Chapter 9: The twins

The hospital released me ten days later, on the Tuesday. Had I been a NHS patient I'm sure they'd have kicked me out before but the school had medical insurance so I was in effect a private patient.

My face looked a mess with vivid bruises still covering most of it but the swelling had gone down and I could talk and eat fairly well although with facial muscles still sore, I had difficulty in getting some words out properly. The rest of my body was not much better; I walked like an old woman and it pained me to breathe deeply and I didn't dare laugh but in many ways I was glad to get back. At least I was able to see my parents for the first time since I came here. The hospital had informed them as my next of kin and they drove all the way across the country to see me. I couldn't tell them much about life at the school but I assured them that my attack was just an isolated incident of a member of staff going berserk.

Doctors at the hospital were concerned over my other 'non accidental injuries', my caning marks, that still showed faintly and I suppose I could have blurted out the story of the thrashing I was given on my arrival but I simply told them, "That's why I'm at the reform school and confidential and if you require more information you should contact the principal of the school." I gather they did contact David but he reiterated that it was confidential information. Roger and Kate were quizzed when they visited, but again, they used the confidentiality argument and finally they stopped asking me. The police visited too but at first I couldn't speak and then I refused to make a statement because the reform school authorities were investigating the matter. It was a messy business but, apart from loyalty to the school, there was always the fear that my misdemeanour with Robert would be uncovered and my life turned upside down again. June assured me that, provided I didn't tell them about the way the school was run, I should be safe.

Anyway I was glad to be back. Roger picked me up on his way to work so I arrived at the school about 9:30 and, after climbing the stairs to my room, sank exhausted on my bed. My peace was shattered when the mid-morning bell went for coffee break. Kate and a group of laughing students entered all eager to see how I was; their laughter died considerably when they saw the state of my face and arms; I didn't even show them the rest of my body. Two newcomers were among the group, identical twins who Kate introduced as Tracy and Trixie, the two T's, which she said stood for Terrible Twins. They hardly spoke and looked very sullen and depressed but that wasn't surprising as they'd had their 'welcome', as the students called it, only the previous day. A little before the bell for the next session went, I heard one of the twins remark sourly to Jerry, "Why are you making so much fuss over a screw being beaten up?"

"She's one of us!" Jerry snapped back, "Her welcome was twice what you had."

Kate and Kelly came at lunchtime to see if I wanted food brought up but I decided to go to the dining room. "Perhaps I can persuade those mean cooks to give me extra now that I've lost weight after being on liquid foods and hospital rations for the last week," I tried to joke. I'd lost well over a stone since my arrival at the school. Most of the hour was spent catching up on things that happened during my absence. The lack of staff was causing problems. They'd co-opted Chris to take gym and sport but maths was a problem. June tried to cope with it but she was no better than her students. Art, they decided could be voluntary with Kate with help from security, supervising when she didn't have other lessons. Roger was to come on Fridays in addition to the Tuesdays and Wednesdays he normally worked. I wanted to get back into the routine again but when I suggested I would sit in the art room, June took one look at me and said, "You are going back to bed. If you start working too soon, you'll be back in the hospital in a worse state than now."

On Wednesday I felt much stronger but was still much below par. Roger spent the night in our room but we didn't fuck although he did wash me and put cream on the worst of my bruises. The two boys the computer sent, he shooed away. "I'm not into gay sex and Sarah needs a bed to herself," he told them.

"Aren't you coming to gym?" Jerry called out when he passed my door next morning, "We'd all like to see you demonstrate forward rolls again!" I threw a sock at him and slowly prepared myself for getting down to breakfast.

The morning passed slowly and at lunch I again told June I wanted to get back to teaching. My strength was improving but I couldn't do too much without having a rest and she knew it. "Find some excuse and get the twins to your room for the afternoon and see if you can get through to them. At the moment, they hardly speak and security nearly strapped them again last night because they refused to go to the rooms the computer allocated them. They wouldn't sleep apart and made a tremendous fuss. Fortunately I heard it and sent them both to Theresa's room. I should be having them for the last lesson and I doubt if Roger will mind if they miss woodwork."

Sullenly the girls followed me as I slowly climbed the stairs and went into my room and sat on the bed.

"Girls, I'm sure you're smart enough to know that I asked for some help clearing this room just as an excuse to talk to you. A chat only, not an interrogation; I don't do interrogations." They nodded. "First though, I really would like one of you to put some cream on my back. I think the laundry put extra starch in my uniform and it's making my back itch and, at the best of times, I cannot get my arms to most of it. I can wait until Kate or one of the others comes by but it would be nice to have some ointment on now so I can get more comfortable." They both shrugged and nodded in a half-hearted way so I took my top off and dropped my trousers.

"Christ Miss, he really gave you a kicking," one of them remarked.

"And by the looks of the welts on your arse, you did have twice as many as us and they still show. You are one of us. Will ours last as long?" the other commented.

"Probably but they don't hurt too much after the first week." Both gently applied the ointment I gave them and also did my bruised tits. I offered to do their bottoms. "It's a prescription ointment the hospital prescribed so it's a bit better than the usual stuff we have here." Without much hesitation, they removed their trousers and lay side-by-side on Roger's bed while I smoothed the salve into their welts. I didn't think they were as bad as mine and I wondered if my arguments over the resentment the welcome caused, made David more lenient, but even so I knew they were painful. They even muttered thanks when I finished.