It Begins In A Hospital

Chapter 25

-Hey guys! So, I know this is a little weird to ask, but, I'm really trying to get my story some more reads and some more feedback. So, all my current readers, I need your help! To add a little incentive, I'm going to be holding a contest. I want you guys to get as many people as you can to try and just read at least the first chapter of IBIAH. I would really love some constructive feedback, because if I'm doing something wrong, I won't know until y'all tell me, okay? So, once you recruit your readers, have them comment or send me a private message telling me who sent them here, and I'll keep a tally. The person with the most recruits wins a prize! Also, y'all get to help me decide what would be a good prize for this little contest. So, your options are 1. Introducing you to the people who inspired the characters and the whole story, 2. A chapter dedicated to you, 3. A chapter written with your ideas and thoughts, or 4. A gift card to iTunes or something like that (or something eles if you guys decide these are sucky prizes. Totally negotiable). So, let me know if this is something you'd want to do! Also, this is not a bribe. I just want to do something to give back to my readers, (because I didn't think I'd make it to Chapter 25!!!), but, I REALLY need some feedback. So, thanks for reading, I love you all! Here's chapter 25!

Ethan POV

        I could feel in the air that Avery did not want to tell her parents about her eating disorder. Her parents were fussing over her gunshot wound but after they noticed the nurses were monitoring her heart and she was withholding information, they got very suspicious and started pestering her with questions.

           “Mom, dad, I need you to sit down. This is not easy for me to say to you, and as much as I don’t want to, you’re not going to leave me alone until I do,” She starts, as soon as the last waves of nurses were in.

            “What is it sweetie? What’s going on?” Susanna asks.

            She’s quiet for a few minutes and starts fiddling around with her hands, trying to avoid the awkward silence that was growing in the room. I reach over and take her hand in mine, running my thumb over the back of her hand, so she knows it’s okay.

            “I relapsed. I haven’t been eating,” She whispers.

            The room gets quieter, if even possible. Susanna looks distressed, and cries suddenly. Her father, Carter Sr. looks blank. He runs his hand over his face, and sighs.

            “I need a minute,” He says, and exits the room. From outside, I hear a large gasp, and a loud sob.

            Avery sit in bed quietly, tears pouring down her face. She’s trying to whisper something but I have no idea what. I wipe the tears from her face and slowly caress her, running my fingers through her hair. She cries harder, and I pull her into my chest, holding on to the back of her head.

            “I’m so sorry,” She muffles into my shoulder.

            “What?” I ask, not hearing her well.

            “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” She repeats as she pulls away.

            I pull her back into me and hush her, and after a few moments, the tears have stopped, and her mom has relaxed enough. She goes into the hallway to find Carter Sr., and they return shortly, to discuss her options.

            “So, what are you going to do? Are you going to stay here again?” Susanna asked.

            “No. They want to send me to a rehab facility, I don’t know where or when yet. They said they’d talk to me about it after Dr. Altman came down to talk to me about my heart. Something is wrong, because of the not eating,” She trails off.

            “So you’re going to need heart surgery?” Her father asks.

            “Probably,” She whispers.

            “Damn it, Avery. Do you know how much that’s going to cost? I’m not fucking made of money,” He yells suddenly.

            “Carter!” Susanna exclaims.

            “You know what, all of you, get the hell out!” Avery screams from her bed, “I didn’t ask you to pay for it, I have insurance. Get the hell out!”

            Stunned, Susanna stops in her tracks. Carter Sr. looks up at her solemnly.

            “Get out! Get out! Get out!” She shrieks.

            Susanna and Carter leave suddenly, and I try to get closer to her. I pull my leg up to start climbing into the bed, before she shrieks at me too.

            “You too! I said all of you! Just leave me alone!”

            Very carefully, I pull myself away from her.

            “If that’s what you want, fine. I’m going home. Call me if you fucking want me,” I yell, and leave slamming the door behind me.

            I walk to the waiting room, and collapse in a chair. Carter and Susanna are there, but on the other side of the room, and they don’t see me. Suddenly thinking, I walk up to them, and tell them she should be fine in a little while, and that I’m going home because she doesn’t want me here. So, I walk outside and get in my car, but I don’t leave.

            I’ll just wait until she’s ready.