The World Behind My Wall

Chapter Eight: The Lights Will Guide You Home

When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. It was dark. Nighttime, I thought. An IV was attached to my arm and several machines were beeping. "Bill? 'Lyn?" I called.

"You're awake!" Bill sighed in relief, rushing to my side. "I've been so worried!"

"What happened? Why am I here?" I began to cry. "I wanna leave."

"We can leave first thing in the morning. I promise. You sort of...had a seizure. The doctor ran some tests and found out you're anemic, you have an iron deficiency." He sat on the foot of the bed. "Tom talked Carolyn into going back to our place. She needs to rest, being six months pregnant and all. They found a doctor on the second floor to make sure everything is ok with the baby."

"It's weird, thinking there's an actual baby in her stomach."

"I know! I kind of always thought that I'd have a kid before him." He shrugged. "You should sleep."

"Yea, but I don't want to. I'd rather listen to you talk. So sit up here and tell me all your secrets." I yawned and tried not to blush as he carefully crawled over me and kissed my forehead before lying next to me.

"You're so cute when you blush!" Bill laughed and I leaned against his shoulder. He was right, I was tired and needed to sleep. But I didn't want to because of my history with nightmares. "I'm not gonna fall asleep until after you do. No, that is a lie. I will watch over you and keep you safe from the monsters that haunt your dreams."

"You're the best." I mumbled, falling asleep to the sound of his voice.

The doctor gave me a prescription, said I needed to eat red meat, and scheduled a follow up appointment for next week. Tom picked us up and drove to their house. It wasn't super huge, but bigger than the farmhouse I was used to back home. Bill helped me to a guest room upstairs and we unpacked my suitcases.

"Go take a nap. You're exhausted." I told Bill. "I'll be here when you wake up."

He agreed hesitantly, "Alright. The wifi password is bTk1989, capital 't'."

"Goodnight, you." I hugged him and kicked him out. I set up my new laptop (one of my Christmas gifts from Bill) on the desk and checked my Facebook. Seventeen new messages from dear old Aunt Cindy. I didn't even bother to look at them; I could only imagine what insults she'd come up with. After a while, I got bored and decided to google 'Bill Kaulitz girlfriend 2013' just to see if anything came up. There were rumours, several pictures of me that were thankfully unrecognizable.

"Len? Can I come in?" Carolyn knocked on the door and I closed the tab.

"Yea." I called and she walked in carrying a Burger King bag and a bottle of pills. "What's that?"

"Time for your meds. The doctor said you needed to eat red meat so I went out and bought some burgers. I know how you feel about beef. But you have to eat it." She placed the pill bottle on the bedside table, opened the paper bag and took out a cheeseburger.

"I can't. It's murder. I'm sorry but there has to be another way." Thinking about eating what was once a living breathing cow made me want to vomit. Yea I would eat fish and chicken on occasion but that was it. "I will literally puke."

"Please?" She asked once more, and I shook my head. "Ok. Take the pill then. I'll find an alternative."

"Thanks. Aunt Cindy won't stop messaging me and it's starting to piss me off. Can't she just butt out and mind her own business for once?" I swallowed the pill dry and ate some fries.

"Yea, I know what you mean. She's been calling and texting me nonstop and I'll change my number if she doesn't lay off."

"Have you heard anything from Paul lately?" A couple months ago he'd been stalking her (again) and suddenly stopped. It wouldn't surprise me if Tom had anything to do with that.