Broken (Edited edition)

Test Results

(The picture is what Lyca kind of looks like.  She's that small, her hair is a bit darker, and she a bit thinner.  I mean like skeleton thin.  For people Curious, this is what she looks like.)

A week. A whole God damn week of tests and recovery in the hospital. Sometimes the testings took the entire day, and I didn't want to see anybody after them. Blood testing was the worst, because of the needle. After the blood test, I would lay in my bed crying. Crying so hard that the nurse would ask if I needed a sedative. I would always tell her no, and she look concerned at me. Mark would call from work, and he would hear me crying." Sweetie? Hey it's okay, don't cry." He says on the phone today, after a really difficult day of being in the brain scan machine. They tell you it takes a while, and they tell you it's noisy, but they don't tell you how nerve racking it is." I can't take this anymore." I say through breathes and sobs. Mark hushes me through the phone, and says he's leaving the office right now.

"They don't know what it's like in my head, they could never understand." I say, and fresh tears roll down my face." Hey calm down, it's okay. They're checking for anything serious, don't be upset." He says, and he stays on the phone with me as he drives." I don't know how long I can do this, I want to go home. I want to sleep in my own bed, I want to know if I feel scared I can run to your room." Mark sighs after I say this, and can almost see him frowning." Lyca, I'm always going to be there for you. I just want to know you are at full health." He says, and I start crying again really hard." But you aren't here now!" I say, and he's silent. I guess he didn't realize that when I meant being there, I meant always there. Even if I was in the hospital. Especially if I was in the hospital. Then I hang up on him, and drop the phone on the floor. I hold the pillow close to me, and start crying into it.

A nurse comes into the room, and tampers with my IV."  What did you do?"  I ask, and she looks down at me."  I gave a muscle relaxer, it'll help you."  She says, and leaves after shutting the door.  I feel everything tipping, and my head starts to hurt extremely.  My eyelids drop, and I'm out like a light.

When I wake up, I'm in a car.  It's dark out, and I'm leaned up against the window.  My cheek feels cold against it, and I can hear the wind blowing.  I move my hands slowly, and feel the IV tape still on my hand, but no needle.  I feel the wrist band on me still, and that smell hospital all over me.  That clean smell that takes weeks to get off.  I'm in a pair of sweat pants that aren't mine, gray hoodie a size too big, and I feel socks on my feet.  My hair is down, and it smells oily.  I haven't showered in a couple of days, so that must be the reason.  I look out the window, and see us passing street lights.  I notice buildings I recognize, and can tell we're close to my school.  I shift my position, and look over at the driver.  It's a man, I can tell by the shape, but I'm not sure who it is.  They have fluffy hair, are tall, and I can tell they're wearing a jacket."  Hey."  I say, and the man turns toward me for a second.  My vision is hazy, but I see a glint from their eye."  Hey."  He says, and I recognize his voice."  Where are we going Danny?"  I ask, and he chuckles."  I knew you recognized me."  He says, and I smile."  How could I not?"  I ask.

"True."   He says, and takes my hand into his.  He's really warm, almost sweating.  But Danny doesn't sweat, it's like he's a dog almost."  Why am I out of the hospital?"  I ask.  Danny doesn't answer, so I ask again."  They told me you had a clean bill of health.  So I decided to take you home."  He says, and I look over at him.  I'm still drowsy, but I'm able to focus on him."  Nothing's wrong with me?"  I ask him, and he nods."  Yep, the pressure is off your head entirely.  The Black outs are from your strength, your brain.  You are able to control, and you can control your power.  It sometimes happens with abuse victims.  They grow a type of ability that helps them through daily life."   He says, and I give him the weakest smile."  Get some more sleep, you still have the drugs in your body."  Danny turns the car, and tells me we have a long trip ahead of us.  I lean my head back up against the window, and fall asleep.   

