The next morning, I awoke bright and early: around 4 a.m. The nurses on the night shift immediately came to my aid, gathering on each side, their icy hands rubbing up and down my arms as they struggled to comfort me and lessen the discomforting wails I had been producing.
I ended up shakily insisting that they diffused lavender essential oil in the room.
I'm still not sure whether the familiarity made the ordeal improve of degrade further.
Either way, I calmed after a few ours, only requiring a nurse holding each of my hands that remained chained to the bed, as if I were some reckless animal.
I can't say I blamed them. Besides, they were only doing what was required of them.
One of them, without my asking, brought me a cup of cocoa, helping me sip and sighing gratifyingly when I finally began to relax, or at least I had began to do so in their eyes.
That's all that really mattered.
I wouldn't be able to get over him overnight.
~~
"Elizabeth?".
"Please... I told you, call me Betty.".
"My apologies.", the nurse said, bowing her head as she allowed herself into the room. She brought her eyes back up, grinning kindly.
"There's someone here to see you...".
"Who would want to see-".
As she stepped aside, I could make out the distant clicking of heels in the hallway outside, immediately putting my instincts on high alert. I didn't hear a voice, but my hunch was deemed correct when I caught sight of her too well-known blonde hair whirling in the air as she strutted in, her eyes just as cruelly piercing as I'd remembered.
"Oh my God, Elizabeth!", she shouted, running over and leaning down to wrap her unwanted arms around me.
"I can't believe you finally woke up! I was so so worried-".
"Mom, get the hell off of me!". I grimaced as she only curled them around my restrained body further, attempting to shimmy my way out. Finally catching on, the nurses managed to pull her away from me, and I inhaled a much needed breath of fresh air.
"Save the act, Mother. Your sorry ass wishes I had died! Don't even deny it!". My eyes remained dry, my nostrils flaring and my lips snarling.
"Don't be ridiculous! How... How could you even say such things!? I love you more than anything, honey.".
"There's only one person who can call me that, and they are most certainly not you. You lost every right to coddle and adore me when you starting literally abusing me. I don't care what the government thinks happened, but we both know the truth.".
The nurses gasped, the noise muffled by their hands across their mouths while my astonished mother took a frightened step back.
"Scared that I'll manage to hurt you even though my wrists are literally tied down? Pathetic. Now, I won't ask you again; get the hell out of my hospital room. I never want to see you again.".
I must say, it felt good to finally push back.
Much to my surprise, the only infuriating action she committed was grasping the cloth covering her chest as if she were incredibly pained. With a huff and a pout of the lip, she spun around, promptly leaving the room just as I'd asked.
As she left, I heard a new set of voices outside, escalating my confidence and renewing my curiosity.
The nurses left my side, peeking their heads out of the doorframe, whispering before I noticed them all nod in agreement. They turned around, smiles plastered to their faces, much like barbie dolls.
Too perfect. I don't like it.
My thoughts were quickly replaced with confused ones when a short brunette girl with pink stripes in her hair made her way inside, stopping a respectful distance away from my cot.
"Betty? Hi... I'm Toni. I don't know if you remember me, but we met one time in the girl's bathroom back in elementary school. You were crying and I gave you a hug...".
"H-Hi, Toni. It's nice to meet you o-officially, I guess? And yes, I do indeed remember that day... May I ask how you found out I was here, or why?".
"Well...", she began, sucking in a large breath and puffing her cheeks before releasing it, along with the visible tension she'd built up. "Your mother told everyone about how devastated she was that you fell into a coma some months ago, and she'd just heard the news yesterday that you'd awoken. I don't know if this is my place, but you always seemed... like you were in your own little world, and I was wondering if you wanted a friend.".
