Page 77 of Amnesty

His hand was rough when he swirled his finger around in the mess he made of my chest, and I recoiled as he lifted the saturated finger toward my lips…

“Ahh.” I gasped, catapulting out of Eddie’s lap and racing to the door. It was a heavy door, hard to yank open, but I did it, rushing out into the hallway, barely seeing anything, just desperately trying to get away.

Tears streamed down my face. My hair floated out behind me, and my knees threatened to give out.

Someone yelled my name, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. The images wouldn’t leave me alone. The memory… the sick torture…

The sign for the bathroom came into view. I abruptly changed course and bashed my way inside. I didn’t even look to see if anyone else was there. I rushed in and hit my knees in front of the first toilet I saw.

The stall door banged behind me; all the stall walls vibrated with the force of my entrance.

Vomit spewed out of me. My back hurt with the force of it, and my throat burned. I coughed and gagged as I threw up everything inside me, plus some.

I wished I could throw up that vile memory. I wished it would go back to where it came from…

Hell.

“Oh shit, baby,” a familiar voice said from behind. Air whooshed around me as the stall door was yanked open. Eddie crouched behind me. I felt his palm on my back.

“Don’t touch me,” I said, then heaved some more. His hand left me, and I didn’t turn back to see if he left.

I just cried and vomited until there was literally nothing left inside me but memories and pain. Collapsing against the wall beside the toilet, I leaned back and let it support my weight.

Movement out of the corner of my eye made me jump and put a hand to my chest.

“It’s just me,” Eddie said softly, holding his hands out in surrender. He was sitting in the door of the stall, just sitting there.

“Eddie,” I moaned.

“I’m here,” he said.

“I can’t go back in there,” I said, “I c-can’t.”

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

“Is everything okay in here—” Mary Beth said, coming into the bathroom. She stopped short when she saw Eddie, then slowly crept closer to peek around at me.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice hushed.

“Sadie, uh… was telling us how she knew Amnesia,” Eddie said, his voice flat.

Mary Beth paled.

“You might want to have Dr. Kline speak with Sadie.” Eddie went on.

“Would you like me to have Dr. Kline come in here?” the nurse offered.

“No.” The word ripped from me. I coughed then leaned against the wall. “I can’t talk about it.”

“Then you won’t,” Eddie said, soothing.

“Tell Dr. Kline if she would like to speak to me, she can call my cell,” Eddie told Mary Beth. “Amnesia will be unavailable until further notice.”

I felt rather than saw Mary Beth hesitate. A moment later, her voice reached out to me. “Remember what I said about a friend.”

I looked up. She offered me a smile.

“Thank you,” I croaked sincerely.

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