209-Dizzy

Honored

Luke helped me off the table and grabbed a wheel chair from outside the room. I sat down and he started rolling me on yet another journey throughout the hospital. After a few corners, hallways and an elevator ride I had successfully lost track of where the hell we were, but had no intention of breaking the comfortable silence to ask.
He pulled up to a door and opened it, sliding me inside it.
This room was bigger than the previous ones. There was a smaller couch, a conjoining bathroom with a shower, and even a giant window in the corner of it.
"This is your new room," Luke said with a bright smile as he stepped around from the back and helped me up.
"I got tired of waiting for the others, so I went ahead and put a long term admission on you. I figured you wouldn't mind having a nicer room." I smiled at him, taken aback by his kindness.
"Plus, you'll be closer to me now!" He said, with jazz hands for emphasis.
"And, you've ruined the moment." I said, holding back a laugh so he wouldn't get any satisfaction.
He just shrugged and walked further into the room, ploping himself onto the couch.
I stood, and explored the room a little more, happy to be allowed to walk for a second.
"So, I'm stuck with you, huh.." I said, as Luke was making himself more comfortable and kicking his feet up, now in a sort of scrunched up laying position.
"Yep, and aren't you just ecstatic about it!"
"Your enthusiasm is something else." He laughed at my comment and went back to typing away on his phone.
"Can I turn on the tv?"
"Yeah, you don't even have to ask," he said, shrugging and pointing to the remote that was on the nightstand by the bed.
I smiled in response and clicked away at all of the buttons on the remote until the tv finally turned on.
It took awhile, but I was finally getting more comfortable with memorizing the location of all the buttons and what their function was.
I zoned out, at some point, and Luke fell asleep.
Whenever I snapped out of my trance, I noticed his leg was hanging halfway off the sofa, and his arm had fallen off as well, leaving his phone unattended on the floor.
I quietly slipped onto the ground and tiptoed over to the phone, opening up the camera function and snapping at least a dozen photos of his currently sleepstate.
It was hard to keep my giggles to minimum, but I managed. Ashton however, did not.
I heard the door slowly open behind me as I continued the photo shoot, and shortly after a snort echoed throughout the room.
Luke shot up on the couch, acting as if he had woken up to a war zone, while Ash doubled over, cracking up.
I simply backed up and took more photos of the both of them, and let out a few laughs myself.
"What the hell just happened?" Luke asked after a beat, finally coming out of his fight or flight panic.
"Someone just haddd to laugh" I said, handing Luke's phone back to him.
"Sounded like a damn gunshot."
Ashton rolled his eyes, and walked over to the computer, before he began typing for a long time.

I settled back into the bed, as Luke let out a yawn and a long stretch.

"Alright kiddo, I've got some updates for you." Ash said, as he stepped away from the laptop and sat on the edge of my bed.

I sat up straighter, and looked to Ashton, hoping for the best.

"Do you want me to step out?" Luke asked, to which I shook my head no, I needed the support, even if it was from him-

"So, the police are now accusing your parents for both the drugs found in the bag, and in your system, along with counts of child abuse, and neglect."

I immediately broke down sobbing in relief, causing Ashton to pull me into a hug.

"Thank you," I spoke out into his shirt through my crying, "for believing me." When I pulled away he also had tears in his eyes, making me concerned.

"I will always believe you first, before anyone else. I knew the minute you came in that something was going on behind the scenes, I just had to convince you to let me look through the curtains." He said, holding my hand gently.

"As for CPS, they originally wanted to place you into an emergency foster home until a more permanent option becomes available.

And you can go with that route if you want too, but I proposed a slightly different solution."

I held my breath as I waited for him to disclose his idea, nothing could be worse than foster care.. right?

"You're going to have a long road to recovery over the next couple months. This includes, physical recovery, regarding your current under weight state and dependance on the drugs they were keeping in your system almost 24/7. Along with mental recovery, including therapy for abuse, and suicidal ideation. All that being said, you're going to be in this hospital for a long time, foster care or not."

He spoke softly and carefully, constantly gauging my face for a reaction that I refused to supply. I wanted him to tell me everything, no matter how much my lungs wanted to close off and stop my breathing.

"That is, unless you go to a home where someone, who's professionally trained, can be there most of the time."

"Like... an institution home?" I asked, already not liking this option, at all.

"Well, yes... that's a choice you can make, but I was thinking you might feel more comfortable recovering with us. " I looked over to Luke who had a large grin on his face, and Ashton who sported a softer smile.

"Like, here at the hospital with you two?"

"Like at home, with us four." Luke corrected.

"Four?" I questioned, trying to piece together who the others were. 

"Mhm, me, Luke, Michael, and Calum." Ashton explained.

I won't lie, this was the only option that had any appeal to it.

I, at least trusted them slightly, so it'd be better than some stranger.

But, what if I got in the way?

What if they got tired of me?

What if they became my parents?

"What are you thinking about hun?" Ash asked, grabbing a tissue and handing it to me. I was crying, and didn't even realize it.

"Wouldn't that be a lot for you guys?" I stressed to them.

"It would be a learning curve for us all, without a doubt, but I've spoken with the others and their all willing try and would be happy to have you join our home." Luke responded, now getting up and coming to kneel beside the bed to be closer.

"There's no pressure." Ashton said, sincerely. "It's 100% your choice, and we'll support you no matter what."

That statement single handedly made the decision for me.

Never in my life had I ever been told that someone would support me, and never had I felt more wanted by a group of people.

Which was bittersweet.

I wanted this feeling from my parents, more than anything.

But that didn't change how grateful I was for the four of them, who chose to care for me in their place.

"I would love that." I spoke out, as my voice quivered. "I would be honored to join your home."