I Wanna Be Free, I Wanna Be Loved

Ch. 10: The IV And Your Hospital Bed

I woke up in another hospital bed, gauze wrapped tightly around my ribs and chest, a cast on my left wrist, and I was severely bruised; did I get hit by a car? Because that's what it felt like. I saw that Ryan was sitting next to my bed.

"Ry? Ryan?" I whispered "RyRy wake up!"

"Oh thank god!" he said "You've been in a coma for almost four days!"

"What?"

"Yeah, Rachel really took out her anger on you. I was so worried that it was going to be the end of you"

"She really hates me, doesn't she? What did I do to make her dislike me so much?"

"Hannah, you didn't do anything. My sister just has a lot of issues...ninety nine percet of those can be attributed to Slash and his dumbass friends. Mom made her break up with him after she did this ot you. Mom also put a tracking device on her cell phone and iPod and cancelled her texting plan. Mom is really making her pay"

"I'd like to see her" I stated.

"Mom or Rachel?" he asked.

"Rachel"

"Hannah, I don't--"

"Ryan, I would like to make peace with your sister"

"Okay, she and mom are out in the waiting room. I'll send her in"

He left and returned a few minutes later with Rachel in two. She was wearing so much black, and her eyes were caked with red eyeshadow. This wasn't the real her; this was an act and I knew it. Now that she was free of Slash and his croonies, maybe she would go back to being sweet like her mom said she used to be. When Rachel saw all my bruises, casts, and bandages, she cupped a hand over her mouth. She slowly entered the room, her pale face looking whiter than usual.

"I'll be right outside" Ryan said to me.

He reluctantly stepped outside while Rachel just stood there. She probably hadn't realized how much damage her attack on me would cause. She shuffled over to my bedside and remained silent.

"Take a look" I said "Take a look around instead and watch me go"

"Stop there and let me correct it" she said.

"Take a good hard look at what you've done to me"

"Hannah, I am so sorry" she said.

"YOU LIE!"

"What?"

"You're not sorry. If you truly had a soul, you wouldn't have done this to me in the first place!"

"You're right I have no soul, and I had to do this! You ruined everything I had! Because of you, I had to break up with my boyfriend, my mom doesn't trust me, and she hired a nerd to come tutor me four days a week!" she yelled "I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!"

She pulled a knife from her pocket and got ready to drive the sharp blade into my arm when I screamed.

"RYAN HELP!" I cried.

He rushed back into the room and saw his sister with the switchblade and immediately grabbed it from her hand. He threw it to the floor and she dove for it but he yelled for security. Two beefy guys came along and dragged her from my room.

"I should have listened to you" I admitted.

"Cause seeing clear would be a bad idea" he lectured "I told you"

"I'm sorry" I replied.

"She'll come around. For now, just rest. I want you to live to start school with us eventually"

"Will you protect me from her at school?" I begged.

"Yes. Now you rest. I'll be back to pick you up when they release you, okay?"

"Can I have a hug?" I pipped.

He gently wrapped his arms around the destruction that was my body and lightly squeezed. When he let go, he kissed me softly on the lips, not the cheek, the lips! My eyes popped open and I could feel my cheeks burning up. It was nothing more than a two second peck but still. He smiled before walking out and blowing me another kiss. I was so lucky to have a new family that actually cared about me, not that my parents didn't but I was glad to be taken in by such sweet souls (minus Rachel). I laid back and relaxed as instructed, I was going to be okay.