𝙎𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙏 𝙎𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙏 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀, 𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩

𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺

( t.w - mentions of blood & angst )

your hand gently shakes as you attempt to pick up the plastic spork resting on the wheeling table in front of you. "how much longer will i have to stay here and eat this?" you glance down at the styrofoam plate in front of you with a slightly disgusted face. you could barely tell what the beige mush consisted of, let alone how long the small side salad was left out for.

debbie glances up from her book at you with a sly smile. "not much longer, kiddo. you're almost outta here." 

you blow a strand of hair out of your eyes with a small sigh. you'd been in the hospital for a week now, stuck under the same fluorescent lights and the off-putting smell of the entire building. of course, you were appreciative of the doctors who saved your life and the kind-hearted nurses who provided you with nice care, but you were simply not a fan of hospitals -- or questionable mush. 

rose and tammy had brought you flowers and balloons, which gave the white room a pop of color and life. lou also had brought you and debbie flowers, which earned her a large smile from you and a kiss from debbie. debbie had refused to leave your side since the 'incident.' no matter how many times you tried to reassure her, or comfort her, she never left sleeping in the same uncomfortable-looking chair.

a small knock came from the door, which was propped open, revealing a small sliver of your hospital room. "come in," you chirped, eyes glued to the door.

a blonde-haired nurse makes her way into the room with a small souffle cup in her hand, containing familiar three pills. two red and one white. the painkillers you were prescribed after your surgery. to be honest, you never felt much pain, only when you went to lie down. it felt as if your chest was sinking into you, squeezing all the oxygen out of your lungs. she hands you the small cup with a gentle smile. 

"thank you," you muse, taking the pills from her. you dump the pills in your mouth, swallowing them down with a sip of milk. it wasn't spoiled, just oddly warm. 

"we're going to miss you around here, (y/n)," the nurse says with a small smile. she's opening some of the window curtains, allowing bright rays of sunshine into the room. 

"i'm going to miss you guys too," you respond sympathetically, returning her smile. "but no offense, i can't wait to sleep in my own bed."

the nurse lets out a laugh before taking the hardly touched plate off the table in front of you. "i'm crushed," she says, dramatically slapping the back of her hand over her forehead. "i'll check in on you later," she says, sticking her tongue at you. you do the same, waving her out of the room, just as tammy and rose walked inside.

"you're quite popular, aren't you?" tammy teases. she walks over to your bed, planting a kiss on your cheek.

"good morning, tammy." you smile ear to ear, seeing the two women enter the hospital room. they were frequent visitors who always brought the best stories and attitudes. it made you feel like you were still out and about -- living in the world.

rose follows after tammy, kissing your right cheek then your left. she beams down at you, wrapping her arms around you. "and what am i, love? chopped liver?"

you can't help but laugh as you return the warm embrace. "good morning, rose," you grin into her shoulder.

"hey!" debbie scolds. "be careful with her rose, we don't want her stitches rupturing." rose quickly releases you from her grasp, moving back from the bed. 

"aunt debbie, i'm fine," you try to reassure her. "i'm going home today and my stitches aren't going to rupture. i've had them in long enough for it not to cause me any discomfort or possible injuries."