Given Life

Chapter Two

He started shaking with convulsions. After he had injected himself, his hand reached out to touch mine. His eyes stared at me as the drug took its effects on his body. Throughout it all, though, he seemed to be at peace.

But still, I didn't want him to go. I didn't want him to leave. Daniel was all I had left. That had been enough for me, and I thought that I was enough for Daniel, too. I guess, though, with the loss of Taylor, it was impossible to support each other alone.

Nurses and a few doctors rushed in, but any attempts they made would be futile. Daniel had given himself a large dosage, and also, he was given the syringe to use as a tool; it was meant to kill. He was already gone in a few minutes. Meanwhile, I still couldn't move until a nurse roughly pulled me away into the hall.

"What happened?" She asked, "Are you alright? What happened to him? He was doing fine, and then-"

It was then that I realized I was crying. Daniel had just died...I didn't stop him. He's gone. He's really gone. Nothing is left now; no one is left. Daniel and Taylor are both gone.

"They're gone. They aren't here anymore," I whispered to myself, "He isn't here. She left too. How...how could..."

The nurse was saying something. I couldn't hear her; she seemed to be somewhere else. My legs felt weak, my whole body was fatigued as I fell to the floor.

"Daniel...Taylor..." My voice kept repeating their names in an attempt to call out to them. Everything was over now. The two people that made up my world were dead. My world was shattered. "You both have left me with nothing now."

That phone vibrated. Somehow, I managed to answer, probably because it was them that it was almost a reflex.

"So he died too," that chilling voice returned. It scared me more than before now. "What a shame. He had potential, but with his emotions it might have been impossible. Now, you, on the other hand... Wait for us tomorrow. Some orders will have changed."

My mouth opened a little, but no matter how hard I tried, no sound came out. I wanted to scream and yell into the phone, but I couldn't. Though, even if I could, I knew it wouldn't do anything. My fingers roughly combed through my hair, pressing down with my nails with so much pressure that my arm was shaking. Then, I realized that my teeth had been tightly clenched.

What is this feeling? Am I angry? Sad? Frustrated? I can't tell...maybe it was all of those emotions combined. Angry towards those people, upset that I had lost another friend, frustrated that I hadn't done anything to try and save them. The world around me was crumbling down, but everyone else still went on with their own lives. The rest of the world is moving forward, and its going so fast.

The phone call ended at some point, but my mind felt crowded with so many other thoughts that the rest of the conversation was just the other person giving some sort of directions. All the while, my fingernails bit harshly into my head, and the pressure in my mouth never ceased. A life like this...what did we do? What did Daniel, Taylor, or I do to be given this side of the world? It's so cruel...I don't want a life like this. A life where everyone around me is gone, and those people still have power. This kind of life is torturous.

~~~ 

"Hey."

What? Someone is here? No, maybe in the hallway. There's no reason for anyone else to come into this room. 

"Hey, stop doing that," a roughly textured hand gently took mine so that I was no longer pressing my fingernails. The voice that was speaking was deep, but... it was calm...no, they all seem like that. This person doesn't really care. They were probably just sent here to check on the pitiful little girl. I pulled my hand away from their's. 

"Now, now. You calmed down for a minute there, didn't you? It's alright. You can trust me."

Finally, I looked up to face a man whom didn't look like a doctor or a nurse. He wore a suit, though, and some of the hospital staff were staring at him. He was someone important. 

"Why should I trust you?" whatever his status was, it didn't matter. "Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk to anyone, much less a stranger."

"Hm..I guess I am a stranger. But you don't really mean what you said You're actually lonely, aren't you?" he took my hand again and attempted to pull me up, though I resisted. "They've told me about you. You and your frie-" he stopped himself, "You are an orphan, yes?"

I didn't want to answer him,  but after several minutes of silence it was clear that he was intent on having my communicate with him. Why did someone like him have to show up? 

"...I don't have any family. They're all gone." the words stuck n my throat; they were painful to say. I felt the stress building up again. "They're gone. Everyone is gone..."

Before I could lower my head down, the man gently rubbed my head. "It's okay. You'll be okay. You're alone, aren't you? It's really scary, right? Do you remember the name of your orphanage?"

Orphanage? "What is that?" I asked softly. The man looked a bit taken aback, but he still continued.

"Then, you have really been alone. Well, how would you like to come with me?" his voice was still calm, and it was even a little bit soothing now. He took my hand and pulled me up again, this time with more strength. I hate how in the last few minutes, he managed to calm me down so easily. 

"...You're still a stranger, and now you are asking me to come with you. Are you some kind of lecher?" it was my last try at putting up some resistance.

He paused for a minute and then said, with a small chuckle, "No. I said earlier that you could trust me, didn't I?" I nodded. "Well...this might seem a bit sudden, but I own this hospital. That is unimportant right now, though. I actually have a child of my own that, I've been thinking, needs someone else their age to communicate with. The rest I could explain to you at a later date, but for now, would you like to come live at my house?"

This guy is the owner of this hospital? That would explain the stares from the hospital staff, so that part seems believable. Still, would going with him be...wait, those people!

"What time is it?!" I suddenly exclaimed, startling the man. I looked at the phone that was still in my other hand. They said that they would come for me in the morning. Those people were planning on something that I knew I didn't want to be a part of. I stared back at the man. He might be the only way for me to getaway from those people. Maybe...maybe I can do what Daniel, Taylor, and I had always wanted to do.

"You may be a lecher, but..." I grabbed onto the sleeve of his suit, "I'll go with you. You're right, I'm...I'm all alone, and...it's scary." I said in a softer voice, "They scare me. I don't want to go with them. H..." I stopped myself for a moment. There is no dignity or pride in me. Those things were thrown out long ago, and besides, my only option is to beg for this man's help. "Help me. Even going with you is better than them."

"...I don't quite understand all of it, but...I won't hurt you, I promise." he extended his pinky out to me, "If I lie, then you can hit me, call the cops on me, or whatever." 

I linked my pinky with his, and the man smiled. He didn't seem to be dangerous; his expressions weren't like theirs. Daniel, Taylor, this is the best decision, right?