"Open the pumpkin." I obey and the medicine coats my mouth thickly. I cough and choke, spreading my arms wide. Catastrophic. One of my limbs grabs the bottle, it falls off the desk and breaks. I'm crying before I feel the pain of his hand. "I am sorry!" I say, snuggling back into the blankets, pulling them up to my chin. She leaves without saying a word, leaving me to cry and press my cheek against the cool side of the pillow.**** I was alone in the room for only a short time, staring at the dark ceiling, when the creak of a door brought my senses to focus. He slides across the dark room and sits in the chair that is now permanently at my side. He turns on the light and I see that he is carrying a slightly battered cardboard box and a tray with a cup on it. «I brought you some things. They will help you sleep better." He places the box at the foot of the bed, just beyond my feet, and then takes my arms off the blanket. The tray is placed on the bedside table. First he hands me a cup from the tray. I take a I sip and the almost forgotten taste of tea dances on my tongue. I smile warmly into the cup and take another