Birdcage Ch. 10

Spotting a small glimmering pair of tweezers atop one of the shelves, Joni plucked them down and took to work forcing the lock, trying to ignore the unsettling silence next door.

"J-joni?"

Her head snapped around at the quiet moan of her friend next door. The tweezers quickly forgotten and dropped with a 'clatter' into the sink.

Marnie looked considerably better already, and the weight continued to lift from Joni's shoulders as she neared. Her friend was sat propped up against the pillows, the sheen of sweat wiped away and her eyes now focusing clearly. Joni pressed herself to her friends side, angling carefully on the bed to avoid leaning on the injured arm.

"Thank god Marnie..."

"Jack has gone to get some supplies. She's had some pain relief though."

Henri spoke from the bedside, his phone clutched in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.

"I think we need to get out of here. Now Henri."

"Let's just wait until he's back and we'll talk about it. Give Marnie some time."

"I'm ok...really." Marnie's voice was still soft and delicate.

"No Henri. We go. Today if we can. We can't risk staying here any more. Look what happened to Marnie...who knows what they'll do next."

"Jesus Joni stop! Just let me think."

"Hope."

"You hope what? Wait...Just quiet please, fuck my head is banging."

"Henri...HOPE! I can't believe I forgot...the hospital. That's how, that's how we get out."

Henri's brow was deeply burrowed and his glacial blue eyes were slits.

"...we fake an illness, or maybe we don't need to!"

She swept her arm towards Marnie who was sat eyes wide and head gently nodding as Joni spoke.

"-come on...it could work right? We have the doctor! This will work!"

"I...I don't know. Give me a moment."

Joni was deflated by the lack of enthusiasm for her plan, and was expecting something closer to awe and applause.

"It's...it's not that simple. They'd have to think you were injured, you couldn't just go along with Marnie. And it would have to be bad. Bad enough to risk your sale...but maybe. I don't know about Marnie, we'd have to make sure 2 stays downwind of this...the order would usually have to come from her...okay okay. Yes. Maybe."

Henri's eyes had started to lighten and the corner of his mouth pulled slightly up and away from its usual resting frown. He reached out with one hand and grasped Joni's fingers in his, casting his eyes back towards Marnie.

"...You're going to be the death of me Joni."

It was then that she noticed the slight tremor of his hand against hers. She tightened her fingers, steadying him.

"That's not part of the plan."