Birds of a Feather

eight

     The hospital was oddly quiet as if to further bolster my mood. I felt as if I was walking on air. I meandered through the hallways without any stealth or anxiety. It was as if my mind was at peace. Like everything made sense. Jack completely throwing my heart into an immeasurable amount of pieces, how Andrea took my trust and smashed it to pieces, and my mother who abandoned me and left me for the dogs. Every aspect of my being had been annihilated, the old me completely decimated. To make room for this new stronger version. And I was becoming stronger in more ways than one. Wings to fly and be free. Strange, impossible powers to protect myself with. And a new friend, who was not only facing the same strange hardships, but was someone I genuinely enjoyed being around.

     My hospital bed sat waiting for me. No one else was, though. I climbed into the covers and slept. Excited to tell Dr. Lanelo what had happened. Even excited to combat all the undeniable doctors visits, samples and testing that I knew would greet me. But even mores excited for any contact with Kace. His energy was electric... no it was healing to me. I fell asleep with many thoughts about what the next day might bring. None of which were correct.

   I woke to the sound of my father whispering with someone who sounded like Dr. Frobisher. Once I was awake enough, I soon realized that there were many people in the room- all silent. But the type of silence that could be felt due to the volume of people.

    "Good morning to the peanut gallery," I grumbled, my voice raspy from sleep.

    Everyone looked startled as if a sleeping giant had just risen. I rolled my eyes, noticing my sisters were also in the crowd. They looked tense. Their bodies were rigid as if they had just been told they were going to war. This piqued my interest, but mostly worried me.

    "What's going on?" I demanded suddenly. All hoarseness was gone.

    Dr. Frobisher turned to me abrasively. "Well Miss Harper, it seems as if we've taken all the data from you we can. And being that you are healthy, you have been discharged. It's time for you to go home,"

     Butterflies curdled in my stomach. I felt a smile spread across my face as I threw my feet over the bed and onto the floor. "Alright, I'm ready to go. Where are my clothes?"

    Jenna stepped forward with a plastic bag and I seized it with glee. I pulled out a favorite pair of jeans, a vintage Motley Crue tee which warmed my heart to see, had two holes cut in the back for my wings. Jenna smiled at my reaction, but quickly grew serious. Looking around, I noticed there was still a sense of grimness in the room.

    "Okay, I'll bite. What's the catch here?" I questioned, my blood grew a little hotter as my anxiety singed my veins.

     I looked to Dr. Frobisher but was surprised when Dr. Lanelo emerged from the masses. "There are a lot of press waiting for you. It's gonna be... difficult for you."

    Seeing Lanelo made my heart heavy with the realization that I wouldn't see her every day. My new life, the new me, only knew how to function in the hospital. At home, thrown into the real world, I wasn't sure how I'd react. Then, the burden of what she'd said brought me round. I imagined myself struggling through a crowd of relentless reporters, their cameras all pointed at me. Their weird pet. I scoffed.

     "Easy, I'll fly home," I stated.

    An immediate response from Lanelo. "I don't think that would be wise. The media won't stop until they get what they want. Give it to them, and then move on."

    If it had been Dr. Frobisher. I would have spat back some remark at him. But it wasn't. I trusted her. I nodded my head, a wordless gesture for everyone to leave. All but Lanelo. She looked at me with kind eyes and my heart swelled. I crossed the room to hug her. She hugged me back. A real hug that went beyond a patient-doctor relationship. "Please, Dylan. Call me if you need me. Set up appointments if you need them. Just because you aren't a patient in this hospital doesn't mean you still can't be my patient,"

    I stepped back to look at her again. "Yes, I will. Thank you." And then she was gone. I was putting my clothes on, and then I was walking through the hospital with my family. And then I was at the entrance, behind the clear sliding doors. And I could see them. The media. Hundreds of them. A sea of cameras and reporters. At the top of the steps I could see a podium that had been haphazardly lined with at least seven microphones. I didn't know what 'giving the media what they wanted' meant this. I looked to my father, who smiled weakly. I wasn't sure what I was about to throw myself into. I wondered if somewhere, somehow my mom would be watching. What had become of her stupid daughter?

    A text tone sounded, the vibration of my pocket felt like a gunshot. Automatically, I pulled out my phone to see a text. From Kace: Good luck with the sharks. Give em hell.

    Something about this gave me the confidence boost I needed. Without replying, I walked outside. There was an overwhelming sea of voices that stopped like a wave as soon as they saw me. I walked up to the podium, stretched out my wings to their fullest wingspan. I tried to look every reporter in the eye before saying, "Let's get this over with,"

     And then the sea of voices washed over me once again, like a tsunami.