Suicide Tree || ✓

15. "I'm only trying to help you."

Despite how my father assured me that the hospital would be safe from any intruders when he first came, I couldn't help but feel the paranoia seep into my dreams. I didn't sleep much after Jasper left, and I woke up a few hours later, with the sky still pitch black. Though I was awake, I had yet to move an inch. I was once again connected to the heart monitor for safety precautions and routine check-ups or something like that – that's what the night nurse had said. Even with the two police officers my father had assigned outside of my hospital room, I didn't feel safe. Kyle was cunning and he was smart, and I had a feeling that if he wanted to get in, he could easily do so.

Whatever liquid they were pumping into my veins was keeping the pain on my neck and in my throat at bay, but it also held me in a state of perpetual tiredness where I'm sure I would've fallen asleep were it not for my paranoia interfering.

Kyle just wanted to prove a point. That's it, he doesn't want to kill you yet. He just wants to prove a point. He doesn't want to kill you. Yet.

I repeated the thought to myself again and again but it didn't help ease my angst. I felt uncomfortable after lying still for so long so I shifted my position a little bit, only to feel something slip from around my neck. I froze. In the quiet of the room, I could hear my breathing louder than the heart monitor that seemed to be picking up its pace. I managed to push myself up from the bed and feel the small object from around my neck fall onto my lap.

"What –?" I breathed as I saw a small metallic capsule laced on a thin black string. It was exactly identical to the one that was around Adri's neck and I knew that this message was from Kyle. I immediately opened it and pulled out the tightly rolled black paper.

We told you to stay away from Jasper. Why won't you listen? You think that Jasper, his sister and your father can keep you safe? That the two police officers outside your door will guard you from 'intruders'? I'll show you the dangers of staying with them. I'm only trying to help you.

The door burst open as a night nurse rushed in and I immediately grabbed the locket and letter in a fist and hid it under the blanket and under my leg. It was only then that I realised the heart monitor was going off the rails, its pace fast and short like my breathing and my pounding heart. I willed myself to calm down, taking in slow regulated breaths but my breathing was still laboured.

"What happened?" she asked with furrowed brows and I shot her a weak smile, cursing myself for not being able to pull myself together quickly enough. She went to the monitor and began checking something.

"It was just a nightmare," I managed to whisper with my burning throat. She pursed her lips but accepted my answer with a nod. I tried to match her face with a name in the dark room but I couldn't see clearly, I only knew that she wasn't the same nurse as the one before.

"Alright then, I'll just crank up the morphine. You need to rest," she said and before I could formulate a reply she clicked the button by the bed that was just out of reach for me. I immediately felt the drowsiness affect me and my grip on the locket slackened underneath the blanket. I could hear the door click shut and feel myself falling asleep. Soft footsteps neared my bed and I could feel the pillow slowly being taken away from underneath my head. I blinked my eyes, suddenly desperate to not fall asleep.

This isn't right, what is she doing?

My frantic thoughts were cut off as the nurse pressed the pillow into my face. My shouts were muffled and my arms were desperately trying to shove the pillow away. My leg managed to kick the woman and she grunted, her hold on the pillow loosening. I turned my head just enough to gasp for breath and let out a pained scream, alerting the police officers just outside as the door burst open and the pillow fell away. The woman looked angry at being caught, but didn't protest against the police officers that were apprehending her.