Flawed Perception

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"See, Minnie. I told you it wouldn't hurt," he told me. But it was a lie. It hurt every time.  

"Willi!" Nicky's voice was calling for me. I thought he had left, but now he was looking for me. I heard footsteps coming toward me, then nothing.

*****

I heard faint voices as I began to open my eyes. It was cold and the air smelled of latex and bleach. When my eyes opened everything was a blur. All I could see was an ocean of white. The blinding sight of the overhead lighting caused me to squint and bring up a hand to cover my eyes.  

When I moved my hand I felt something dangling from it. I had an IV drip connected. A piece of tape secured it in place. My eye sight was slowly becoming less blurry. I sat up slightly to take in my surroundings.  

I was in a hospital room. That much I could tell. I couldn't tell which one. There were privacy curtains on both side of me. I sat up fully, prompting an instant headache and dizziness. I lay back down. I heard footsteps from outside the door to my room. When my mother walked in she quickened her pace the moment she saw me. 

"Willa, you're awake! Thank God," she had tears in her eyes. Her face was puffy and tear stained. She must have been crying all day. The tears brought to my mind why I was here.  

"Mom, Andy he... They were trying to help him, then the monitor stopped. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry," I cried. I began to weep uncontrollably. My mother sat on the seat next to me and tried to hold back tears of her own. 

"Willa, he's alive. His heart stopped for a bit, but he's better now. Okay," she assured me. Relief swarmed my body in an instant but I still continued crying. That moment was the most scared I had ever been. I was lost in my emotion and still felt the pang of panic. Only one thing could help. 

I reached over and threw my arms around her neck. She froze as I did so from the shock. Within seconds she brought both arms around me and held me tighter than ever before. I heard her sniffling as I nestled in to her hair.I took in the smell. I hadn't smelt the scent from her raspberry shampoo in years. It was just the comfort I needed. I tried to pull away but my mother wouldn't allow me to stray from her embrace. I fell back into the hug.  

"I missed you, honey. It's been too long," she said, her words muffled by the hug.  

"I know, mom. I missed you too." I had only seen my mother a day earlier, but I hadn't felt her touch in years. I knew that was what she meant. Finally, she allowed me to pull away. "Is Andy really okay?" 

"Yes, but the doctors are keeping him here for a couple days to watch over him. You two gave me quite a scare yesterday," she informed me.  

"Yesterday?"  

"You've been asleep for nearly sixteen hours, Willa. The paramedics said you passed out when Andy's heart stopped. That must have been so scary for you," she said softly. I lay back on my pillow and my mother gently rubbed my forehead with her fingertips.  

"What happened to him? I was driving him home and all of a sudden he started screaming and shaking. I didn't know what to do. I was terrified." 

"I know, honey. The paramedics said you called just in time. Any longer and he might not have lived," she began. She paused for a second. Her lips began to quiver. "The doctors had to pump his stomach. He overdosed." 

"Overdosed?" I asked. She nodded. Knowing Andy it shouldn't have surprised me. But being around him the past week, hearing that he overdosed was unexpected. I thought he was trying to change. "Is that why he was screaming for help in the car?"