I'm glad thirty people survived but I'm sad she was punished. If it was me who's be getting punished I wouldn't feel so guilty."
"Natalie this is how our life goes. Our decisions aren't our own. What you did was the best choice you had. You did the right thing," James assures.
"I want to believe that but how can I when her perfect skin is marred? I failed her James."
~~~
"Do you need to cuff her?" Natalie questions the Madams when they enter their room that night. "She can't go anywhere and she isn't dangerous." Madam Grim pauses before forcing Novas arm into the cuff and locking it. Natalie flinches at the show of brutality and says no more.
She just can't stop making things worse can she?
~~~
"H-how'd you fail? They said you failed when they did it, how did you?" Novas voice whispers in the night. Natalie shoots up in her bed painfully yanking her arm on the cuff.
"You're awake! Nova I'm so sorry. My sweet Nova I'm so sorry," Natalie rambles while hurriedly unlocking her cuff with a bobbi pin and leaping to Novas side. "Oh I'm so glad you're awake!"
"How did you fail?" Nova repeats her eyes staring blankly at Natalie with no emotion. Natalie heart clenches painfully and she puts her head down on the bed.
"I was supposed to burn down the whole hospital but I didn't touch the children's ward and I pulled the fire alarm five minutes before setting the fire. Five burns for the five minutes and thirty slashes for the thirty survivors," Natalie explains quietly. Nova needs the truth, she couldn't bear to lie to her.
"You made it fair." Novas eyes stare at Natalie with a glimmer of pride. "In that case I'm glad to be punished."
Natalie gazes at this little girl utterly shocked at her ability to understand and comprehend this.
"My sweet Nova you are too kind for this cruel world." Nova smiles a smile that makes her eyes twinkle. her dimples pop, and melts Natalie's heart. "How do you stay to empathetic and kind when this world has beaten you?"
"If flowers grow back when they're stepped on, so can I," is Novas prettily worded response. Natalie lets out a small laugh and cups Novas cheeks.
"You are the prettiest flower I've ever seen."
~~~
The ba gig comes at their door the next morning after breakfast. Natalie cautiously opens it up to find a flustered red eyed Wren.
"Wren?"
"I'm so sorry. I said I'd look out for her but they came and took her! I heard her screams but I was too scared to do anything! I let them cut her! I let them burn her! Natalie I just didn't know what to do! I know I said I'd protect her but I just-"
"Wren!" Natalie shouts cutting her off. Wren shuts her moth and wipes the messy tears from her cheeks. "It's okay. You couldn't have stood up to the Madams without being killed. When I said watch out for her I meant make sure she gets food and doesn't get sick. I couldn't expect you to protect her from the Madams, that's my job." Wren looks at Natalie with her mouth hanging open.
"Wren this isn't your fault nor Natalie's," Nova chimes in. Wren instantly shoves past Natalie and looks Nova over.
"You're okay? You're okay!"
"Aside from some cuts and burns just fine," Nova reassures and grind at Wren. Wren lets out a squeak and embraces Nova gingerly. "Anyway wanna see my new drawings?! Natalie got me some colored pencils and papers!"
Natalie shakes her ahead and chuckles at Nova. What a unique ability she has to be so happy in this place.