Storyteller

Chapter 19

Tim POV: 

I cringe, as another doctor pokes a needle into me, taking blood. I watch him closely, as he withdraws the needle and walks out of the room without a word. My hands are still restrained down onto the rails of the bed so tightly that my fingers are going numb. 

I jump as the door clicks open. A nurse wheels Faith in, making me feel sick to my stomach. I look the opposite direction, refusing to acknowledge her. 

"Can I have a moment?" I hear her sweet voice ask. The nurse slowly leaves, unsure whether or not that's a good idea. There's an awkward moment of silence between us as Faith decides what she wants to say. I'm preparing to hear her scream, and tell me how disgusted she is with me. "I remember." She says, "I remember everything." I feel her hand land on my arm, making me cringe. She feels me tense up, and removes it. "Why? Why'd you hurt me?" She asks, sounding broken, and scared. 

"I wanted to die." I spit out, slowly turning toward her. She looks beautiful, and has some sort of glow to her today. Tears slowly drip from her eyes as she watches me closely. 

"Why take me with you?" She questions, placing her hands on her knees. 

"You'd save me. You'd always save me..." I reply, my body trembling from these new nervous twitches. She looks down at my restrained arms, and frowns, before breaking down. 

"How dare you?" She cries out. "How dare you do this to me... You... You just ruthlessly hurt me with no regard for my wellbeing. It's just all about you... You damn near killed me. You almost took me away from my children... And then you... you just used me. I was your goddamn drug..." She rambles, her whole body shaking uncontrollably. She watches me for a response, before something pops in her mind. She places her hand on her stomach, and looks down at the ground, making me numb. 

"Don't get rid of it." I plead quickly, watching her eyes full of disgust land on me. 

"You raped me..." She shouts in response. "You don't have a goddamn say in what I do with the baby." She growls, making me feel helpless. My throat starts to close, as I watch her. She's in pain. I can tell by the way she's sitting, her forearm protectively across her wounds. She shakes her head at me again. "What the hell happened to you?" She says, scanning me with her eyes. I sit still, and look down at my restraints. 

"I don't know what you mean." I say dismissively. 

"You went from being this scared boy who loved me, to my strong protector, and then now... this." She says, motioning to me. "Either you just played me for a fool, or the you I knew is gone." 

"I still love you." I confess, feeling shameful and small. She lets out a small laugh, and shakes her head once more. 

"You're killing me. You're actually killing me now... I don't have the choice to fight for you anymore. I can't fight for someone who's not there anymore." She releases quietly. She unlocks her wheelchair, and wheels herself out of the room before I can respond. I feel cheated. I want her to hear me... 

"Faith..." I start, as the door begins to shut behind her. "Faith!" I shout louder, my voice sounding like a growl. My fists clench tightly as the door shuts. I pull up on the restraints as hard as possible, trying to break the small plastic zip-tie. I kick my legs and start to scream, feeling tortured. 

I'm stuck in a mental hospital for the next year, at least. That's the only way I can avoid ten years in prison. Not Guilty by reason of insanity is the claim by lawyer decided. Faith let out a cry when she heard them rule in my favor, praying that I wouldn't be let back out into society. 

It's crazy here. The people are far worse off then I am here. There are people who scream for no apparent reason, and others who won't stop crying... 

My room is plain, and creme colored. There's a bed, a small desk, and my guitar in the corner from my manager. 364 Days to go...