"Mum I'm scared." Shannon said, sitting up in her hospital bed. Tara moved her chair closer to the bed and held her daughters hand.
"Its alright sweety, you'll be okay. I'm right here with you." even in the dark hospital room she could still see Shannon eyes sparkling with tears.
"Just try to go to sleep alright." Tara started stroking Shannon's forehead, and she slowly laid back down. After a while her eyelids were getting heavy and she felt herself falling asleep. Or that was until a nurse came in with a flash light, waking her up.
"Oow. It's too bright!" Shannon grumbled trying to cover her face.
"Sorry love, I just need to take your temperature. It won't take long." the nurse said. He was a tall man, probably mid to late twenties, a brown mop of hair and a clean shaven face.
The nurse lent down next to the bed and said:
"Show us ya wiggie love." Shannon frowned.
"What's a 'wiggie'?" she asked.
" Oh, your ear. I just ment your ear." he said, smiling.
Shannon tilted her head, and the nurse put the thermometer in.
"Are you feeling alright sweetheart? You don't feel sick?" the nurse asked.
"No." Shannon answered quietly.
Beep beep. Beep beep. The nurse pulled the thermometer out of her ear. He studied it, reading the temperature.
"39°." the nurse turned the thermometer off.
"Mum is that good or bad?" Shannon asked, looking up at her mother.
"Yes that's a good temperature, don't worry." Tara reassured her.
"I'm Rick by the way, one of the nurses on the kids ward." Rick said smiling at them.
"I'm Tara, and this is Shannon." Tara placed a hand on Shannon's shoulder and she gave a shy smile.
"well nice to meet you Shannon. Sleep well lovie." Rick got back up and left, quietly closing the door behind him, leaving them in the dark again.
Shannon laid her head back down on the lumpy pillow. Her eyes were soon getting heavy again and she was soon asleep. Shannon slept fitfully that night, often falling in and out of sleep.
She had nightmares about scary doctors chasing her with needles. She would try getting out of her nightmarish hospital via the exits, but they were all locked. So Shannon was forced to run away and she could never find anywhere to hide.
"Shannon. Shannon, wake up sweety, breakfast is here."
Shannon opened her eyes to be blinded by light. The blinds of her hospital room were open and sunlight was streaming in from outside.
A pudgey middle aged women was setting out cereal and milk on a tray.
"Good morning sweet pea! You had a good sleep in!" she said cheerily. She gently placed the tray on Shannon's lap.
"Enjoy your breakfast little one." the kind women said, rolling her food trolly out the door. Shannon looked down at her tray. Mini boxes of cornflakes, wheatbix, two pieces of cold toast and little packets of jam, vegiemite and butter.
"Come on darling, you have to eat something." Tara said gently, pouring some cornflakes into a bowl. Shannon took the bowl of cereal and a packet of vegiemite.
Since she had a needle in her left hand, she used her other one and her teeth to open the vegiemite.
Dipping them in the vegiemite, Shannon ate ten cornflakes dry, without any milk. She pushed the bowl away, not wanting to eat anymore.
"Come on darlin' you need to eat some more. You gotta keep myour strength up." Tara said trying to get her to eat some more.
"I'm not hungry." Shannon moped.
"Alright then." Tara sighed
Just then another nurse came in, a young women this time holding a glass of water and a bottle of pills.
"Good morning sweety, I'm afraid it's time to take your pills."
Is this what every day will be like now? Shannon thought to herself.
