Deep freeze (part 5)

The news came as a shock, even today I have trouble believing it happened to me. I was home one afternoon talking on the phone with Leigh (gossiping basically) when Ela came into my room and with a stern voice asked me to finish the call and sit down. I quickly hung up and sat down, from that moment on I knew the news were not good. A well dress man I had never seen came in the room.
He looked at me and slowly spoke. "Miss, I'm so sorry to inform you about the tragic..." I do not remember much more after. I fainted, and when I woke up I was lying on my bed. Ela was sitting by side. Father had been killed in a protest that had turned violent in one of his business trips to Africa. It wasn't unheard of, but it was something I never though would hit this close to my sheltered reality.
Ela started softly caressing my head. She started to say something to try comfort me, but I could only cry. I was despondent, and my sadness turned to hysterics. I don't remember exactly what happened next, but I do know I lost control and began wailing around. Ela tried to control me, but unable to control me, she summoned someone that had been waiting outside my room.  Between Ela and this young girl I had never seen, they were able to subdue me in my wild behavior, and wrapped me in the thick comforter of my bed to bring me under control. While Ela held me down, the new girl went out of the room, and came back with some large bundles, which I could not distinguish from where I was lying in my bed.
"Ashley, I can't even begin to understand the pain you're going through, but you need to calm down." As she kept talking and trying to soothe me, my crying subsided into a sob. They began to unwrap the thick down comforter from around me, and I began to feel a bit better. But in an instant I saw Ela and her helper girl spring to my side and in a flash grab me arms.
"This is for your own good," Ela said.
They quickly unlocked my brown day suit and expertly peeled it off me.
"Please cooperate, it'll be easier for all of us."
They extended the dreaded inner suit and slipped me into it without even lifting me from my bed. I started to panic and cry in hysteria as my face was stuffed inside the full face hood and the zipper was locked in the back.
The thick winter suit was next, and in no time I was locked tight inside. I could hardly move, but I tried to protest anyhow. Ela just pushed me hard into the bed, as the other girl wrapped something brown around my body. I felt a zipper close, and soon my arms were pinned to my side, and legs were tangled together under so many layers of thick padding. Yet another hood was placed over my head. This brought the hood of my winter suit even lower. I could bare see out of my hoods.
"Mary was kind enough to lend us this cape. It's a bit small for you but it will do for now. Now my dear, I need you to calm down." Ela left the room and came back with a cup of water.
"Drink a bit, tomorrow you will feel better. You need to rest, but I'll be your side."
I drank some of the water and tried to calm down. There was no point in fighting my confining clothing, it was too much and too tight. I wanted to claw and crawl my way out of my restraints, yet knowing that it was impossible brought me a bit of calm. Ela took the comforter and tucked me. I could hardly move without the comforter, but Ela was always thorough. She took a scarf and wrapped it around my faces, blinding me. In this state I sleep a bit, waking up crying several times. Every time Ela would start caressing me through the many layers I was wrapped in, until I fell sleep again. I can't say I slept comfortable trussed up as I was, but at least I slept.
The next morning things were a bit less foggy, but I was still in shock. The man who had visited us was one of father's managers. As a employee, father had a very significant life insurance policy, but since he died in the job I would be entitled to a partial pension. They will also take care of repatriating the body, as well as the funeral arrangements. As Ela was my guardian, she would handle most of the remaining issues, and would remain my guardian, paid by a trust set up by father's estate. Given the new situation, Ela had hired a new girl, Mary, to help her around the house and with me. Several men passed by the house the next day. There were lots of little details, most of which were handled by others, as I was still bound by the Guardianship Law. I just sat there, still crying, still in my winter suit. At one point I started to have another panic attack, so Ela instructed Mary to take back to my room. In my room Mary took the down cape and fastened it around me. It was hot and tight, but I knew there was no point in resisting. She left me alone to calm to down a bit.
Ela and Mary came into my room and without saying a word led me out to a waiting taxi. I had lost track of time, but it was already dark. I can't say I was surprised when we arrived at Ms. Brightwood's shop. An attendant welcomed and let us into the deserted showroom. She politely expressed her condolences and then disappeared out the back. I just waited in silence trying to control my sobbing, held mostly immobile under the tight undersuit, the super thick winter suit, and the too tight cape. I was sweating sealed in my sweltering clothing, but I knew that struggling would just make me hotter and more uncomfortable.  I preferred not to ask why we were there, but it did surprise me that it took a long time for Ms. Brightwood to see us.
... part 6