Behind The Scenes (Completed) ✔️

10• Back home

It was 6:40 am.

The clock on the wall was ticking, its steady noise the only sound in the lifeless, white, cold room.

At least, that's how the waiting room of the Emergency Department of the city hospital looked to the five young men huddled in the corner.

They hadn't moved from their positions for close to half an hour. Their bruised limbs had gone numb, but they didn't even notice. Their heads rang from the lack of sleep, and their blank, dull eyes were all transfixed by the hypnotising, white tiled floor.

They were all so deep in their trance that they never even noticed that the blonde lady in the beige skirt suit had been staring at them since she had returned to the front desk with the filled registration form.

The lady looked down at the document that laid on her table, shaking her head at the illegible hand writing. She was only able to decipher two words : car accident.

She looked up again at the group sitting in the back of the room, and shook her head again. There is something really wrong with these young men. Really, really wrong...

"Are you okay, Grace ?"

The blonde lady looked up to see Doctor Linda.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just..." She nodded towards the five people sitting in the corner. "See these young men over there ? I swear, I have never seen people looking like they do."

Linda glanced at them.

"Aren't they the people who came for the last car accident patient ?"

"Yes, that's them."

"But then what's so surprising about their state ? The boys just survived a car accident, and their injured friend is unconscious in the emergency ward. Don't most people in this waiting room look like that ?"

"Believe me, it's much more than that. I've been watching them for a long time. Not only were they unable to look at me and answer my questions when they came in, but they also never looked or talked to each other. Their faces and eyes are red, and it's very obvious that they haven't slept in a really, really long time. They could barely stand up straight. They have pretty bad hand tremors, and since they went to sit on those chairs, they stayed in the same position for over half an hour, didn't move once. Never even lifted a finger. I think they're suffering from a serious mental disorder."

"I have to admitt that this is rather concerning... I'll ask them about it. I was heading over to them anyway, to inform them of Mr Scherer's condition."

The blonde lady nodded, and went back to trying to decipher the incomprehensible scribble on the registration form.

"Hello, sirs," started the Doctor. "I'm guessing Mr Scherer is your friend, is that right ?"

The five raised their heads at that, but none of them went as far as looking at her in the eyes. They just nodded in agreement.

"Okay. I understand you six were all involved in the accident, right ? Were you all in the same vehicle?"

"We were," the bearded one said.

"Okay. And besides your friend, did anyone else get any injury from the collision ? Has any of you been feeling any particular pain ?"

A long silence followed.

"Sirs ?"

"We didn't," the bearded man replied. "Can't you just tell us how our friend is, if that's what you came for ?"

"I will, of course," the lady in the blue uniform assured. "But I'm afraid you will need a check up... If any of you has any injury and leaves it untreated, however minor it may seem, it could turn into something serious. Many car accident victims chose to shrug off their pain when it doesn't seem life-threatening, instead of seeking medical attention, but all too often this leads to dire consequences."