MIgraine

The first

The night's silence was disturbed by a loud, thud, from patient 48, room 23, level 4.

The cool surface of the tiles sent a chill up her spine before her body registered the pain of falling off the single sized bed.

Grunting, she propped up on her bony elbows and blew at her hair before rolling onto her back.

Stupid bed, she cursed as she struggled to see the benefit of getting off the white tiles.

Stupid tiles, she thought to herself.

Stupid, stupid tiles.

But her thoughts couldn't distract her from the one thing she needed to 'ignore' as instructed by the nurses. She couldn't deny the immense throbbing on her left temple. The sneaky little vein that poked out discreetly and pulsated to a systematic rhythm. Each thud was its own intense note, a melody formulating inside her head to which she often hummed to during the last few weeks.

Feeling an itch from sweating profusely earlier due to the too-warm-for-spring-Aussie weather, her caramel coloured fingers grabbed a hold of her frizzing curls only to remember the lack of hair ties available to her due to a current ban.

Stupid hair tie. Stupid Monica.

She stifled a yawn, refusing to succumb to sleep as she recalled the events during which a fellow patient attempted to strangle herself using hair ties. But was rudely reminded of the ever attention seeking migraine crippling her.

Stupid brain, she thought to herself as she looked up at her plain white ceiling. Exhaustion from the twenty-hour running migraine episode overcoming her.

"Fucking migraine," Birdie White muttered before falling prey to sleep. Her breaths in sync with the throbbing pain at the side of her head.

***

"Good morn..." the cheerful greeting was cut short as the nurse worriedly knelt to the ground shaking the curly haired patient awake.

"Birdie?"

Groaning loudly in response, a swarm of profanities slipped out from the not yet awake Birdie White.

After releasing a sigh of relief the nurse shook her head before crossing her arms across her chest, "we do not swear in this facility, young lady!"

"But Nurse Jackie, I have a..."

"Migraine?" Offered the elderly nurse, her hand outstretched as she watched her patient struggle to sit up.

When Birdie failed to respond Nurse Jackie offered a sympathetic smile before guiding Birdie's limp body towards her bed.

"You'll be okay, precious," her ageing fingers reached towards the ends of Birdies pale lips and stretched them out to form an artificial smile, "trust me, you're doing better than I would've thought. Just ignore those nasty migraines."

Birdie pressed her lips in response as she rolled her eyes. Her elbows resting on her knees as she cradled her sore head with her small palms.

"Now, pack up your belongings."

Reaching for her water bottle beside her diary on her night stand, Birdie elbow and a questioning look attached to her face Birdie White cocked her head to the side, "Why?"

"Well..."

"Am I being sent to solitary? I swear I only had one cup of coffee and it was weeks ago!"

Lifting her palms in the air, the nurse let out a sweet chuckle as she shook her head, "this isn't a prison, Birdie. No solitary here."

"Then explain Monica's disappearance."