Broken Faith ✓

Chapter 16: Motherly Issues and Thank You's

It was break. I had told my friends that I needed to complete some work for another class of mine and without even waiting to hear their replies or, most probably, questions I walked away from them.

I tapped the door three times.

"Come in" a female voice sang.

I slowly opened the door and went into the room. It was your standard medical room you know, smelling very distinctly of disinfectant and latex gloves. I always liked the smell of disinfectant.

The woman smiled at me "How can I help you?"

"I..ur...I...could you have a look at my wounds?" I didn't even make eye contact with her as I rolled up my sleeves.

"My goodness. Those are quite nasty gashes you have" She didn't gasp but as I looked up at her she definitely looked alarmed. I knew what the next question was before it even came, it was written all over the nurse's face.

"How did this happen?"

I didn't like lying. I liked to be as honest as I could about myself. But time and time again my family made me lie about my life, about myself. I was living a lie. A lie I had to conjure up and elaborate every time.

"I got into a fight with some girls" that was safe territory.

"Were they your age or older?"

"They were my age"

"And what age are you?"

"I'm 18"

"But there were more of them?"

"Yes"

"Who?" she asked as she put on some latex gloves and grabbed the bottle of antiseptic along with some cotton wool.

We were not having this conversation because I knew what was coming next. Through her questions she would extract the details from me, inform our principal and have the police reporting this incident within the hour.

"I'm not saying" and just at that moment it was like she was getting her revenge from me for not telling her as she applied antiseptic on one of my really bad wounds, one of those that looked quite fresh and bloody. The burning sensation that stung me made me jolt back and hiss.

"You have to tell me who did this to you" she made sure she came in my line of vision "they could do it again. We have to keep you safe" she said as she tended to the rest of the wounds on my arms.

No one could keep me safe from the terrors of my life, didn't she get that? That when she and no one else for that matter could come save me in the little hours of the night in my own home when I least expected it only to have the person that did it run away again. This is why I didn't come here. I only did because Ryder made me promise I would.

I made sure I met her eyes "I'm not telling you"

She sighed "I can't force you and you are legally an adult so I cannot even interfere with child protection. But you can't let this happen. You have to tell someone. This isn't good for you, you know to keep it all in and not talk to anyone about it"

Silence overcame us both as she tended to the rest of my wounds.

"And what makes you think I haven't talked to anyone about it?" I asked as she got up and had her back to me, she made her way to the bin to get rid of her latex gloves.

"Because you wouldn't come to the school nurse to get treated. You would seek professional medical help from the local hospital if you had told someone about it"

This nurse made me wonder if she moonlighted as a counsellor what with all her deduction skills and telling me I should talk about it. She made her way back to me and sat in front of me in her wheely office chair.