I'm Tthe Beast?

“She’s on a mild sedative right now, just to keep her calm.”

Jared listened to Dr. Junero as they stood outside Rhoslyn’s room, the hall now quiet.

Jared had heard Rhoslyn’s screams from the waiting room and had forced Jeff to lead him over there.

He’d listened quietly as Jeff explained what was happening while the doctors and nurses had rushed to Rhoslyn’s side.

He didn’t know why she had been screaming; only that she wasn’t allowing anyone to see her.

Well, anyone except him.

“Are you sure she asked for me?” Jared asked

“Yes, she was very specific on who could and could not see her.”

Jared sighed, “Alright.”

Jared heard someone open the door and felt Colonel tug on the leash, signaling that it was time to move forward.

Following behind Colonel, Jared entered the hospital room, the smell of antiseptic and cleaning supplies greeting his nose.

Hoping Colonel was going to right way, Jared walked slowly, his free hand outstretched just to make sure he didn’t hit anything.

“Jared?”

The sound of her voice gave him pause. She didn’t sound like the Rhoslyn her was familiar with.

She sounded scared, young, and vulnerable.

She sounded human.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

Following the sound of her voice and Colonel, Jared found his way to her bedside and the slightly cushy chair near it.

Sitting down Jared relaxed back, then frowned when he heard her sniffle.

“Are you okay?”

He heard her take in a deep breath, “No. What breed is Gigantor?”

A little confused at her change in subject, Jared answered, “He’s an Irish Wolfhound.”

“A very ugly breed. We have that in common now.”

Even more confused, Jared frowned, “Rhoslyn, tell me what’s wrong.”

Instead of answering him verbally, Rhoslyn reached over and grabbed Jared’s hand. She slowly moved his hand to her face, then gently pressed it against her cheek.

Jared felt the air leave his lungs as he felt the long, jagged area where the doctor had been forced to stitch her face back together.

~*~

I blamed the numbness I felt on the medication.

Even the emotional numbness inside me.

The only thing I have to look forward to is that I’m finally being released from the hospital today.

I was able to get a hold of my agent just yesterday and I was relieved to find out that he’d been looking for me.

Apparently the entire media’s filled with my photographs and information, trying to find where I’d gone.

I sighed as I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at a drowsing Jared and passed out Colonel.

They were the only ones, beside my doctors, that were allowed to see me.

I reached up and lightly touched the raised flesh that curved from the hairline at my temple to the side of my chin with my finger.

Please, don’t let this change anything.

The knock at the door caused me to jump a little and I quickly nudged Jared with my foot.

“Could you please see who’s at the door?”

I watched as Jared sighed, then stood from the chair.

He had made this trip many times whenever someone knocked on the door, so this time he didn’t even bother getting Gigantor up.

Jared pulled the door open enough that he could talk through the gap without letting anyone on the other side see in.

“Yes? Who is it?”

“Who is it? Boy, I’m the one who should be asking you that question.”

I smiled a little at my agent’s voice.

Tom was a fifty-eight year old man who’d been in the agent business since her was twenty-nine.

“It’s okay Jared, he can come in,” I call out.

Jared stepped back to allow Tom to walk in.

“There you are, Lass. I was worried- God.”

I sat, apprehensive, as Tom stared at my face.

“Dear Lord, have you seen your face?”

I held back a cringe, “Yes, but it’s fixable, right?”

I panicked at the answer I saw in his eyes, “I mean, with all the technology today they should be able to hide it or we can tell people that I was in a horrific accident and that the scar’ll add to my beauty?”

Tom slowly shook his head, but before he could say anything Jared spoke from beside the closed door.

“You were in a horrific accident.”

“That may be the case, but with her face looking like that, with a wound that’ll turn into a scar that big, her career is over.”

Tears gathered in my eyes, “But that means…”

Tom nodded, “Yes, your house, your car, everything you own goes back to the agency.”

“What?” Jared sounded incredulous, “why does she have to give up her home?”

“It’s all stated in the contract she signed back when she first started. If she’s ever unable to work she must immediately forfeit anything that the agency provided for her”

I watched Jared’s eyebrows rise in surprise, “You signed such a thing?”

I nodded, “I never figure anything like this would ever happen. I always thought I’d be beautiful.”

Tome sighed, “You’re still pretty, Rhoslyn, but no magazine’ll hire you; no show’ll allow you to act. You could always dance.”

I gave a sad chuckle, “I can’t dance, I trip over my own feet.”

Tom lightly patted my shoulder, “I’m sorry, Rhoslyn.”

“Just leave,” I whispered.

“Rhoslyn-”

“Leave!”

I watched as Tom left the room, Jared silently shutting the door behind him.

“You can leave too.”

I fell back against the hospital bed slowly, feeling like a failure.

“Rhoslyn, what are you going to do now?”

I shook my head, closing my eyes against my tears, “I don’t know. Go home and pack, I guess.”

“And after that?”

I wasn’t able to answer, my sobs making it impossible to do anything but cry.