BELLA was seated beside Cole's sleeping body as she checked his breathing every few minutes. She nervously looked at the door, trying desperately to listen for any movement - her only hope was Mommy, or else she knew the outcome of Cole's infections would not be pleasant.

"Thank you for defending me," Bella whispered to him, though she was sure he couldn't hear her.

Cole began mumbling under his breath, his eyes still shut as he pressed his cheek into the powder blue tile of the bathroom floor. Bella sat upright and tried to listen to him, but couldn't hear his words under his heavy breaths.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked, her heart racing in her throat as she noticed a lazy smile on his lips. Was he dying? "Cole?" she cried out.

"What's happened?" Elliot's small voice asked from against the bathtub, and Bella looked over to find him looking over in worry, buried into his towel to the point where only his eyes were showing.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," Bella dismissed, looking back towards Cole.

"Ciao mama, dove sono andato?" Cole whispered under his breath, his ice coloured eyes opening slightly as he seemed very hazy and unusual. "Significa così tanto che io possa vederti," he mumbled happily, laughing a little bit with a small smile on his lips.

He was clearly hallucinating. Bella worriedly grabbed his hand, which made him look over at her with a drowsy stare as his lips lifted into a big smile again.

"Mamma?" he asked, gazing at Bella in amazement. His bloodshot eyes were wide and seemed forced open, and his lips were parted. "You are beautiful. I missed you while I was away."

Bella took a deep breath and gnawed on her bottom lip, something she had been doing a lot lately. His fever was spiking by the minute, and it had to be at a dangerous temperature.

"Cole, it's only Bella. Please stop," she breathed, trembling with fear. She hastily stood to her feet and grabbed Cole's unused towel off the floor, wetting it in cold water under the faucet before kneeling beside him again and pressing the cold cloth against his forehead.

"Why did you put a cold blanket on me?" he whispered, his words groggy.

"What's your name?" Bella pleaded. "First and last, tell me."

Cole groaned, shaking his head as he coughed. Bella watched as blood leaked from a wound on his lip down his chin.

"Okay, okay," Bella said in a panic, her fingers shaking as she pressed the towel to his clammy cheeks, staring at the blood that stained the white cloth after pressing it against his flesh. "Relax, it's okay."

His eyes closed again, his dark eyelashes fanning across his cheekbones in peace as his smile faded and he fell asleep again. Bella worked the towel around his chest, wiping it against his infected wounds as well as the fresh ones.

She grew terrified at the possibility of somebody dying in front of her.

She heard movement at the door, and took a breath of relief. When Mommy swung the door open, Bella noticed that she had a huge bandage covering her forehead.

Mommy stepped over Cole's body and handed Bella a small pile of skimpy clothing. When Bella held the shirt up, she noticed it was an ivory, nearly transparent tank top with lace lining the neck and straps and beneath it was a pair of tight and white, overly tiny shorts.

"Th...These are my clothes?" Bella whispered, gazing up at Mommy as she handed Elliot a pair of jeans and a blue tee shirt.

"Yes, I figured you would enjoy wearing close to nothing," Mommy's grin was spiteful and filled with disgust as she threaded her thin fingers through her crispy hair. She seemed surprisingly sobered up compared to her state from hours ago.

Bella stared at the pile of clothes in her palm, holding her towel up with her other hand as she began formulating a plan. She knew that she had to ease Mommy's anger a little bit in order to get her to comply to her request.

"But," Bella said quietly, catching Mommy's immediate attention, "I want a pretty dress like yours."

Mommy's tiny eyes lightened for a quick second, before she patted the skirt of her black dress down against her vein-branched legs. "You like this dress?" Mommy asked her, the slightest hint of a smile showing on her mouth.

Bella felt elated - this was just the start of gaining her trust - false compliments and mock admiration. She nodded, her eyes big and innocent as they stared up at Mommy. "Yes," Bella responded, her lips in a timid smile.

Something in Mommy's demeanor almost instantly changed as she stared down at Bella, her tiny eyes switching to irises of black distaste unexpectedly. Bella's heart instantly fell into her stomach and her eyes widened at the instantaneous, unpredictable change of attitude.

Mommy's wrinkled, upper-lip curled and exhibited a sliver of her yellow teeth as she looked between Elliot and Bella. "The clothing you wear is the clothing I give you. Get in your room, now," Mommy spat.

Elliot hesitantly stood and walked over to Bella, his feet padding against the cold tiles. Bella reached down to feel Cole's forehead again, but Mommy slapped her hand away and grabbed her wrist, pulling her up to her feet with an intense amount of force.

"Did you hear me before? You are not to touch him, slut," Mommy growled, her sharp nails almost resembling claws as they glided into Bella's skin.

"Feel his forehead," Bella pleaded to Mommy, gritting her teeth in pain as Mommy continued to tighten her grip on Bella's wrist. "Please, just feel it. You're his m-mother," the words tasted foul on her tongue, "aren't you? He has a terrible fever, and he could die if you don't treat it! Do you really want to kill your son?"

Mommy stared at Bella, and Bella could tell her thoughts were racing behind those terrifying eyes. She then dropped Bella so quickly that Bella almost slid to the floor, but caught her balance against the porcelain base of the sink, and she watched as Mommy knelt down and touched her palm to Cole's forehead.

Elliot stood behind Bella as they both watched Mommy intently. Cole groaned under his breath, shaking his head when he opened his eyes and noticed Mommy standing above him. He flinched away from Mommy's hand, instantly moving to an upright position in alarm.

His eyes seemed so exhausted and his cheeks, covered in bruises and blood, were flushed and clammy. His chest was heavy and his shoulders were rising and falling at a rapid pace. His eyes squinted shut in obvious pain as Bella could tell he was trying to speak but he was lacking energy.

"How did this happen?" Mommy asked angrily, looking over to Bella.

Bella swallowed and shook her head slightly. "His cuts are infected, the ones that you gave him. Take him to a hospital, or-"

"I will not!" Mommy screamed, making Cole, Bella and Elliot all jump in fear. "Nice try."

Cole attempted to stand up, clearly still in a daze as he grabbed onto the sink and tried pulling himself up, but he was unfortunately too weak. Mommy grabbed his arm and shoved him down to the ground again.

"Stop it," she hissed at Cole, before turning to Bella and Elliot. "Get in your room now, I will deal with him myself. He is spiteful and rude, he didn't even take a bath like I asked him to. He deserves nothing."

Bella swallowed hard and grabbed Elliot's small hand in hers, holding her clothes in her arms. Her heart was pounding, and the thumps were all she could hear, but she swallowed her heavy heart back into her chest. She confidently walked over to Mommy, reaching out gently and touching her bony hand.

Mommy yanked her hand away, "Do not touch me," she growled, her cigarette-coated breath invading Bella's senses.

Bella ignored her. "I trust that you will be a good mother," she said quietly, noticing Mommy's shift in attitude as she stared at Bella softly. "You care about us and we love and appreciate you for that," Bella continued. "Please take care of him."

Mommy's dark eyes were wild and psychotic, but suddenly, Bella felt bony fingers wrapping around hers. Bella couldn't stop the fear pulsing through her veins, but she knew that she had to remain calm in order to ensure Cole's safety.

"Of course I will take care of my son," Mommy said gently, her dark eyes amplifying her insane personality as her thumb began stroking Bella's. "Of course I will."