After Ashes

Chapter Two: Diagnosis

My body all but quaked, looking up in to the brown eyes of my doctor. Mine quickly scanned the room for another presence. Shadows no longer lingered in the halls as the clinic seemed to bustle with occupants all of a sudden.

"What the--" I seemed to barely mouth before Dr. McKenzie interrupted.

"Ms. Walker! If you may kindly step into my office, and away from your daydreaming, we can get this over with." The doctor sneered as his eyes held a moment of annoyance with me.

I followed the tall, semi-built man into his office. As he took his seat, he ran his hand through his shaggy brown hair. He gestured for me to take a seat and my paranoid eyes darted around the room. Feeling satisfied, I sighed and took a small chair; one without cushion. Great, I thought bitterly, this is going to be a long session.

"So Ms. Walker, how are you feeling today?" He spoke to the paper, which I assumed were reports about my watch here.

"Nervous jitters, I guess, but over all good. Better even." I tried my hardest to force a smile, and I am sure it came out a crooked grin.

"It says here you had another episode four nights ago, around three in the morning?" He said it as a question, which irritated me as he tapped his pen.

"You mean my nightmares?" I inquired.

"Yes"

"Oh well, I don't think that its too big of a deal." I lied through my teeth. My night terrors, as I believe they are still plagued me, ever since my incident.

"You were screaming, trying to rip off your bandages, and almost punched a nurse out." His head was still lowered though he cast his eyes up at me. " You told the nurses you didn't remember a thing."

"I really don't Dr. McKenzie!!" I almost pleaded with him. "It had been weeks since it happened last." I could feel my eyes well up with tears. Don't cry you fool, I scolded myself for being so emotional.

"Well, these watches have been going good, as far as you trying to attempt again." My heart did jig as he spoke. "I'm going to prescribe you a bottle of Zolpidem. After I want you to start using Alerin, which is an all-natural sleep aid, if your insomnia seems to come back.

"I think that is where most of your problems are. Sleep deprivation can cause many mental issues, like an individual becoming more paranoid, and show characteristics of Schizophrenia."

I sucked in a quick breath.

"So what are you saying?" My knuckles cracked at my side as I anticipated his reply.

"I would like you to come in for a once a week visit, for me to evaluate you, in case something worsens. Other than that Ms. Walker, I believe in your case, you were just drunk and made a bad decsion."

He tried to give me a sympathetic smile as my heart panged. Dr. McKenzie's words stung, but I smiled in return.

"Okay. Agreed."

Dr. McKenzie shuffled through his stacks of paper work, and passed me a clipboard with my release form. Almost shuddering in delight, I took the pen and signed my name next to the doctor's. The clipboard was passed back with a mutual hand shake and small smiles.

"Well Dr. McKenzie, I hope to not be seeing you soon after my check ups." I turned to the door ready to pack up the few items I acquired the pass couple of months.

"As so do I, Adrina." He returned to his paperwork as I bolted, all but skipping, down the hall to my room.

****

With my duffel bad smacking my side, I could not help but grin ear to ear. Approaching the front desk, the nurse glared at me and I was taken aback. She pretended to be busy as I rested my elbows on the counter top. She wore her red hair in a sloppy bun. Freckles were dashed across the bridge of her nose and her naturally blushed cheeks. Her hazel-green eyes bore into my crystal blues and then it hit me. She was the nurse I came close to punching, that morning, after I woke from my night terrors.

I swallowed my nerves and gave a weak smile. There was no response in emotion from her as she tossed a brown paper bag at my me. She jabbed her finger to sign out sheet and turned her chair to face to computer. The bag jiggled in my hand, which sounded like keys and pills. I gaged to the thought of pills. To my surprise, upon opening the bag, I was correct about the contents except one item. A note was taped to the bottle of Zolpidem.

Pulling it out, my heart began to pound quietly in my chest. My breath caught in my lungs and in a huff I read the note.

"Good Luck!"

That couldn't have been from the doctor. The writing did not fit. It looked like calligraphy. I turned my face to the nurse.

"Do you know who put this in my bag?" My breath seemed strangled as I couldn't figure out why was I getting so worked up over this?

She cocked her head to the side and shrugged her shoulders, dismissing me completely. Crumpling the note, I threw it at the back of her head.

"You are such a BITCH! I should have knocked you ass out!" I yelled at her before she had time to utter a word.

Her eyes went wide and I spun around gracefully, sauntering off. A dark feeling crept underneath my skin. It took all my self-control not to turn back around and beat her into a bloody pulp. I can admit this much, aside from my sleeping issues, I did have a terrible temper. It's not worth it, I reminded myself.

The electronic doors slid opened and I was greeted with the heat of the Texas sun and fresh summer air. My heart sprang to life again as I caught sight of my truck in the distance. Sprinting to the tan tank, everything seemed right again. I already began to erase the memories of the creepy note, smelly clinic and obnoxious nurses. This was my chance to start anew.

Not paying attention, too absorbed in my jaunty skipping, my shoulder bumped an innocent bystander. My skin chilled despite the heat. I barely caught a glimpse of a black ball cap, strong bearded jaw, and dark skin as I spun on my heels.

"I'm sor..ry....Sir..."my voice fumbled and lowered to a soft whisper and my heart dropped to my feet. The man never turned nor acknowledged my existence.

"Nix...?" The name was barely audible. It carried in to the wind that kicked up, and flipped my hair into my face.

I yanked my hand back from trying to reach out to this stranger. I was thankful the man continued to walk into the clinic. Trembling the rest of the way to the truck, I pressed my forehead to the cool glass of the window, feeling suddenly faint.

Why did I believe that man looked like my dead boyfriend?

**** Oh me, oh my. I'm so much more excited to get on here and write now. I can't stop writing ideas down for this story lol. Chapter Three is almost ready along with some rough drafts for Four and Five AAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNDDD a prologue... I realized the story kinda needs is. And I want so badly to give things away and whose going to be introduced and such. Arrrrrg, I'm the writer and I'm in freakin' suspense mahaha!!"****

**I am happy people are at least clickin on my story to read it but all means, comment and... stuff...**