Breaking the Grid

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It's already been 2 days.

I lay in the hospital bed, the muted sounds of the room creating a surreal backdrop to my thoughts. Leah sat in the chair beside me, her phone in hand, scrolling through messages while Kimi paced back and forth, occasionally glancing at me. We'd been talking about everything and nothing, trying to distract ourselves from the reality of my situation.

The door creaked open, and a girl dressed in a white coat entered, clipboard in hand. I glanced at her, but my attention quickly shifted to the figure that followed behind her. My heart sank as I recognized my father, his brow furrowed and jaw set in anger.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I muttered under my breath.

"Blair," he barked, cutting through the air like a knife. "You don't need her." He gestured dismissively at the psychologist, as if she were a bothersome fly.

The psychologist stepped forward, her voice steady but firm. "Sir, I'm here to help your daughter. I—"

"Shut up!" he interrupted, glaring at her. "She doesn't need you. We already have someone lined up."

I felt my heart race as I processed his words. Rehab? I hadn't even had a chance to discuss my condition with the doctors, and he was already making plans for me? The thought of being whisked away, without being consulted, sent a surge of anger through me.

"Dad, you don't even know what's going on with me," I said, my voice strained but resolute. "You haven't talked to the doctors. You don't care!"

"Blair," he said, stepping closer to me, his voice lowering as if trying to calm me. "I've booked you a rehab session for as soon as possible. You need to focus on getting better."

I could hardly believe his words. He hadn't even asked how I was doing or how I felt about any of this. His eyes were fixated on the future, his vision of what I should be, not who I was right now.

"Shut up!" I yelled, the words escaping my mouth before I could stop them. The room fell silent, the atmosphere thick with shock. Leah's eyes widened, and Kimi stopped in his tracks, mouth slightly agape. My father looked taken aback, his expression a mix of disbelief and irritation.

I wasn't finished. "I won't listen to you anymore!" I shouted, feeling my voice crack with emotion. "You don't know what I'm going through, and you clearly haven't even talked to the doctors! You can't just make decisions for me!" I turned my gaze to the psychologist, desperation flooding my heart. "I want to talk to her."

"Blair, you need to listen to me—" he started, but I cut him off again.

"No!" I snapped, my voice ringing with conviction. "I'm tired of being told what to do! I want to talk to her, and you need to leave."

The psychologist remained quiet, watching the exchange with a mixture of empathy and concern. She must have known how difficult this was for me, and I needed her support.

My father's mouth opened, likely to argue, but I could see the anger in his eyes start to flicker with uncertainty. The realization that I might not back down this time seemed to hit him.

"Fine," he finally muttered, fists clenched at his sides. "But this is the last time I'm going to let you ignore what's best for you."

With that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The tension that had built up in the room dissipated as Leah and Kimi looked at me, relief evident in their expressions.

"Blair," Leah said softly, "are you okay?"

I took a deep breath, my heart still racing. "I'm fine," I replied, but I could feel the weight of my father's words pressing down on me. The room was quiet, but I knew I had to voice the turmoil inside. "I just want to figure things out on my own terms."