Riverside | Mental Hospital | (Finished book)

Chapter Five

"Ahh, Effie...Take a seat, how are you?" Clare gestured me in, and to sit at the table, located at the back of her smallish room.                                                                                                                                    "I'm okay thank you...." I at least tried to pretend, even though my wrist was agony.                           "I'll be honest, I obviously know what happened this morning, and that's one of my priorities now. I'm wondering if unit 2 would be the more effective route for you, for the next few days whilst you settle?"                                                                                                                                                             "I totally understand, you're concerned, this morning was bad, however, I felt really vulnerable and hardly slept. I got lost and panicked, please, give me a chance."                                                           "You persuade a hard argument, don't you? I get it and providing you embrace life here, this is your forewarning, but you may stay."                                                                                                                          I was so incredibly grateful, I quite liked my room, in a bizarre way. 

"Secondly... Your wrist?"                                                                                                                                                    She pulled out her medical supplies and laid another blue sheet out, and got all her bandages out. Then she put her gloves on and started undoing the bandage on my wrist.

As she pulled open the bandage, I saw quite a mess that my wrist was,  I was almost horrified that it was self-inflicted, and quite how bad it was. By getting angry and hitting the floor, I'd torn open the wounds, so it was pretty gross. It didn't take Claire long to clean it up, and sort me out, and put a fresh bandage.                                                                                                                                                   "Please, if you feel like hurting yourself, tell us."                                                                                                    I nodded.

After going to see Claire, I had group therapy, I went early, so I could meet the guy running them. Dr Kwansay, in all honesty, I couldn't understand a word he said, since he was foreign. 

I took a seat, diagonal to him in the circle, and then various people starting arriving. I hadn't yet met anyone, with the exception of that guy. At the back of the room, four nurses sat observing us and writing down notes. Once everyone arrived and sat down, Dr Kwansay said that the group was all sixteen-year-olds, and all of us were from unit 1. 

He asked each person to stand up, introduce them self, and explain why they're there. Then, each person could ask any question what so ever, and it had to be answered, it felt incredibly uncomfortable, there was only eight of us there too, six girls, two boys. 

Lilya        

Hello, I'm Lilya. I've been here for nearly three months, I originally was believed to be Bipolar, however, they changed their mind and I no longer have a label. At the minute, I'm on a high, although things can change really quick. 

Lilya looked really pretty, she had long ginger toned hair, that was pulled back into a high ponytail. She had bold eyeliner and a nude lipstick. She looked drop dead gorgeous. 

Evie 

Hiya, I'm Evie, I used to dance for the royal ballet, until one day I cut my wrists, and my teacher kicked me out, that day I jumped on the train tracks on the London Underground, but no particularly care's, I definitely can't wait to get out and escape. 

Dannie 

Hai! I'm Dannie, I'm bi! I'm a self-harmer & tried to kill myself several times, but things are getting forever better. 

Dannie was gorgeous! She had long strawberry blonde hair, a septum piercing, and wore just shorts and a jumper, but she was still gorgeous. I could see her cuts, old cuts, but she showed so much strength & courage, I instantly admired her.

Hattie

Hello everyone, 

My name's Hattie, I've been here for four days, and suffer from anorexia nervous, and an undiagnosed personality disorder.

I paused and looked at Hattie, she wasn't the prettiest, but she seemed sweet.

Sam

Hello, I'm schizophrenic Sam.

Wow. Sam's quite. But he's hot asf if he gave himself the chance.

Ethan.

Hiya,
I'm Ethan, I'm a mess that they can't decide where to put. Sometimes I've unit 3, occasionally unit 2, but my favorite is normally unit 1. I do enter a state of psychosis, fairly often, to be warned I'm mental! And in my spare time, I like to stand on banisters.

"Ethan! Stop, now we don't need to about your habits!" Dr. Kwansay cut Ethan short.

I'd fell in love with Ethan, he was such a sweetheart, and fit. He might be a bit crazy... But damn, I'd fuck him! Even if I was a virgin...

Courtney 

Hello, everyone, I'm Courtney, I've been here nearly two years. I've attempted suicide many times, and I'm not sure I'll ever leave this shithole. 

I paused and looked at Courtney, she seemed nice, but not very patient or kind. 

Dr. Kwansay then stopped and looked at me, "Effie, your turn?" 

I stood up, shaking. I could feel my skin turn red, as I gripped my jumper sleeve frantically trying to hide my bandage.                                   

"Hello, I'm Effie. I got here yesterday, I'm here because I tried to hang myself in the woods, but failed. My parent's don't give a fuck about me, so I'm happy to be here away from them. I don't have any diagnosed conditions although it doesn't take Sherlock to figure out I'm depressed." 

"Okay, welcome to Riverside Effie; ready for questions?" I looked at Dr Kwansay and shrugged. 

"Do you self-harm?" The first question came from Lilya, I gripped my bandage under my sleeve, and just nodded. 

"It sucks when you fail suicide, doesn't it? Who found you when you hung yourself?" I just glared at Evie, she looked so casual. "I rang a friend who came to me and called an ambulance..."

Then it was Dannie's turn, she turned and looked me in the eye... "Are you bisexual?" I stopped dead in my tracks and just looked at her.   "Not something I've ever thought about...."                                                     

Ethan immediately wolf whistled, and I turned around and gave him a filthy look. 

Hattie looked at me and smiled. "Do you have any issues with food?" I shrugged. 

"Do you ever hear voices?" Sam looked at me meaningfully, and I looked back at him with a straight face. "Only when I want to kill myself..." 

"Are you single....?" Ethan looked at me.. 

"Ethan you're on VERY thin ice! Keep on topic please!" Dr Kwansay cut him short. 

Ethan winked at me, and I nodded back. What a dick head tho, I was here to get better, not for relationships. 

Lastly, Courtney looked at me... 

"Do you wish to be here?" I stopped and looked at her, "I don't really mind."

Then I just collapsed onto my chair, whilst Dr. Kwansay carried on speaking, I couldn't wait to go curl up in a ball in my room. I knew there were common rooms but I didn't really want to socialize.