Scars

Chapter 17 Megan

Chapter 17 Megan

As Jake and I ride to the hospital it is quiet. I don't know what to tell him. I don't know how to explain to him what happened with my mom beating Axle, or how after that I found her outside laying under a tree bleeding. How I explain to him that I fixed her like every other time, and that now I'm not even sure why she is at the hospital.

The doctor called me as soon as the first bell rang for school telling me that Axle was in her care and that she would be ok. When I told her that I don't know what she is talking about, she explained to me that I should go to the hospital as soon as possible so she could show me instead of tell me.

"I know you don't want to talk about it," Jake glances as me.

He sounds scared but continues anyways, "But you have to know that I'm here to listen if you ever do."

I continue to stare out the window as I say, "Yea. I know."

After another 20 minutes of driving we reach the hospital entrance. I jump out of the car and run in the building only stoping for the door to open. I go straight to the front desk.

"I'm looking for Axle McCartney. I'm her sister and I need to see her now. Do you know where she is?"

She takes her sweet old time typing Axle's name into the computer. Whatever she sees there makes her look at me in pity.

"She is in room 327. go down the hall and take the first right to the elevators. She is on the third floor. When you get off the elevator turn right and she is the 5th door on the left."

Jake then walks through the front door and speed walks with me to the elevator. I follow her directions to Axle's room and just before I open the door a doctor calls to me.

"You must be Megan," She says behind me.

I spin around and look at her. "Yes I am. Are you her doctor? What's wrong with her? When can she come home? When did she get here?"

She puts her hands up to stop me from asking anymore questions. "Yes I am her doctor. My name is Stephanie. A man dropped her off last night saying he found her walking the streets at one thirty in the morning. When she came in she had several cuts on her arms that were very deep. I assumed the man had hurt her, but she insists otherwise. He left then. Axle won't be able to come home for a while. It is necessary for her to go to a health clinic for a while."

"How long is a while?" I can tell by her voice that she doesn't mean a health clinic for a check up. She means a mental hospital.

I can feel the anger bubble inside of me. "My sister is not crazy."

"Ms. McCartney I don't think your sister is crazy. She just needs a little help to get her feet back on the ground."

I can feel the tears running down my cheeks. "Can I just see her?"

Stephanie opens the door and Axle lifts her small head to look at me. She looks so little and fragile. She can't take this life she was given it is to much for her to take. She didn't do anything wrong she is sweet and innocent. If I could take this pain from her, I would. I send up a silent prayer asking God to let me take her place.

"Axle, what happened," The sadness in my voice is plain as day.

"I can't tell you everything," she looks down at her hands. "What I can tell you is that I belong where they are sending me. I can't do this anymore. I tried being healthy and happy for you. I know you need me at home but I can't do it anymore."

She is right I do need her at home, but it is selfish of me to ask her not to go, when she could get better at this place. Talk to people who understand what she is going through.

"Megan," The doctor says from the corner of the room. "I think you should call you parents and tell them what is going on. I should have been the one to call, but Axle explained to me what happened last night and I didn't think it was very safe. We are going to have child services take you to a foster home while we wait for some one to adopt you. Unless you have a family member willing to take you in. Axle will go to a new building St. Jude's is making. It is a insane asylum for children with all kinds of disorders, but they are mainly going to focus on depressed kids. While she is there you will be moved into a family and Axle will join you after she is better."

I can tell that this is news to Axle too. Jake moves uncomfortably by my side.

All I can manage to say is "Ok."

Axle starts crying saying she changes her mind. "I don't want to go. I can't. I need Megan I can't get better with out her. And we need to stay with mom. please don't make me go!"

"Axle, you have to. By law I can not let you leave and go home with out going to a clinic first and I also can't let either of you go home to an abusive mother." The doctor looks hard and cold like she is trying not to get attached to the situation, but her voice is gentle.

"Megan. You and your friend should go now. You have to go back to school. Child services will be at your house when you get home so don't be alarmed. Say good bye to Axle then I will explain the rest to you."

I walk over to her bed and wrap my arms around her small body. "Axle I love you. Stay strong and you can always write me a letter. I will call you when I can."

The tears on her face wet my cheeks. "I love you to Megan. Jake, please make sure Megan is always ok and please be a good friend to her."

"You have my word." Jake gives her a small smile.

"This is only good bye for a little bit." I tell her as the doctor escorts is out of the room.

She starts talking immediately, "When you get home from school child care will have put all you and Axle's clothes in bags. There will be two piles. One from each room. You must look in a bag and if it's Axle's clothes they will take them to a blue car, and yours will go to a silver car. They will then take you to one of our locations close to here so you don't have to switch schools. You will not be allowed to see your mother and she will be forced to move away."

By the time she is done talking we are standing outside the hospital and Jake drove his car to the door to pick me up.

"Thank you for taking care of Axle and please send her some where nice." I tell her as a good bye and get in the Jake's truck.

When I get in Jake starts to drive away. "Can I ask what happened?"

"What do you want to know?" I'm sure by now he knows just about everything because of what the doctor said while he was around.

I don't really want to talk to him about this right now or answer any of his questions, but I don't want to think about what's waiting for me when I get home.

"Your mom beat Axle?" He asks in complete shock.

"Yes. Last night when Axle said she didn't want to do anything with me my mom got made and stomped down the hall way and punched Axle in the stomach several times."

"Then what happened?"

"Then after of couple minutes I talked to my mom and she said she had a stressful day and work. She started crying and telling me how sorry she was and that she wasn't thinking, but I wasn't the one she needed to apologize to. Even if she did apologize I could never trust my mother again. I never thought she would do anything to hurt either Axle or I." Before I know it I am telling Jake the whole story. " Then when I was done chastising my mother I went to talk to Axle and she wasn't in her room. The window was open so I climbed out of it and she was laying under a tree crying. It was stupid of me to think that my mom could do that to her and she wouldn't cut herself. I took her back inside and my mom was gone, and we didn't care. I put band aids on all her cuts and then sent her to bed. I guess after that she snuck out again and some guy found her. He was nice enough to bring her to the hospital and not kidnap her and I am eternally grateful for him."