Post by Ariessya on Jul 16, 2009 20:41:44 GMT -5
Chapter Three
I jerked into consciousness, breathing heavily. Sweat was beaded on my forehead, and every muscle in my body was tensed and I hurt everywhere.
A hand was around my arm. I looked over and saw Megan.
Oh for f* sakes! I thought, turning away from her.
“Honey? Are you okay?”
I sighed. “I’m as okay as I’ll ever be.”
I noticed someone else, a shadow at the foot of my bed. It was – guess who? – Carmen.
Man, this day got better and better.
I was in a hospital. I didn’t even have to open my eyes to remember the uncomfortable, hard feeling of the metal-framed bed. The walls were a bland, flawless cream-white. There was a curtain drawn behind Megan, to conceal me from my roommate, or vice versa.
Carmen was staring at me, and it made me very uncomfortable. I shifted, and ground my teeth. There was a sharp pain in my arm, where I remembered the dog was burying its teeth. And it was still difficult to get a full breath in.
“What happened?” I asked Carmen, ignoring my mother. She didn’t like that too much.
“I wasn’t far away, and I heard someone yell. It turned out it was you, and I saw this dog attacking you, so I ran over, calling 9-1-1, and wrestled the dog off of you. You were unconscious.”
I noticed the stitches on her forehead, and I understood.
“Thanks,” I mumbled. I didn’t know what to say, or what to think about what she did. Compassion? Or should I be grateful? I was never one for emotions directed at other people.
She smiled weakly. She was worried about me; I’d never had that before. I didn’t know what to make of that, either.
I shook off Megan’s hand.
“Go away,” I growled to her.
Her expression was hurt, but I honestly didn’t care. If she had given a bit more to me during my childhood, then maybe I’d give her more slack. But not now. I’d given her many chances, and I wouldn’t give her another. She was a hopeless addict, and if she refused to help herself, then I wouldn’t try for her anymore.
Carmen gave me a look, but I ignored her. She didn’t know who my mother was, and hopefully never would.
I glared at Megan, and she rose slowly. I didn’t blink until she walked out.
“Why would you do that?” Carmen’s voice was harsh, but also curious.
“Because she has done less for me than anyone.”
“But she’s your mother! You were just attacked by a dog, and she’s worried about you!”
I glared at her, too. “You don’t know a thing about Megan. I might as well be homeless, that how well off I am.”
Carmen’s eyes were wide as tennis balls. “She can’t be that bad.”
I slowly shook my head. “You’re wrong. She is.”
“I see you’re awake.” A nurse walked up and looked at my IV. “How are you feeling?”
“Alright. I hurt everywhere, and my arm kills. But nothing totally unbearable.”
The nurse turned my left arm over to examine my cut, or whatever it was. I hadn’t looked at it yet. “We put seventy stitches in your arm, and you have some bruised ribs. You also hit your head rather hard, and you could have a concussion. I’ll get your doctor to look at you, to see if you are fit to be released.”
She smiled at me and walked away.
“A concussion? Are you kidding?” That wasn’t good news. Every three hours I would have to be woken up and asked questions, like what my name is and where I live. God, this was not cool.
Carmen shot me a sympathetic glance. “I know…”
I rolled my eyes. This girl was seriously getting on my nerves.
“I don’t know who would keep me awake, though…” I murmured to myself.
“Do you have a cell phone?”
I didn’t intend for her to hear; oh well. “Yeah. I’ll give you the number if you can remember.”
She pulled out hers, a purple and white Samsung. She took a moment to get to her contact list, and added the number I recited to her.
“I’ll call you every little while, alright?”
“Sure.”
The doctor, a tall man with light brown hair, walked in. He checked the same thing the nurse did, and asked the same questions.
“You can go tonight, but I think you have a concussion. You should have someone wake you up every few hours tonight, and ask you simple questions.”
Carmen raised her hair. “I’m doing that.”
“Good. You should bring him here if he seems dazed or confused.” The doctor checked his clipboard and wrote something down.
When I got home, Kelly and Jackie hugged me like there was no tomorrow. I somewhat hugged them back, and then gently shrugged them off. My sisters were the most important things to me, but they didn’t make me a lovable person.
I went upstairs and undressed, ending up collapsing on my bed. I regretted it; it hurt a lot. I groaned and crawled up to my pillow, closing my eyes. It was a while before I fell asleep.
A tune filled my unconscious mind, and I forced myself awake. It was my cell phone, with the generic ringtone.
The caller ID had a number I didn’t recognize.
“Hello?” I asked groggily. I glanced at my digital clock; the neon green digits told me it was 1:32.
“Hi. Do you remember me?”
I groaned. “Even one more hour would have made me happier. Seriously Carmen, would you leave me alone?”
A tired laugh sounded on the other end of the line. “No, I can’t do that. What’s your full name?”
“Daron Thomas Gregory Thatch. Happy?”
Another laugh. “I suppose so. You seem to be your usual self.”
“Good,” I grunted. “Will you let me sleep?”
“Only a few more hours until you have to get up for school.”
