When I wake on Monday morning my head throbs from the late night I had spent with Andrew in the hospital. He was getting better but he always seemed to be whistling this gospel song that was starting to get on my nerves But it comforted me knowing that it kept him sane over the last year.
After Lizzy's mental outbreak 5 minutes after she had first spoken to Andrew, no one even came close to her. She was locked up in an all white room in a mental hospital on the other side of town. How I wish I could comfort her.
Rylee and I go every week to see her though we never get to talk to her. The doctors let us observe her for a few minutes before it becomes too painful to bare.
It had been one month since the police had found Andrew and yet the doctors still could not figure out how to treat the five inch scar running across his neck. First they thought it was a scratch from the trees, but when it wouldn't wear off after all this time, jaws started dropping.
But I had much more prblems to worry about other than a few bumps and bruises on my brother. Not only do I have Lizzy and Andrew both in hospitals, but I have some of my own problems.
High school is hard work. My first year and I've got 5 teachers that hate my guts, and homework piled to the roof! Not to mention the mixed emotions of growing up.
When I'm was able to drag myself out of bed I manage to crawl to my closet where I slip on a black V-neck and a pair of dark jeans.
I brush my teeth and make my way down the stairs where breakfast is waiting for me. "Derick!" I hear from down the hall.
"Yes, Mom?" I reply with enough edge in my voice to sound sarcastic.
"Your Dad left for work early and I have a meeting so I would like you to go visit Andrew a little late again after school today."
"Okay, I guess." I grunt with my head in my bowl of cereal, which holds the spoon of which I am too tired to hold up to my mouth.
"And I bought some cherry lollipops for Lizzy, I remember how much she loved those things. Maybe it will help her get through these 'troubling times.'"
"Mom, she's not crazy, Andrew just said something to her that set her off. He's lived in a forest for a year so you never know what might come out of his mouth."
"Whatever you say sweetie. Now hurry up and eat, You're gonna be late." I devour the rest of my cereal, grab my bookbag, and make my way to the frightening nightmare society calls High School.
When I get to the hospital after school I stop by the gift shop to yet again, buy another pack of pixie stix for Andrew. Seconds before I arrive at his room I can already hear him whistling his "catchy" tune. When I enter, there's only one thing different then it was yesterday, Andrew wasn't in his bed.
He was standing.
For the first time in a year I watch as my brother once again takes his first steps. I almost find tears building up inside, but I push them back down for the sake of the moment. I watch as a gleeful grin spreads across his face, and suddenly, my worries and problems, were gone.
Though Andrew was getting better, I can't say the same for Lizzy. After an hour with Andrew, I left for the mental facility on the bus. When I got there, the doctors had already sent a nurse to escort me down to Lizzy's room.
She hadn't been eating much, and she hardly ever slept. They would have to hold her down to give her some kind of shot that put her to sleep for the night. But even that task was an adventure no one wanted to go down. So they decided to let her heal naturally and I guess used that as an excuse not to get killed. She was balled up in a corner, long hair in her face, and staring at her hands.
