Terrible Habits

Lenny Flashback.

Lenny 10 Years Old

I could hear commotion below me. I turn over on my bed and try to fall back asleep but the noise is too prominent. I rub my eyes open and realize that the hall light is on, I grab my Teddy Bear and push myself out of my warm bed to make my way to the door to peak outside. I open the door and peak my head out, squinting into the bright light from the hallway.

"Thomas, Thomas!" I heard someone yell from the hall, I can hear high heels click across the marble floors.

My brother runs across the marble floor and up the stairs to me.

It's late, I am never allowed to be up this late. I make a ball with my fist and rub my eyes.

"Eleanor, we have to go to the hospital, ok?" Thomas stops in front of me.

"Why are we going when its dark outside?" I ask, holding my Teddy closer to me.

"Because we have to go see Dad," he says and picks me up, carrying me down the stairs. I am still in my pajamas, mom never lets me out of the house in my pajamas.

Pajamas are for sleeping in Eleanor. I should put my dress on, I want to wear my pink dress.

I turned back to look behind me towards my bedroom. I didn't make my bed either, I am always supposed to make my bed.

He doesn't listen to me as he carries me to through he house and then out onto the driveway. I look up at the sky, it isn't raining, but its wet, I can feel a soft mist in my hair. I can see Hadley running outside behind us.

"Tommy, I need my dress," I tug on his shirt but he doesn't listen and then he places me in the car and Frank buckles me into my seat.

I try to pull away from the seat belts constraints. I look around the car and my mom is in the front seat, she never sits in the front seat. She is also wearing jeans, she never wears jeans.

I turn behind me and see Hadley jump in the back seat, she is biting her nails.

I don't say a word because I can feel the atmosphere of the car, I can only hear our breathing. Tommy, climbs in the car next to me and the car shoots forward into the dark night.

"Why are we going to see Daddy now?" I ask, looking at Tommy.

"You didn't tell her!" Hadley yells at Mom, she turns around and I can see that she is sad, but I don't know why.

"She won't understand!" My mom yells.

"You aren't going to tell her that Dad could be fucking dying!" Hadley yells again.

My mom's face is red, as she turns around to scream at Hadley. "That is not what happened!"

"Yes it is!" Hadley yells back and the screaming continues but I don't hear anymore because I started crying the moment Hadley yelled that my Daddy could be dying. I can feel the tears stream down my big cheeks, but I don't know if its for my Dad or for Hadley and Mom who are yelling at each other.

I can feel Tommy's hand on my back, trying to steady me, but no one else pays me any mind. They keep screaming.

We pull into the hospital, I can tell by the bright lights and my mom swings the car door open, racing out, everyone follows. I am fumbling with the seat buckle when I finally manage to escape and I run after them, my teddy bear in my arms as I clutch it closer to me. I sniff and follow Tommy and Hadley into the hospital wing. I wipe my eyes to stop the tears, but I can't stop them because I don't know if I will see my Daddy again.

We gather around the doctor and he is talking to Mom, but I don't understand what they are saying.

They start walking down a long hallway and I follow them, my eyes won't stop crying. I turn to my left and I see another mom that can't stop crying and I think right now that I really hate hospitals because they make everyone cry.

"Daddy's ok," Tommy leans down and says to me as we stop in front of a doctor room.

"He's not dying?" I ask, wiping my eyes again.

"No," he sighs and he looks tired.

"Ok," I nod my head and I close my eyes because I am tired. I open them up quickly when the door in front of me opens and I can see Daddy he is laying in a bed and he is bleeding.

And I run to him and climb on the bed because he will make me feel better and I will make him better too.