The Dark Ring

Chapter 5.

When a doctor comes in and looks at us surprised I smile and step out of the bed to give her space. 'You two found each other fast.' She says. I smile and say: 'Wouldn't want to get bored do we?' I say while the doctor investigates Julien. He looks a bit sad again and watches the doctor do his medicines in a sort of trance. When the doctor sees it she turns worried to him. 'Julien, do you have those suicide thoughts again? You can always tell us or call us with this ring if you feel bad, we won't get mad, we want what's best for you alright?' Julien nods and when the doctor goes away he won't look at me. 'Look at me Julien.' He refuses to first, but when I keep waiting he turns to face me, cheeks and eyes and nose red. 'Just some stupid thing, alright?' I ask. He smiles at me and at my reaction. I don't judge him and I see he is happy with it. 'Just for you to know before we continue reading, I am not one of those worried sick stupid moms, and I have been through this stuff, so you can always tell me, I won't talk.' I say. He nods and lets out a sight he is been holding in. I get in the bed again and read again, I stop when I feel he is asleep, I want to get out, but I am scared to wake him up so I just leave it be when suddenly a older man starts to speak with a cracking voice. 'You write good you know, you should do something with it.' I am surprised, but quickly smile. 'Thank you sir, that's a big compliment. I'll see what I can do, but first lets just write it and see where it goes.' I answer. The man nods and closes his eyes with a heavy sight. I take a new paper sheet and something to write on and start to write, this time not about the story, but about something else. I  just let every word I want to write down flow out of my pen. Time flies by and when Julien wakes up it's two hours later.

'Did you sleep well?' I ask Julien while stepping out of his bed. When he nods I go to the toilet but he asks: 'Where are you going?' I turn around. 'I need to pee since an hour ago and I wouldn't want to ruin my beautiful shining outfit.' I say referring to the blue ugly hospital clothing. He laughs and I take that as a sign to go. It's pretty hard, I only have one hand and it takes me forever, but when I am finally done I go to my bed. 'Oi! That hurts, you are just going to leave me alone here?' Julien asks. 'It already took sooo long and now you are already forgetting me.' He says it dramatic laying his hand on his forehead. 'Don't you have to go to the toilet?' I ask him. He grins: 'No, I have my own private toilet right here!' He points at a little plastic bag at the side of his bed. I smile. 'Doesn't that hurt?' he shakes his head and I go towards his bed. I go in again and he stares at me. 'What?' I ask. 'Well, how did you break your arm? What happened?' He asks. I smile and say: 'I got dizzy when I tried to stand up, so I fell and my arm broke.' It's true, but I don't tell the back story of it. I see he wants to ask more about it, but he holds it in. He puts an arm around me and I lay my head on his chest. He sights and I look up at him. 'You said you have been through the same? Can you tell me about it?' Julien asks. I smile sadly. 'You don't want to know.' I say. 'I do, but if you don't want to tell..' Julien says. 'It's okay, I'll tell you. When I was younger I lost everything, my family, my friends, it was just gone one day. I was all alone, and that one day I lost my happiness too, my appetite, my hope, my want for living. And well, from the one thing gets an other. I got out of it, but that one day and the rest I have been through, that's not something you just forget.' I say softly feeling the tears stinging in my eyes. 'That's.. I am so sorry for that. What do you do now? Where do you live?' Julien asks. 'I live everywhere, I travel the world and look for what makes me happy, I learned to live that way, it's what I do. My end goal is to find the most beautiful place on this world.' I say. 'That's so cool! I wish I could go with you, but I have to go to school and make money. Where will you stay when you will get out of here? I am assuming that you will have to get back here over six weeks for a check up?' Julien asks. 'Er, I have no idea actually, just see where I can get better, maybe, I'll see in a few days.' I say. 'You can't mean that. Sleep outside?! It's freezing cold and painful and dangerous and dirty!' I raise my eyebrows. 'Yeah, so? I have slept outside for years and you think I don't know it's dangerous? Or painful, dirty and freezing cold? I am used to that.' I look at him with cold eyes. 'Sorry, I was just worried, I didn't want you to be a easy target for crazy people.' He says making it worse and I say with a emotionless voice and face: 'Yeah, as if I can't defend myself. My plaster arm makes it only easier, it's painful for them if I hit them, I wont feel a thing. It's my job to fight those people, but you wouldn't know that. I don't get why man always assume girls can't fight. I would kick your ass, even if you are at your best without sickness and all.' I say trying to get out of his bed. He grips my arm firmly. 'Do you hear me at all? Come on Paper.  I am not trying to attack you. I am harmless, I mean look at me. I was trying to ask you to stay at my house for as long as you need and want if my parents are okay with it.' He asks me. I turn around. 'I am not staying with a stranger.' I say. 'Neither am I, my parents have to go on business trip when I am out of the hospital. We could take good care of each other instead of having a random babysitter in my house. You are free to do whatever you like and you don't have to sleep on the ground for a while.'  I stay silence for a second. 'Only if your parents are okay with it.' I answer, he nods. 'Hello darling!' I hear suddenly and I look up fast and see a man and a woman who look just like Julien standing in the doorway. I try to get up, but Julien keeps me laying down. 'Hello mum and dad.' He says happy. He hugs his parents and they look at me. 'Mum, dad, this is Paper, she broke her arm.' His parents smile at me and shake my hand. 'Nice to meet you.' They say and I nod a bit shy. 'Paper needs a place to stay for a bit, so would you mind if we stay together when you are gone, just for a few weeks until the arm is healed, please? Just for a few weeks? We can take good care of each other and otherwise I would feel really bad and guilty.' He says making puppy dog eyes. They look at each other. 'We don't know...' Now it's my time to shine I think. 'Do you mind if I say something?' I ask them, they shake their head so I go on. 'I didn't like the idea to, I need to do my thing too, but I did say yes for a reason, I think my actions through and I think it's good for him to be with someone he likes, he trusts instead of just some random babysitter, I think it would help him a lot more with his healing process, I have been through the same thing and I think I will be more able then anyone to help him and understand him. He is a good guy and I won't let you down. Of course I'll respect your decision if not.' I smile softly at them and look at Julien, he looks a bit surprised, but also very pleased, I got them in the pocket. 'We will have to think about it for a while, we will tell you tomorrow.' His mum says nicely. I smile back and  try to get up, but again Julien stops me. 'No, Julien, you have visitors. I am not staying here. No buts, I will come back after and I don't mind that I don't have any visitors, I have enough to do and you can catch up with your parents.' He pulls a sad face, but lets go of me. I laugh at him. 'You are so clingy.' He smiles and I go back. I know that his parents are smiling too. I climb into my bed, I yawn and go to sleep.