“Poor child.”
“Did you hear what happened?”
“…only one who survived they said!”
“It’s a miracle she’s alive.”
“Alive? You call that… alive?”

The bees are so noisy, she thought.
So much noise, buzzing around her, she wondered who had disturbed their nest.
She was a good girl. She remembered mama’s words to her.
“Never disturb the beehive. They are very busy serving their queen, so observe them respectfully from a distance else you may get a painful present from them!”
“But what about the honey we eat mama? Isn’t that disturbing them and breaking their homes, too?”

She was enveloped in a warm tight hug by her mother, unable to see the proud smile she was wearing as she replied, ‘my dear, sweet and clever child. Indeed it is, however the harvesters respectfully take enough that doesn’t leave the bees in any danger or in major inconvenience.
As long as there’s balance, it’s okay.”

“What’s going to happen to her?”
So. Many. Noisy. Bees…
“Ivy? Ivy? Can you hear me? Do you know where you are?”

Ivy?
Ah yes. She remembered mama teaching her about the evergreen plants in their garden.

“Strong and resilient plants. They can be harmful if eaten, so we usually keep pets away from them and while they only flower occasionally, they are still quite beautiful in their majestic greenery, I find.”
“But mama, why was I named Ivy if they’re dangerous?... Am I poisonous?”
“Why of course not, dear!”
That familiar warmth.

A secure and loving hug that she never tired of.
The hug of letting her know that she was safe and loved.

“Did you know that ivies can live up to 100 years?! They aren’t harmful as long as they’re handled with care and love. I named you so because my wish for you is to make good, loyal friends and live long and strong, but of course, to take no nonsense from anyone who tries to harm you. At that time, go wild my child.
Let loose, protect yourself, love yourself.”

Protect…. myself…
“You filthy child!”
Go wild…
“Whatever you touch, you destroy. You’re poison! Poison, you hear me!”
Let loose….
“But it’s okay… It’s daddy’s job to teach you right from wrong… Ahh, such soft skin you have on your face… Legs…. Thighs… So soft…”
Protect… myself…
“The pain won’t last. It’s okay, just exhale like I taught you when I enter you.”
Protect….
“I know you’re a strong girl. My dear, sweet Ivy… It’ll just be a ugh-.”
Myself….
“BITCH! What have you?! What…What…”

The force of the slap to her face sent Ivy a few feet on the floor, adding to pain already coursing through her small, frail body at the hands of her father. It also put her mother in her slightly unfocused view, which ripped out a gasp and a sob unknowingly from her.

It hurts… Mama… mama…
Ignoring her father’s cries and blood-filled chokes, she dragged herself on her hands.
Left arm, then right arm. One step at a time.
She just needed to get to her mama and then she’d be safe. And then-
“Mama?”
So many bruises… injuries… where was her mother’s warm, gentle and pretty face?
“I…vy? My dear, sweet Ivy.”
A cold hand on her cheek. Shaky. Fragile…
“Mama?”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t know. I’m so, so sorry, my dear child. You aren’t poison, you are beautiful. Resilient. Worthy.”
A tear. Mama is… crying…?
“Mama, I’ll call the ambulance. I’ll…”
Her mother’s cold hand holding her own stopped her.
“Listen to me Ivy. You will be loved and cared for by the right people. Live long and strong.
Protect yourself… And please my child…”
Her mother’s hand faltered.
“Please… love yourself…”

Ivy’s eyes widened as her mother’s hand fell to the floor. She noticed her mother’s chest had stopped moving. There was a strange stillness that she had never seen before but she knew was very bad. Her mother was so cold. She just needed to be warmed up, just like how mama always made her feel safe and warm and so Ivy shuffled over on her side on the floor and through the pain, brought her mother’s head to her chest and wrapped her small arms around her shoulders. She wasn’t sure when the darkness came for her...

Or why when she opened her eyes again, blinding white light pierced her skull and unfamiliar chemical smells and beeps assaulted her senses. Ever since finding herself in this strange place, the sound of hurrying bees had forever been so loud and annoying, but as her mama had told her, she was to never disturb them.

She’d remain still.
Distanced…

 A few weeks later…

Thankfully for Ivy, most of the bees had left and returned back to their hive, so it wasn’t so noisy around her. However, 1 or 2 were very persistent and continued to hover around her every day. She had decided to maintain her aloof demeanour until the bees were ready to go back to their hives safely.

