traitor | Ziggy x Nick

7: i swear i'll never leave again

I swear I'll never leave again
-
keshi

>>>

"Hi this is Christine Berman. I came in yesterday around noon and I completely forgot but I just want to ask how much my visit cost. I was with Nurse Beddy."

The middle-aged lady behind the counter stares at me before turning to the chunky computer in front of her. Those things were so weird I didn't understand them but here this lady was. Giving me the stare down.

"It's already been paid for," she says bluntly.

I blink in surprise.

"Huh?"

"Your visit has already been paid for."

Nick. That asshole.

I plaster on a fake smile, "oh okay. Thank you."

She doesn't say anything and I walk away from the counter. I take a seat in an empty chair and groan. I did not want to be in debt to the devil, although he could just be saying sorry for Cindy. Not that it was anything near her sacrifice but I would hold that over his head if I ever saw him again. I close my eyes and catch some rest. I'd gotten home late last night after circling the block a couple times and sneaking through the door trying to avoid my mom. Just as I was falling asleep I realised I never asked about payment and spent the next hours worrying about how much it would cost. Then after getting basically no sleep I snuck out of the house and walked all the way to the hospital and here I was now. A useless 3 mile walk which I soon had to make back. I sigh.

"You've got to be kidding me."

I open my eyes slightly but they fly open upon seeing Nurse Beddy.

"I promise I'm not here because I'm hurt I'm here because I was going to pay for yesterday but apparently Nick had paid for it and I'm really tired since I didn't sleep last night please don't get the wrong idea," I ramble.

He sighs...then nods, and I relax. Then he takes a seat next to me and sips his coffee. I knew he didn't like talking before he finished his coffee so I sit awkwardly in the seat fiddling with my hands.

"Goode paid yesterday. Don't know why," nurse Beddy suddenly says.

I tilt my head back, "probably because he just feels guilty or something. For Cindy," I add when he turns his head.

"It's not his fault though," he says.

"Actually-" I pause. If nurse Beddy knew the truth he would be in danger. The Shadyside killers might come back and kill us all. "Yeah it's not really but he saved me instead of Cindy."

He pats my back.

"Kiddo, I don't really understand everything that happens with Shadyside and all the killers but I promise you some of us Sunnyvalers don't want that for you guys. I think Nick has it in him to be different. Give him a chance would ya?" He tells me.

I don't answer. Deep in my heart I recognised his efforts but I'd rather deny it.

"I'll think on it," I say as I get up to exit the hospital.

He nods to me and stands as well, but as I go to the doors, four people burst through the doors and start shouting things. Nurse Beddy bursts from his seat and rushes to the stretcher, his morning coffee forgotten on the ground. I look at the sudden pandemonium and am immediately reminded of camp when Gary was ringing the bell and everyone was rushing to the mess hall. But this time it was different, I saw blood everywhere and then saw Cindy. No, she couldn't be alive. I struggle to differentiate between my memories and real life, all the things in front of me blurring together in slow motion.