Chapter 5- Doctors and Hospitals

Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been.

Hilary Clinton

I didn't fully understand how hard it was going to be getting up the next morning. My ankle was swollen and hurt just to look at, I tried to massage it but it didn't work. Instead I surveyed my room. It was plain with a bed desk and chair and a wardrobe that wasn't to large for my things. I wasn't big on sharing my living space so I opted to have a single room they only thing that freaked me out were the bars on the windows almost as if I was in a prison.

Hobbling over I got ready for a lazy Sunday, going for a baggy shirt and shorts that stopped a few inches above my knee I wrapped a piece of torn cloth around my ankle and decided to visit the dorm nurse. Using my hands to guide me, I passed Xena's room then I overhead her and Anai talking.

"She doesn't need to know now does she. If she was the one she would have said it. We can't fail again the fall was hard enough the first time.", Xena said I could only hear snippets of their conversation then it was quiet. They knew I was here so I hobbled away the opposite direction as fast as I could a searing pain crept up my leg I came to a staircase then I fell. My life flashed before my eyes and I realised I hadn't ever done something worthwhile then

Everything went black

A hot pain crept up my head. Everywhere hurt struggling to open my eyes, the lights blinded me forcing my eyes back shut I wheezed. I heard a chuckle from beside me. Opening my eyes I came face to face with Jonathan. His green eyes were calculating my every mood.

"Where am I?", I asked my voice a little hoarse.

"You landed yourself in a hospital. Where you not looking where you were going and how did you get that-?", he was cut off by a sudden blaring from his phone. Looking at me he picked up his face and grimaced he handed his phone to me.

"H...hello?", I spoke giving a questioning glance at Jonathan he shrugged and began to pick at his nails.

"Damn it Quinn I leave you alone for one day and you land yourself in a hospital, not dorm sick bay but a dang hospital. What were you doing exactly? Where you closing your eyes and trying to pin a tail on an imaginary donkey?", Nathan's voice came out in pants. He was yelling at I had to push the phone a little away from my ears to prevent myself from going deaf.

"You know I'm already in a hospital try not to damage my right ear drum okay? Look I'm sorry I'll explain better next time we meet it was an accident.", I said my tone even trying to keep irritation from lacing into my voice.

"We'll talk later okay I need to be somewhere?", He said after a moment of silence. He cut the call and I gave the phone to Jonathan.

"So... how was the thing with your parents?" I asked trying to break the silence

"It was fine. Look the others are coming in a few seconds don't mention Nathan around them, it's a sensitive topic and you and I are going to talk about why he called me to talk to you? And I'm giving him your number I don't like him calling me but don't tell the others." he said . That was the longest sentence I've ever heard. I just nodded and then the door burst open. Xavier falling in first, followed by the rest.

"Get your nails of me Xena please it hurts", Xavier wailed from the floor.

My room was soon full with all of them including Valerie, she was the last in though. They tried to keep me entertained until the doctor came in. He was a tall man his greying hair was slicked back. He was quite built but he rubbed me off the wrong way. A chill immediately went up my spine and if everyone noticed it too they didn't say anything.

"Miss Reid, your head should be fine although you had a really bad fall. You're ankle has been wrapped up and some painkillers will be prescribed to you please take them. So you can get well." He said writing some things down on a chart. He didn't sound sincere and I was still creeped out, he left the room soon after giving me a smirk over his shoulders.

"That guy was off or was sit just me?", I asked once I heard his footsteps fade away. I looked at everyone gauging their reactions.

"He rubbed me the wrong way too be careful you're already in a hospital you're discharged tomorrow, you're missing a day of school enjoy it.", Anai said pushing her hair behind her ear, she did that a lot when she was nervous. The others hummed in agreement.

They spent a couple hours with me, they tried to distract me from my pain and they were successful a little bit. Valerie left earlier than the others. Soon I was left alone the clock ticked and a couple of nurses came in and checked on me . Then I heard it

It was like scratches on the windows, the sound hurt my brain. The moonlight making shadows appear more menacing than usual. A dozen shadows appeared from thin air, the doctor who had checked on me emerged from the shadows a surgical knife glinting in the moonlight as he stalked towards me. I couldn't move I was frozen and unseen force holding me down. He trained the knife along my throat his eyes glinting red. It was scary my scars on my back began to burn and tears slid down my throat as I felt life draining out of me as the blood stained my hospital gown. The shadows were dancing on touched my face but I couldn't react. Then I woke up.

Sweat pooled around me shrugging of my blanket, my hands instinctively went to my back the scars were still hot. Hobbling over to the window I noticed the sun was coming up, I wasn't going back to sleep that easily I felt cold pulling a chair closer I sat down I peered closer and I felt the cold overtake me again.

'There were scratch marks in the windows as well in the exact places' tears began to fall down as the cold kept me company as the sun rose.