“To a private island off the coast of Brazil that Angelo owns,” he says simply.
“Whatever,” I say, rolling my eyes as I focus my attention elsewhere.
“I need to give you another shot,” he says. “Is that okay?”
“Oh, I get a choice now if I die?” I ask.
“It’s a B12 shot, Laura,” he says softly.
“Just wait until we are on land to murder me. I don’t want my spirit to get lost in the ocean,” I say sarcastically. He wipes a spot on my arm with an alcohol pad before taking off the cap of the needle he had laying beside him.
“Ow, asshole.” I frown at him when he sticks me with the needle.
“Eventually your little attitude is going to have to chill out,” he says.
“Or what? Are you going to poison me again?” I ask. “Will it be in some hot tea this time? I like hot tea, so it would be easy to get me that way.”
“Keep it up and you’ll find out,” he says with a smirk as he places a Band-Aid on me and stands up.
“Will do. I could use the entertainment watching you try to break someone that’s already broken,” I say as I pull my knees back to my chest so I can rest my forehead on my knees.
They leave me alone for a while, but eventually, Mario brings me a bottle of water. I frown at him and put my head down. No fucking way I’m taking anything from them.
“You need water, Laura,” he says.
“Drink some of it,” I say.
“Okay,” he says as he opens the bottle and takes a sip, then hands it to me. “Drink. If you get dehydrated it will make your symptoms worse.”
I nod and take a small sip of water. It tastes normal and refreshing, so I take another sip. I keep doing this over and over again, realizing quickly that I am very thirsty. I finish the bottle and Mario takes it from me. “I’ll get you another, just drink slower this time, please. I don’t think the fish will like it if you throw up in their home.”
I nod and put my head back on my knees. Drinking that much water on a swaying boat was an awful idea because now I feel like I actually am going to throw up.
My cheeks have a swirly feeling, and my mouth is rapidly filling with saliva. “Fuck,” I groan.
“What’s wrong?” Angelo asks as he gets up and moves closer to me. “Laura, what’s wrong?”
“I’m going to be sick,” I say, covering my mouth as if it will stop it. He jumps up and runs into the cabin before coming out with a trash can. The moment he hands it to me my body turns my stomach inside out and I throw up. Angelo sits beside me and takes the hair-tie off my wrist before pulling my hair back. I continue to throw up over and over, eventually dry heaving, as he braids my hair down my back.
“Drink,” Angelo says, putting a bottle of water in my hand. I groan, not wanting to ingest anything. “It’s better to throw up something than nothing. Please drink the water.” I nod and take small sips only to throw them up again. Angelo takes the trash can from my hands and gives me a new one. I feel like I’m dying and the more I throw up the more I wish it would just take me the fuck out already.
After a while, I can take sips without getting sick but now, I’m both weak and dizzy. I can hardly keep myself upright. When Angelo scoops me into his arms I try to push him away from me but I’m too weak. “Please don’t,” I mumble. I don’t know why this is the time I ask for mercy but if he could at least wait until I feel a bit better so I don’t suffer when I die, that would be nice.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Laura,” he says.
“I hate you,” I say tearfully.
“I know. I’m so sorry,Dolcezza,” he says.
“You should have just let me die,” I say. “This is so much worse than death.”
He doesn’t say anything else, but he lays me on the seat with my head in his lap. He resumes stroking my hair as I curl myself up into the fetal position again. I cover my face and he moves with me, giving me comfort. I unwillingly fall asleep.
I feel like I’m floating again but this time when I am laid on something, warmth immediately surrounds me when a blanket is pulled up over my shoulders. I roll away from whoever it was that was carrying me and curl myself up. This time I bury my face in the blanket and try to ignore the presence of whoever is here.
“How long until she’s better?” Angelo says quietly.
“It’ll take a little while. Is she asleep?” Mario asks.