Drinking Numb (The Numbing Series #1)

Chapter Four

<"ı ʟȏȏҡ ғȏя ṭһє ƿєяṡȏṅ ẇһȏ һѧṡ ʏȏȗя ɞѧċҡ... ṃѧʏɞє ıṃ ṅȏṭ ʟȏȏҡıṅɢ һѧяԀ єṅȏȗɢһ.">
•ᖇᑌE•
•July 13, 2015•
I stare down at my hand that encircles and covers my healing wrist now consisting of only a slightly-raised, pink line. To any passing stranger, I'd look completely healthy and unharmed, not like I had on a thin, itchy hospital gown five minutes ago. I'd woken up with it on three days ago to the news that I'd had a blood transfusion and had to stay another forty-eight hours under suicide watch. They thought I'd tried to kill myself. No matter how bizarre and impossible that sounds hearing it out loud from someone else's mouth, I guess it may be true. I did try to kill myself, drunk or not, eight days ago.

"She didn't answer," Kohl says pulling me from my thoughts, "I left a message." The corner of his lips dip down slightly with a frown as he glances at the wrist I'm covering from view. I pull a long drag of air through my lungs and cross my arms in front of my blue-baggy t'shirt one of the nurses gave me.

"Ok." I chew on the inside of my lip, crossing my legs in front of me that wear a pair of black sweatpants that thankfully fit okay also from one of the nurses.

"Are you sure th-," he starts, but I already know what he's asking.

"I'm sure. She doesn't have a cell. It's just the house phone."

"And there's no one else?" It's not the first time he's asked that question either, and I stare straight ahead studying some red piece of gum stuck to the blank white wall. At least it adds some color.

"There's no one else." My quiet words feel the room, softly enough to match how redundant they are. He sits down in the hard, blue chair beside me in the lobby.

I was going to be released yesterday, but they won't let me leave without my mother coming to pick me up. We sat in the same exact chairs yesterday waiting. She's not going to show.

"I'm done waiting. Stay here. I'll be back," Kohl says abruptly, and my head whips up as Kohl springs out of his seat.

"Wait, what?" He ignores my protest with a simple shake of his head.

"I'm going to go get your mom," he says standing in front of me. I look up at him and see a boiling fire in his dark green eyes.

"You don't even know where I live," I object, "You can't-"

"I can. I know where you live. I'll be back." He bends over a bear by table and scribbles something on a notepad that also happened to be laying on the table. He tears the piece of paper off and hands it to me. "If you need anything. I'll actually answer."

"Wait, Kohl." A few stray strands of hair fall into view as I look down at his number.

"Yeah? Rue?"

"There's a bat behind the front door- just incase." Playing with a loose thread on the bottom of my shirt, I avoid looking at him. I hear him let out a long breath, and then he's gone.

I comb my eye around the empty lobby where I'm sitting all alone. If I was eighteen I wouldn't be stuck in this stupid hospital. I only just turned seventeen though, so that's not going to happen anytime soon.

I get out of my seat walking across the dark gray carpet through a row of chairs and look out of the glass, double doors leading to my freedom. Placing my hand on the handle, I find that it's cold and smooth. Standing here, I imagine myself leaving, just walking out as easily as every other person who comes here. I'm not so fortunate.

"Ruby Emerald?"

I close my eyes at the voice and sigh. The outside is so close, but if I do successfully leave, someone would go looking for my mom for sure. That can't happen. I turn around and find another of the numerous nurses that seem to run the halls here.