Karla woke up that evening, when Mandy walked into her room with a tray carrying her drugs, and a bowl of chicken soup.
"How are you feeling?" She asked, as she dropped the tray on a stool beside the bed.
"Better." Karla huffed, not bothering to sit up. She was still very tired.
"Nana ordered me to make sure you finish your meal, then give you your drugs. Do you want me to feed you?"
Karla shook her head. "I'll be fine, thank you."
Still, Mandy didn't leave, but sat down beside her bed, watching her. It made Karla seriously uncomfortable, and a tad annoyed. She was in a bad mood, and she knew exactly why. She had spent the night and morning in a hospital, and thanks to that she would loose a whole day, or even more, out of the week she was given to seduce Raul. Someone had to pay for that. It could have been an accident that she was poisoned —she wanted to believe that— but her gut was telling her that the exact opposite was the case.
If she was to get any answers, she would have to do some digging, and she might as well start now.
"Mandy. Who was it that was in charge of meals last night?" She asked.
Mandy didn't look the bit surprised by the question, even though it had come out of the blue. She almost looked like she was expecting it.
"Reece and Isabella. They always have kitchen duty on Thursday."
Karla looked Mandy in the eye for her next question. Mandy's reply would largely determine her next move. "Do you think Reece was responsible for the food poisoning?"
"Since they were in charge of your meal, I guess both Reece and Isabella are partly responsible. But it could have been a mistake." Mandy replied slowly.
Nodding, Karla took the last sip of her soup, then smiled. Mistake, huh? Mandy returned a weak smile.
"Your drugs please." She unsurely pointed at the tablets on the food tray.
"Oh silly me." Karla rolled her heart and laughed lightly, before picking the medicine. "I almost forgot I need this to not nearly die again."
Her smile was so bright —and fake— it scared Mandy. Karla noticed it, and wondered what the girl was so scared about.
Mandy couldn't get out of the room fast enough. She quickly packed up the plates Karla had used to eat, and scurried towards the door, but before she could leave, Karla called after her.
"Get Reece to bring me my dinner tonight. Tell her... I miss her."
The door shut, leaving Karla alone again, giving her space to think. The way she saw it, either Reece had somehow found a way to feed her poisoned shrimp, or Mandy was lying. In that case, she was setting Reece up. Mandy had been nothing but sweet to Reece since she arrived at the Valdezian Mansion, but Karla long ago learned that kindness didn't always mean goodwill.
It all just seemed too convenient. The same day Mandy warned her about Reece, she got seriously ill, and all fingers pointed to Reece. Then again, Reece had been purely vile these past few days, and it wouldn't be far fetched to think she would deliberately hurt Karla.
Both parties were equally suspicious, but Karla couldn't figure out a motivation for either of them. Why would they want her sick —or worse— dead. Well, she would find out soon enough. She had a plan.
•~♥~•
Reece barged into Karla boudoir with a menacing glare on her face. One would think she did not care about the tray in her hand falling with the brisk way she walked. On reaching Karla's bed where she lay, she slammed the tray down on the stool beside it.
"What rubbish did you mean by 'I miss you'!?" She immediately demanded an answer.
"Sorry about that." Karla laughed sweetly. "I needed something to bring you here."
"And why do you want me here?" Reece stood akimbo, and narrowed her eyes.
"Because I want to make peace."
Reece's glare softened for a moment, to show her surprise, but the glare soon returned. Before she could reply something nasty, Karla continued from where she left off.
"Seeing my life flash before my eyes... I don't know. It kind of shows you how trivial disputes are. They're many people I've offended in my life, and I wish I could apologize to them all. Sadly I can't, but I can at least start with the ones I can. So Reece, I'm not sure what I did to you, but I'm sorry."
After she was done, Reece didn't just look surprised, she looked shocked, and thoroughly confused.
"What rubbish are you talking about?" She mumbled.
Karla's head rocked, as if she was dizzy. She used her hand to steady herself, then smiled sadly at Reece.
"Still get waves of dizziness every now and then." She said. "I still can't believe how one cursed shrimp knocked me down. I'm completely helpless. Thank God you guys at the Mansion are so caring. Rough exterior but silky insides. And Raul... "
With a dreamy smile on her face, Karla looked down at her fingers.
"He's really sweet you know. He doesn't show it much, but when we're alone..." Karla blushed. "I think he loves me. Now I know it's too early, and maybe I'm just living in a fantasy, but... He bathed me today. You don't bath a girl unless you love her right?" The room was silent for some time; Karla was still looking down at her fingers. "Maybe I'm wrong, but I won't let that stop me. I love Raul —this illness helped me see that. And I'll make him love me back."
"I see."
Finally, Karla turned back to Reece, who had a distant look on her face. She was still standing akimbo.
"Are you going to eat that?" She gestured at the food.
Karla smiled, and pushed the tray to Reece. She'd barely touched the food, but she had no appetite, that, and she was feeling nauseated.
Karla watched as Reece picked up the tray and left. The plan was in motion.
TEASER: THINGS GET SERIOUSLY OUT OF HAND