Saving Madison

Chapter Twenty-Five

Madison's p.o.v »»

I wake up in a cold, dark room with a girl dressed as a nurse sticking a syringe in my vein. I squeeze my eyes shut at the sight of my blood filling up seven test tubes. Glancing to my right, I see a boarded up window and a plastic night stand.

"Where am I?" I ask out loud to myself, but the nurse answers.

"In Reed City's finest behavioral center." she says with a sickly wide smile.

"'Behavioral center'? Is that like a-"

"An institution for the mentally ill." she interjects, taking the needle out of my vein and getting up from her sitting position. I start making an attempt to get up from the bed, but she pushes me back.

"Dinner isn't until 6pm, so until then stay in here or go to the Day Room." she says before walking out, leaving me confused.

I pull the blanket off my body, exposing me in a hospital gown. I sink back into my pillow, bringing a hand up to my forehead. I shouldn't be here. Why am I here?

This time, I scan the room for anything I can use to escape, but the room is completely bare. The only thing in here is a nightstand, and a separate door leading to a metal toilet and dirty tub. If I was going to be in a mental institution my mom could've at least gotten me a clean one.

I searched the wall for a clock, but there was none. Getting quickly impatient and frustrated, I decided to head out to the 'day room' and see if I could find out more on my admittance. I peek out of the room and out into the hall to see it fairly empty with a few nurses.

Stepping out in socks and a hospital gown, I walk towards a sign that says Day Room and push the door open gently. The day room is exactly what you'd think it is. It's a room filled with sofas and a flat screen TV playing animal planet, and that's about it.

"Let's watch spongebob!" A fifteen-year-old looking girl yelled out.

"That's not a therapeutic and uplifting show, Stella." The doctor says, earning a groan from the girl as she slouched further into the couch. "This place makes me want to be even more depressed." she mumbled.

I bite my lip, walking over to one of the huge sofas and sit down. To my left, there's a petite looking girl with damp, tangled hair who appears to be sleeping. As soon as I get comfortable in the plush couch, she wakes up.

"Oh, hey." she says, "Sorry, I took up most of the couch." she quickly gets out of her laying position, bringing her knees in.

I give her a tight smile, "That's fine, I just got here."

She nods, looking at the TV. "So, are you new here?" she asks, running a hand through her messy hair.

"Um, yeah, I think I got here yesterday."

"Does anybody want snacks?" A nurse announces with a tray in hand, interrupting mine and the girls conversation. Some patients walk up to her and grab juices and fruit, but me and the girl stay where we are.

"That sucks, this is my fifth time here." she says, resuming our conversation.

"You've been here five times?" I ask in disbelief, "I can't even last 18 hours." I joke.

She giggles, "I'm Tessa, Tessa Lane." she introduces herself. I grin widely leaning back into the sofa.

"I'm Madison Taylor."

The girl jolts up immediately in her seat, making me startled. "Dude, you're that girl!" she exclaims, pointing a finger at me.

I try to play dumb. "What girl?" I ask.

She squints her eyes at me, "The girl who died & came back." she says, but stops her interrogation giving me a softened expression.

"Sorry if it brought up PTSD or something, I think it's cool you got a second chance, nobody ever gets that opportunity."  she says as I notice the bandages on her wrists.

I gulp not wanting to cry in front of this stranger, "Thanks, Tessa."

She nods, handing me a pack of gummies. "So, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?"

I groan, munching on a fruit snack, "I don't belong here."

Tessa laughs, pulling her wet hair back in a braid. "Everybody here says that, so join the club."

I sigh, "My mom's crazy, she should be in here not me."

Tessa hums in agreement, "Yeah, my mom put me in here after she found my weed stash."

"Dinner is ready!" A nurse yelled at the small group, guiding everybody to a cafeteria. Tessa & I got up from the couch, walking side by side to the dimly lit room.

When we got there, nurses handed us trays with food.

"Meatloaf again, Helga?" Tessa groans at the lunch lady.

Helga shrugs, "Budget cuts, kiddo."

"Great, I feel like I'm in school." Tessa mumbles, throwing her tray onto a table and sitting down.

"For being Reed City's finest mental institution this is a pretty shitty place." I commented, poking at my meatloaf with a plastic fork.

"If you want a top-notch facility, go to Marshall Town." Tessa said with a mouth full of meatloaf.

"Is it always like this here?" I ask, watching as a old lady in a wheelchair started yelling at the wall.

"if you end up in the isolation hall, then yeah, but you're not a threat, so you're with us 'moderately bad' teens." Tessa explained.

I sigh, looking out at the small crack in the wall that was considered a window. I miss Tyler so much, I hate that whenever I'm in trouble we somehow fight before.

"Do we get visitors here?"

"Only on Friday's & Monday's," Tessa says.

"I just want to see my friend." I say.

Tessa nods, "Yeah, my husband visited me last week, I can't wait to see him tomorrow."

I look at her with my jaw hitting the floor, "You're married?" I squeak out while Tessa laughs at my behavior.

"My husband, Lucindo, married me when we ran away to Vegas after his mom died."

"Wow, that's crazy." I mumble.

She grins at the mention of her husband, "Yeah, he's 18, but Lucindo has such a baby face I swear, everybody mistakes him for a sophomore in high school." she laughs.

I laugh along with her, "So, where is he?"

"Oh, ever since I got put in here, he's been going to school." she says, throwing her trash away.

"Well, it's getting late and the nurses will start forcing us to bed, I'll see you tomorrow." Tessa says, walking in a different direction as me.

Before I walk to my room, a nurse stops me, "Miss Taylor, you have a phone call." A male nurse informs me, guiding me towards a hall of pay phones.

"Number 4 is yours." He says. I nod, walking over to the phone and lifting it up to my ear.

"Hello?" I say into the receiver unsure of who is calling me.

"Madison, it's me." the voice says, anxiously.

"Lily?"