Rallying Cry

We don't hear from Andi for a few days. She doesn't answer our messages. She doesn't attend school. When we try to go by her house Max tells us she's asked to be left alone. We're iced out. Not that I'd have any idea what to say even if we could talk to her. How does one say, "Hey, I know the thing you've been passionate about for your entire life is now forever lost to you, but on the bright side there's always chess?"

"Son of a bitch!" Echo yells, punching the wall. "I hate just sitting here. She needs us, no matter what she says." She growls, pacing the small room. We've convened at Echo's place, now that Ms Birch is a bit more restrained in her meltdowns, it doesn't seem so bad.

"Breaking your own limbs won't help." Jenny tells her, spooning some porridge into Ms Birch's mouth. Jenny's apparently been round here a lot, I guess she wants to make up for lost time with her friend. "She's hurting right now, in more ways than one, she reached out to request some time out of volunteering... She didn't even sound like herself."

Rosie growls to herself. As Andi's only support system outside of her dad, she came with me to visit Echo, Jenny being here was a lucky bonus. "I feel useless, them making me the new captain just feels like rubbing salt in the wound." My sister adds, curling her fists into balls.

"Shut up, you know Andi would never think that." Echo spits at her. "If it were any other situation, she'd be singing you praises." She adds, sitting next to her mother, who watches the TV in between spoonfuls of food.

"Waiting's all you can do. Sometimes you've got to let people feel their feelings." Jenny advises as she shovels the last of the porridge.

I snort at her wisdom. "Yeah, seemed to really work for you and Mum, not talking for however many years." I point out as Jenny goes past me to the kitchen alcove, who gives me a shrug in acknowledgement. "We can't just let her stew, not just for her feelings. If she doesn't ever do anything, she could end up not rehabbing her injury. Then what?" I ask, knowing that the consequences of improper healing could be disastrous.

A jaunty tune plays from one of the adverts on the TV, slightly undercutting the tension. "Song." Ms Birch mutters. Well, it's not relevant, but I'll take it over the various swears and slurs we had previously.

"Have your parents heard anything?" Jenny asks while washing up. She cooks, she cleans, she has a mean right hook, it begs the question of how no one has wifed this woman yet. None of my business, I suppose.

"They've talked to Max, he's had a therapist over a couple of times, but it doesn't seem like they're making much progress." Rosie explains. Well, that puts things in perspective, doesn't it? Even the professionals can't make a dent in this thing, what can we do? "The team'll do anything they can to help, we all love Andi, but without a plan, they're just as frustrated as we are.

"Song..." Birch mutters again. I think she's just locked onto that one, the jingle isn't even playing anymore.

My mind runs through all possible options. "There's really no treatment? We can do fundraisers if that's the issue." I try to confirm. The prognosis was dire, but it never hurts to double-check.

Rosie simply shakes her head. "Max has money, the problem is that it's not a single injury, it's like tonnes of little injuries built up and all crashing down at once. The doctors said she's lucky she can still walk on her leg, and that'll only be possible with rehab." She clarifies with more than a little break in her voice.

Echo seems to disagree with Rosie's assessment. "So that's it? It's hard, so we give up!?"

"I didn't say give up! I said that treatment isn't possible."

"You fuckers literally got birthed from out of nowhere, but we can't fix one leg?"

"Song."

"Rouge is a fertility doctor, if her ovaries were the problem, yeah, sure, but people aren't born from legs."

"Don't talk to me like an idiot, you're barely beyond a virgin."

"You want to take cheap shots? Go for it. I can't change science."

"Song."

I decide to interrupt at this point. "Enough, fighting like this doesn't help anyone. Andi least of all." I point out, causing Echo and Rosie to bow their heads, they know I'm right, they're just frustrated. "Now, no one's giving up on Andi, we just—"

"SONG!"

"Oh for fuck's sake, what about a-" I almost snap at Ms Birch until I realise something. She isn't looking at the TV. She's looking directly at Echo. Song... What about a song? What could... Wait, I remember. You bitch! You think you can just sing some song and I'll just move on? I'll just forget how I feel? Do you have any idea the Hell you've put me through?

"The song, Andi's never acted like that before or since." I recall, as Echo looks confusedly at me, then Rosie, then her mother, who looks back into her eyes. "You told her about it, didn't you? You told your mother about the performance and how it **** Andi to react. Looks like she remembers." I point out, but it looks like Echo figured it out by herself. I can't tell if she's confused or angry, maybe both.

Ms Birch puts her hand on Echo's knee. "Baby girl. Sings like an angel." She murmurs. Echo's reaction to that is immediate, standing and walking a couple of steps away, her back to all of us. "Hmm... Sleep." Birch adds, as if her mind has slipped back out of her control.

"Come on, Mandy, you could do with a nap." Jenny decides, who seems to have been staying out of discussions since they got heated. She helps Ms Birch through to one of the other rooms, leaving the three of us alone. Rosie gives me a look, indicating this is something for me to be here for, but not her. She follows Jenny, helping to put Ms Birch down.

I get closer to Echo. I can see her hands balled into fists, so hard I'm worried her nails might make them bleed. I've seen Echo angry, this isn't it. I place a hand on her shoulder. "Echo?" I offer softly. "Speak to me." I request, not wanting to get close if she doesn't want me to.

To my surprise, she whirls around, raising a fist and bringing it down on my chest. I cringe, but there's no **** to it at all. "Why? Why now? Why would she be like this now?" Echo cries, repeatedly trying to let her anger out on me, only to find she can't muster any. "Not when I needed her. Not all the times we were left alone. I hate her. She can't just... It's too late. I deserve to hate her. She can't just take that from me. She can't just show she's still in there. She can't. She can't. I... I..." She continues, each statement becoming less coherent as tears roll down her eyes. I realise that the girl in front of me isn't Echo, the brash, loudmouth demon queen. This is Echidna, the girl taken from her home and splashed in blood... Begging for her mother's love.

I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close to me and putting a stop to her attempted barrage. She doesn't need anger right now. She needs to let out all of the tears she's been holding in this whole time. I can't do much, but I can be here while she lets it all out. I can be here for her.

I'll be there for Andi too.