“Don’t remind me.”
End of Chapter Three
I jerked into consciousness, breathing heavily. Sweat was beaded on my forehead, and every muscle in my body was tensed and I hurt everywhere.
A hand was around my arm. I looked over and saw Megan.
Oh for f* sakes! I thought, turning away from her.
“Honey? Are you okay?”
I sighed. “I’m as okay as I’ll ever be.”
I noticed someone else, a shadow at the foot of my bed. It was – guess who? – Carmen.
Man, this day got better and better.
I was in a hospital. I didn’t even have to open my eyes to remember the uncomfortable, hard feeling of the metal-framed bed. The walls were a bland, flawless cream-white. There was a curtain drawn behind Megan, to conceal me from my roommate, or vice versa.
Carmen was staring at me, and it made me very uncomfortable. I shifted, and ground my teeth. There was a sharp pain in my arm, where I remembered the dog was burying its teeth. And it was still difficult to get a full breath in.
“What happened?” I asked Carmen, ignoring my mother. She didn’t like that too much.
“I wasn’t far away, and I heard someone yell. It turned out it was you, and I saw this dog attacking you, so I ran over, calling 9-1-1, and wrestled the dog off of you. You were unconscious.”
I noticed the stitches on her forehead, and I understood.
“Thanks,” I mumbled. I didn’t know what to say, or what to think about what she did. Compassion? Or should I be grateful? I was never one for emotions directed at other people.
She smiled weakly. She was worried about me; I’d never had that before. I didn’t know what to make of that, either.
I shook off Megan’s hand.
“Go away,” I growled to her.
Her expression was hurt, but I honestly didn’t care. If she had given a bit more to me during my childhood, then maybe I’d give her more slack. But not now. I’d given her many chances, and I wouldn’t give her another. She was a hopeless addict, and if she refused to help herself, then I wouldn’t try for her anymore.
Carmen gave me a look, but I ignored her. She didn’t know who my mother was, and hopefully never would.
I glared at Megan, and she rose slowly. I didn’t blink until she walked out.
“Why would you do that?” Carmen’s voice was harsh, but also curious.
“Because she has done less for me than anyone.”
“But she’s your mother! You were just attacked by a dog, and she’s worried about you!”
I glared at her, too. “You don’t know a thing about Megan. I might as well be homeless, that how well off I am.”
Carmen’s eyes were wide as tennis balls. “She can’t be that bad.”
I slowly shook my head. “You’re wrong. She is.”
“I see you’re awake.” A nurse walked up and looked at my IV. “How are you feeling?”
“Alright. I hurt everywhere, and my arm kills. But nothing totally unbearable.”
The nurse turned my left arm over to examine my cut, or whatever it was. I hadn’t looked at it yet. “We put seventy stitches in your arm, and you have some bruised ribs. You also hit your head rather hard, and you could have a concussion. I’ll get your doctor to look at you, to see if you are fit to be released.”
She smiled at me and walked away.
“A concussion? Are you kidding?” That wasn’t good news. Every three hours I would have to be woken up and asked questions, like what my name is and where I live. God, this was not cool.
Carmen shot me a sympathetic glance. “I know…”
I rolled my eyes. This girl was seriously getting on my nerves.
“I don’t know who would keep me awake, though…” I murmured to myself.
“Do you have a cell phone?”
I didn’t intend for her to hear; oh well. “Yeah. I’ll give you the number if you can remember.”
She pulled out hers, a purple and white Samsung. She took a moment to get to her contact list, and added the number I recited to her.
“I’ll call you every little while, alright?”
“Sure.”
The doctor, a tall man with light brown hair, walked in. He checked the same thing the nurse did, and asked the same questions.
“You can go tonight, but I think you have a concussion. You should have someone wake you up every few hours tonight, and ask you simple questions.”
Carmen raised her hair. “I’m doing that.”
“Good. You should bring him here if he seems dazed or confused.” The doctor checked his clipboard and wrote something down.
***
When I got home, Kelly and Jackie hugged me like there was no tomorrow. I somewhat hugged them back, and then gently shrugged them off. My sisters were the most important things to me, but they didn’t make me a lovable person.
I went upstairs and undressed, ending up collapsing on my bed. I regretted it; it hurt a lot. I groaned and crawled up to my pillow, closing my eyes. It was a while before I fell asleep.
A tune filled my unconscious mind, and I forced myself awake. It was my cell phone, with the generic ringtone.
The caller ID had a number I didn’t recognize.
“Hello?” I asked groggily. I glanced at my digital clock; the neon green digits told me it was 1:32.
“Hi. Do you remember me?”
I groaned. “Even one more hour would have made me happier. Seriously Carmen, would you leave me alone?”
A tired laugh sounded on the other end of the line. “No, I can’t do that. What’s your full name?”
“Daron Thomas Gregory Thatch. Happy?”
Another laugh. “I suppose so. You seem to be your usual self.”
“Good,” I grunted. “Will you let me sleep?”
“Only a few more hours until you have to get up for school.”
“Don’t remind me.”
End of Chapter Three
