tears of rain (sam kiszka)

broken bells

I woke up in a haze, laying down on a bed. A nice breeze came over my face, and made goosebumps raise the hair on my arms. I opened my eyes to see that I was in the hospital. "Don't get up," I heard Sybil say as I started moving around. My head was pounding, and I was connected to a bunch of chords. I looked around the room and only saw Justine and Sybil. Justine was curled up under Sybil's leather jacket, sleeping.

"Did I pass out?" I asked. Once the words left my mouth, I winced in pain. I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Yeah. You busted your head open. I'm just glad you're okay," he stood up, and looked over me.

"They're going to discharge you pretty soon," Sybil added. "Do you want me to call Shelby to take you home?"

"She doesn't have a cell phone," I said, squinting my eyes again.

"I can call your boyfriend," Sybil added, moving a tuft of hair from my face. There was a tingling on my forehead. I reached up, and touched the bandage that was taped to the front of my hairline.

"Gonna be a gnarly scar," Sybil laughed through his nostrils. "You've got a big ole shiner on your eye too,"

"Great," I muttered, closing my eyes. I told Sybil the password to my phone, and he called Sammy.

"Hey, this is Sybil, Astrid's dad," he said, walking towards the door. It still made me a little uncomfortable him calling himself my dad.

"She alright, but I need you to come out to Ann Arbor hospital,"

"I think she just wants to come home," he said glancing over at me, then facing away from me.

"I would bring her but she's not too happy with me," he said quietly.

"Ah just- She passed out and busted her head open,"

I can just imagine the panic stricken look on Sammy's face right now.

"She- Sh- Sam, she's okay. Just a few stitches,"

"I don't know why she passed out, they said it could've been anything, but they checked her out and said she'll be okay,"

"Okay. Okay... See you soon buddy- Oh wait," he said quickly.

"Bring Shelby too.. Ok.. Ok.. Ok thanks Sam,"

Sybil hung the phone up and tucked it away with my clothes.

"I had a panic attack," I said, my eyes still shut. "I think," I squinted open one eye. Sybil's shirt was covered in my blood, but he didn't seem perturbed by it at all. He nodded, and sat back down. "Why's that?" he asked me.

"I was just- overwhelmed, I think," I shrugged, closing my eyes again.

Sybil sighed. "Look, Astrid," he started. "It was probably too much for you to meet my kids. I can't imagine how you felt," he said.

I can't feel anything right now. I couldn't think straight.

"And I realize that now, and I'm sorry," he said, grabbing my hand.

"Yeah," is all I said. "Thanks," I added, bleakly.

Sybil patted my hand, and was quiet until Sam and my mom arrived.

"What happened?!" My mom exclaimed, waking Justine. I opened my eyes quickly, and my mom was already hovering over me.

"Oh my god," Sam said, trailing behind my mom.

Sam walked to the other side of my hospital bed.

"She passed out and cracked her head open," Sybil said, refusing to look at my mom. "It's just a little cut," he added. Justine looked panicked and whispered something to Sybil. From what I could make out she called someone "white trash". I glanced over at her, clutching Sybil's bicep like she was scared of us. As if Sybil wasn't white trash at some point. It made me feel icky.