I wake up in a bed, not my bed, but a bed.  The pillow is very soft under my head, and I feel the weight of a blanket on me.  My hands are opened, facing down so my fingers are touching the blankets. My vision adjusts to the darkness of the room.  I'm in a hotel, I can tell by the ceiling and material of the bed sheets.  Their cheap and feel like they're made of cardboard.  I see a light on in the bathroom, and there's another door separating the living room area of the room."  I cough a few times, and lift myself up.  The curtains are covering the window, and I draw them back quietly.  It's bright outside, almost as if the sun just came up.  I scratch the back of my arm, and wipe my face off with my hand.  I take in a deep breathe, and roll my sleeves up.  I run my fingers through my hair, and remember I have to take a shower.  I strip down so that I'm only in my underwear, and I walk into the bathroom.  There, I feel comfortable enough to get naked all the way.  I turn the water on, and get off every piece of the hospital off my body.  The monitoring stickers, IV tap, and even the smell of the hospital soap.  

I turn the water off about an hour later, and wrap a towel around myself and my hair.  I leave the bathroom, and walk into the bedroom.  The old clothes that I was wearing were gone, and there was a fresh pair of clothes.  I pull on new underwear, and find skinny jeans.  I pull them on, then take off the towel.  I look down at my stomach, and find two long scars on my rib cage.  They're vertical, going down toward my feet.  I touch one of them, and feel pain ride up my sides.  I shiver as the pain wave runs over me, and I cough.  I slowly lift my arms over my head, and pull the maroon hoodie over my head slowly.  It hurts incredible because the stitches haven't dissolved yet, so I'm still severely injured.  I can't bring my arms up again to dry my hair, so I leave it down.  It's freezing against the back of my neck, but I don't care right now.  I need to figure out where I am.  I open the door toward the living room, and find the boys all over the room sleeping.  Mark on the couch, Danny on the floor, Arin on the floor, Bob on the floor, Wade is sitting up on a chair, Jack is leaning up against the couch, and Barry is asleep next to the door.

I look in one of the bags on the floor, and find my phone.  I turn it on, and look through my alarm noises.  I find a siren, and put my speaker up to the highest it will go.  I wait two minutes, and then start it.  They all shout, and sit up.  Some of them hitting their head with one another, and I turn it off.  The boys groan, and clutch their heads as if I shot them with a bullet each."  Where....am I?"  I ask, my voice scratchy and hurts the back of my throat to speak.  Mark stumbles off the couch, and he stares at me with exhaustion in his eyes.  He stands in front of me, and takes a piece of my hair into his fingers."  You took a shower already?"  He asks, and I nod."  How are you feeling?  Any aches or pains?"  He asks, and I shake my head."  No, I just feel drowsy."

"That's because of the drugs.  Do you feel okay though?"  He asks, and I nod."  Good, because you have the state finals today."  He says, and I look confused at him."  What?"  I ask, and see Kevin walk into the room."  Thanks for blocking the door asshole."  He says, and Barry rolls his eyes."  State Drawing finals are today, that's why we're in San Francisco."  I stare at him in confusion, and feel as if I'm going to fall over.  I clutch onto his arm, and he helps me stand."  I had forgotten about it, I haven't thought about anything to draw!"  I say, and he calms me down."  You'll figure it out, you're smart with drawing.  Think of something, think of anything."  He says, and I realize something when I look up at Bob."  Is there's still snow on the ground in Cincinnati?"  I ask him, and Bob nods."  Yeah, it's everywhere."  He says, and I smile."  What?"  Jack asks, and I look up."  Snow, snow on a tree.  That's my drawing."

"Won't that seem dull to the judges?"  Mark asks, and I shake my head."  No, they like simplicity."  I tell him, and cough a few times."  What time is it at?"  I ask."  It'll be at around ten."  Mark says, and I look at my phone."  It's about eight o'clock."  I tell him, and he nods."  You hungry?"  

"No, I'm just cold.  My hair's wet from the shower still."  I say, and Mark nods."  I'll get a towel, and I'll dry it for you."  He says, and I smile.  I sit down on the couch, and Mark dries my hair for me carefully.  I take a cup of coffee that Kevin bought, and we sit there sipping the hot liquid.  I lean against Mark as I feel drowsy again, and he smiles at me."  I'll wake you up if you fall asleep."  He says, and I nod."  Thanks."  I tell him, and snuggle close to him.