Problem Kid

Chapter 76

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When I return to the room, the doctor is back with a trolley of items. A pressure bandage, an IV kit, a bag of blood and another of saline. I try to stand to get back into bed however the pain shoots down my leg and I fall, grabbing onto the bed on my way down. The doctor and Sam both rush over to help me back up into bed where I lay back in relief, the pain still radiating through my thigh down to my toes.

"Are you okay?" The doctor asks. I nod, taking a deep breath.

"Alright, good. I'm going to put an IV in now," I put my right arm out so he can access the veins in my inner elbow and turn my head away.

"Sharp scratch," I feel the needle push into my arm and wince. The doctor pulls out the metal part and sticks the cannula onto my arm, hooking the saline and blood bag onto the IV pole beside the bed. He hooks me up to the both of them and then moves on to my leg, changing the bandages again. I look down and see the blood has slowed down a lot. Thank fuck for that. I lay still as he cleans the area and applies the pressure dressing. I instantly feel a slight relief from it.

"Alright so now that's sorted I wanted to let you know that we've booked you in for surgery in a couple of hours so as long as no higher priority cases come in, you should be taken down to theatre at about 11pm. We've also managed to contact your on duty mental health team member and she is on her way here to see you. She said she'll be here within the next 20 minutes about 10 minutes ago," I nod silently, internally panicking. What if she sections me again? I can't go back into another psych ward. I can't do that again, I just can't. I feel myself getting a bit dizzy as my heart rate rises. My breathing is erratic and my vision is blurring. I feel the bed move and fur brush against my arm before a steady weight settles across my stomach. It calms me slightly but not enough. Next, I feel a wet tongue across my neck and slowly but surely I begin to return back to the room. I close my eyes and bury my head into Summer's neck. I'm exhausted. It's been a long day of stress and pain and this panic attack was the tipping point. I settle myself better in the bed and ignore Sam who is trying to talk to me. I just don't have the energy to respond right now.

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"Alright, we'll see what she says. Am I alright to wake her up now?" I must've fallen asleep because the next I notice, Sam is taking to a familiar voice. It's one of the crisis workers from the mental health team who must be on duty tonight. I roll my head over, squinting my eyes into focus.

"Ah, you're awake. Hi there Everleigh. I'm Mandy I don't know if you remember me? I've worked with you briefly before," I nod.

"So you know why I've been called here, yes?" She asks. I nod again.

"Yeah, my incident," I respond groggily.

"That's right. I'm just here to figure out what's been going on and what we can do to support you next,"

"Please don't section me," I blurt out. She's silent for a moment before responding.

"We'll see what's best for you right now, okay? How about you fill me in on what's happened to lead you here tonight." I sigh before speaking.

"Alright. Well, I was at home earlier on my own because I asked if I could have some time and be trusted by myself. I had a bath and then I kinda had some urges before I got in the bath to hurt myself or end my life but I didn't, I ignored them. When I got in the bath I began having flashbacks to my last attempt and I ended up having a panic attack. Then Jimmy called me and I calmed down, finished my bath and got dressed. I began baking because I told everyone I was going to bake some crumble but then I got hungry so I knew I had to eat dinner. I didn't want to but I know I had to and I didn't want to ruin the trust I had built with Sam and Jack and Jimmy." I begin tearing up at this point, carefully wiping away a few tears that begin to run down my cheeks.