Page 11 of Needing to Fall
She tapped the tube coming down from a large bag with her index finger, turning toward me. Her eyes were a chocolate brown that was so warm it could melt ice. Too bad it had no chance of working on me whatsoever.
“Fluids. You are severely dehydrated, not to mention very malnourished, young lady. Until we get you back where you should be, you’ll remain hooked up.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t take the straps off!” I barked.
She smiled knowingly. “I’m not stupid. I’ve been doing this for more than twenty years, young lady.”
I strained my head and torso, trying to get up from the bed. “You bitch! Let me up!”
“Now, Ms. Owens, if you don’t lie down, I’ll have to sedate you.”
“Fuck you!” I snapped, not giving a shit if she sedated me or not. My blood thumped through my veins as I let the anger out.
“No, thanks.” She reached into her pocket. “Maybe, next time you wake up, you’ll be a bit calmer.”
I snarled at her as she injected something into my IV. Then everything went black.
This routine went on for what felt like days. I had no idea how long. I hadn’t been keeping track of days since I found out Drew was alive. However, it felt like I was in and out for a lifetime.
The one good thing about it was I liked being out. When I was out, I couldn’t think. I couldn’t let my mind race about Drew or Andi. I could simply sleep, something I had never done in my life. All the pain just melted away. I looked forward to the syringe. It was becoming my escape.
That was when the nurse stopped putting me under as much. It was like she had a nurse radar and could tell I was enjoying myself, and she wanted to stop it like the evil witch she was. One thing in my life that I actually enjoyed and she had to be a bitch and take it away.
No amount of name calling or threats did it after that. Nothing. It was like she totally tuned everything I said out. I could call her a fat bitch who needed to get laid, and she would just laugh at me. Yes, fucking laugh! Her comment was “Honey, you have no idea.”
One good thing was I couldn’t have any visitors, so I knew that traitorous Andi wouldn’t be showing up any time soon. I couldn’t bear to look at her. She had done this to me.Shehad put me in here.
One morning, the nurse came in, all happy and smiling like sunshine.
“What?” I groaned, seeing the light shining in from my lone window. I had been tied up a really long time, and the only reason my muscles didn’t ache was because, while I slept or was sedated, Nurse Hatchet, or whatever her name was, said she stretched them. Otherwise, I would be in a lot of pain. At least she did one nice thing. Then again, it was her job, so she didn’t do it to be kind.
“You have an appointment this morning,” she said, moving the now unused machines out of her way to get to the other side of the bed.
The doctor came in and said I was physically fine, so I got the tubes out. When I didn’t want to eat, Nurse Hatchet told me if I didn’t, she was going to plug me up again. Therefore, I ate a little to keep her off my back.
“With…?” I asked.
“Dr. McMann.”
I raised my brow. “Like the wrestler guy?”
She chuckled. “Nope, as in the psychiatrist.”
My heart fell. I didn’t want to see a shrink. I didn’t need to know the thousands of ways I was fucked in the head. I especially didn’t need someone to tell me those thousands of ways. I knew what they were. That was why I wanted away from this life. I also didn’t need someone trying to pump drugs in me at every turn. No, thank you.
“No,” I said as adamantly as I could.
“You don’t have a choice.”
“No. I’ll pitch a fit until you have no choice but to put me under.” I tried conniving, knowing she wouldn’t give in. If she didn’t give in when I called her a come guzzling, road whore and instead, laughed at my creativity, then she wasn’t budging at that point.
She shook her head. “Young lady, don’t you know that, if you’re going to do something like that, it’s bestnotto tell anyone so they can’t do anything to stop it? Look, I’m gonna be straight with ya, because if I was in here, I’d want someone to be straight with me.”
I was in shock at her tone. This wasn’t ray of morning sunshine nurse. No, this was dead serious, about to tell me like it was nurse. The change in her face was a bit disturbing. How she could switch so fast was a bit alarming.
“You want out of here?” She looked at me expectantly, so I nodded my head. “The only way to do that is to talk to the people here and get yourself together. They aren’t going to release you until you do.”
“Why not? I’m an adult. I should be able to sign myself out.” I didn’t know the exact law, but I thought I had the right to refuse any medical treatment.