“I don’t think there’s much else we can do for her. She has physically recovered but her mind, her heart… She doesn’t respond to anything or anyone around her. She will eat if spoon fed but it’s just mechanical. She doesn’t leave this room, walk or do anything of her own accord as a normal 8 year old child. She-”
“That’ll be quite enough Dr Mierta. I thank you for your help these last few weeks with her recovery and monitoring her on my behalf. It was quite the incident and didn’t help that the press, vultures that they are kept on harassing staff here. Rest assured though that from today, I’ll be able to devote sole care of Ivy as a few other doctors have joined our team this week, so that should alleviate things.”
“Doctor… You can’t mean.”

“Thank you for your help. You’ll be transferred back to your original post. I’ll be taking over from today. Good day, Dr Mierta.”

One of the bees had gone. That’s good. This one buzzes quietly but still… I’ll have to wait…
Dr Gentry sat down beside Ivy’s bed as she lay down on her side, looking out unfocused.
“Good morning Ivy. I’ve only been able to examine you a few times when you first came here but as that was a while ago, I’ll reintroduce myself. I’m Dr Gentry but you can call me Gen. I’ll be looking after you from today as you get better again, okay. I heard you’ve been a very good girl, eating all your meals and doing your best to walk together with the nurses. Keep it up!”

Despite the silence, Dr Genty’s cheery spirits didn’t falter and he continued talking as if Ivy was conversing normally to him.

“To celebrate getting to know you today, I’ve brought a present. Ta da!”
He placed a small flower pot with an animated face on it filled with a few leaves of ivy standing and hanging over, strong and proud on the bedside table to his right of his chair facing her bed.

“So you’re not so lonely, I’ve brought another friend to keep you company in here. Your mum gave you a beautiful name. Ivies have been worshipped and adored since ancient Greek times and used as crowns too.”
He smiled at her nonresponsive face and continued as if it were perfectly normal. 

“Personally Ivy, I think of flowers and most plants as great examples of resilience.
Their roots and seeds are planted in darkness. In the soil right there.” He added as he pointed at the soil in the pot.
“Almost suffocating, oppressing, no access to sunlight and usually alone.

And yet despite those kind of circumstances, with just water and at times some fertiliser in the soil, they will germinate, break through the surface of the darkness they were buried in and grow and rise tall.
They bloom.”

Knowing that Ivy hadn’t recoiled from touch from either male or female doctors, he very gently took one of her hands and looked her in the eyes.

“I know you will bloom too. You’ll break through the darkness and grow long and strong like ivy plants too. You’ll make friends and meet many kind and loving people too. And oh!
Did you know that ivies can live up to 100 years?! Amazing plants aren’t they! I just learnt that recently.”
Setting her hand softly back on the bed, Dr Gentry rose and added quietly,
“For now Ivy. Rest. You are safe and well cared for and loved. When you’re ready, come back to us.”

He walked towards the door, his hands reaching for the door handle as he heard the tiniest of voices:
Ma….ma?

A soft gasp elicited from his mouth but he controlled his impulse to turn around and rush back to the bed. Instead he turned around very slowly and called out her name gently.
“Ivy?”
No response.

Just to make sure he wasn’t imagining things, he slowly walked back to the bed and sat in the chair, scanning her breathing, changes in her body for any new signs. His eyes were arrested by her own.
Focus.
Her glazed, blank eyes now had focus.

Not daring to break what was a significant progress in her recovery, he remained still but gently spoke her name again.
“Ivy. Can you hear me Ivy?”
Silence.
Dr Gentry was about to rise and leave when he noticed the slight tremble of her lips… then sound.
“Ma… ma?”

Feeling his emotions well to his eyes, he exhaled a deep, long breath to regain his composure before very gently taking one of her hands in his and covering it with his own.
“Ivy, welcome back. My name is Dr Gentry. You’re in hospital but you are safe. There are no more scary things to hurt you. You’re safe and cared for.”
He knew this was the calm before the storm.
Her brain had most likely blocked out the traumatic event but it’d eventually catch up with her. However, it was part of the process. It was what he was trained to deal with.
However, no amount of training could ever dull the emotional ache he felt the moment a patient’s mind recalled the horrors and brought it to their conscious mind.

No amount of training could prepare him for the tears that welled in Ivy’s eyes.
Or the high pitched, strained anguish of a cry that escaped her lips.

In a moment of maternal instinct, he drew her to his chest and gently held her as her initial cry transformed into a wail, a scream of anguish as tears flooded her cheeks and wrecked her body. A nurse opened the door in alarm but he just nodded and mouthed ‘it’s okay’ to answer the question in her panicked eyes. She also was trained and knew the process. This was a breakthrough. A painful but important breakthrough.

“It’s okay, you’re safe. Welcome back Ivy. You’re safe, it’ll be okay.”
It’d be a long and difficult journey for her, but Dr Gentry had faith in his team and in himself that alike her namesake, she’d fight through the darkness, break through the surface and bask in the sunlight, strong and resilient.
She would bloom with love.