The Fix.

Chapter 2

White. That's the first thing I see when I open my eyes.

Heaven.

"Nurse! Nurse! I think she's coming to! Rose, sweetie, can you hear me? Please, honey."

White ceilings. White walls. White lights. I try to shield my eyes from the brightness but they won't move.

"Ms. Garlet? Ms. Garlet can you hear me?" I feel something tug on my face. More white is added to my view. It burns but I can't seem to close my eyes until it finally leaves my eyes.

"Rose, sweetie, please say something! I'm begging you." Warmth and roughness cover my hand. I don't have the strength to look and see what it is.

"Well she passes all the physical test but she's not verbally responsive, that should likely change when we move her to the psych ward. For now, there is nothing physically wrong with her.

"What do you mean for now?"

"Well the severity of her withdrawal symptoms depends on how much and often she used, and by the looks of how much of it was in her system when she was brought in, I predict that her Physical road to recovery is not gonna be an easy one. She might even have a seizure once or twice."

"Thank you doctor."

"Call me if you need anything Mr. Garlet."

"Mr. Garlet?" My dad died too? Wait "Mr. Garlet"? "Doctor"? "Psych ward"? NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! I can't be alive! NO!

" Wait! Doctor! Help! Nurse! Something's wrong."

"Oh my God! She's going to go into cardiac arrest if we don't calm down her heart rate. Give her a sedative stat!"

Something cold goes up my right arm, then everything goes black.

⏯⏯⏯

"Mom! Mom, I'm home and I got an A on my chemistry exam! ", with no reply, I go upstairs excitedly anticipating my mom's face as she looks at me proudly.

"Mom?", my mother's door is slightly ajar.

Oh, she must be sleep. Duh Rosie. I chuckle lightly to myself.

I slowly open her door, ready to wake her up with my good news. My mother did look sleep but she was too pale, and sticking out of the crook of her elbow was a needle. A blood-curdling scream ring in my ears before my brain could even process what I was looking at. It took me a second before I realized that the scream was mine. Suddenly I am at my mother's side, ripping the needle out of her arm, shaking her.

"Mom wake up! Please wake up! Mom! Don't leave me! Stay! Please! Mom!

It aches. Nothing is numb anymore if anything my body feels more alive, and where there is life there is pain. My eyes fly open before I can stop them, but instead of burning white light, it's dark except for a warm light that seems to be coming from behind me. I gently start to wiggle my toes and my fingers, each small movement leaving a dull throb.

Okay, Rosie, we have to think. We are in a hospital. Good, that's a good start, but what now?

I slowly try to sit up but I quickly discover that my wrist will only move up to a certain point. I look down to see my wrists in restraints. In a panic, I struggle in them, trying to get my arms free.

"Rose? Rose are you up?" I stiffen, it's my dad's voice. I hear a moan of a chair then my dad's face quickly comes into view.

"I'm sorry honey. I'm so sorry. Did I not give you enough attention? Was it my job? Honey please just tell me what I did for this to happen." My dad's voice falters at the end sentence as his eyes look pleadingly into mine.

It's not your fault. I did this. It was MY choice. Don't be upset.

"Rosie, can you hear me?" I did but for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to tell my brain to tell me to move my lips and to contract my vocal cords. I was mute.

My dad's eyes started to slowly fill up with tears as he looked down at me. Knowing eventually one would spill over I close my eyes and pretend he wasn't there. Eventually, I fell back into that dark abyss of sleep.