Jenalyn: From the Inside (#3) [Complete]

Chapter 4: Hayden

Sunday, 12:22 P.M. EST

This place is something else.

I now know what Ren was referencing earlier when she was talking about that Calorie Intake Sheet. These assholes literally have sheets of paper for each patient documenting what they eat, how much of it, and it's nutritional value.

They even base your requirements off of your medical history, and depending on what it is- your psychological evaluation, too.

Lucky me! Not only have I been blessed with having been diagnosed with Anorexia, it's also a known fact I'm supposed to be eating for two, too! Oh, and don't leave out the fact that I missed breakfast this morning. They take that into consideration, as well!

My required calorie intake is two and a half times everyone else's! Even the boys!

I push the grilled cheese sandwich onto the white napkin sitting beside my tray, and pick out all of the decent pieces of lettuce from the bowl of salad instead.

"Don't play with the food, hon- that's considered a symptom of most eating disorders. It won't look good on your weekly evaluation." the nurse that'd allowed me a grace period says.

I never got her name. Does that even matter in here? Are we still even people in here?

I let out a small sigh, watching in my peripherals as Ren turns away from her conversation with one of the boys to glance my way.

"I'm not playing," I say after a moment, tossing a soggy cucumber on top of the condemned grilled cheese sandwich. Baby girl is feeling a salad today, but not with soggy cucumbers and wilted lettuce. "I'm deciding what looks like it's safe enough to eat, and not like some type of attempt at population control."

Nurse lady lets out a sigh, shifting her weight to the opposite leg before pulling the clipboard she holds to her chest and scribbling something on what I assume to be my food file.

"You need to eat at least 80 percent of the whole meal, hon," she says matter of factly. "If you want to get out of here any time soon, I'd suggest you do a little more than the 15 percent it looks like you're going for."

Before I can start to form a response, a sudden presence beside me pulls my attention.

"Hey, Ms. Crystal." Ren suddenly says, the same smile I'd seen glued to her face earlier just as prominent now. "Why don't you cut Hayden here a little slack today? You know these are leftovers, and well- let's be honest here... it sucks."

I guess the nurse's name is Crystal.

Her brows fall flat as if to grow annoyed, but she remains passive as she let's out a small sigh and lowers her clipboard.

For a second, I think I see her eyes narrow resentfully at Ren- but her gaze is quick to shift to me as she rolls her eyes. "Just make sure you drink the nutritional shake," she says, and then walks off without another word.

Ren let's out a small laugh beside me, turning to me the moment Crystal starts picking on someone else. "She can be a pain sometimes, but she's cool overall," she says with a wink. "Mind if I take this grilled cheese off your hands?"

She motions to the condemned grilled cheese sitting beside my tray.

I shake my head, trying but probably failing to force a smile on my face as I try to process what just happened.

There is no way this girl has got everyone around here wrapped around her finger!

"How the hell did you manage that?" I ask in astonishment, pulling the soggy cucumber from the top of the grilled cheese before pushing it toward her.

She takes itand bites down without question before turning back to me with a smile. "I've done Crystal a favor or two," she says confidently. "She's screwed up with the wrong eyes a'watchin... I use that to my advantage sometimes, I won't lie."

Part of me wants to feel bad for Crystal, but I can't help the part of me that instantly tells me to befriend this girl.

"Damn, like what?" I ask in a hushed voice, noticing a few of the other nurses emerging from the kitchen.

Ren smiles both smug and proud as she bites into the grilled cheese sandwich again. She glances at me as if to question her choice of words, but excitedly continues after a moment.

"Let's just say..." she begins, her eyes darting around to the other nurses before letting out a small laugh and moving on. "She's got a bad habit of fucking with younger dudes."
She glances down the lunch table to one of the boys in our Ward that's been a lot more reserved than the other.

"-a younger dude in particular that I find myself... very protective of, if you want me to put it that way." she adds with a wink.

My brows furrow together in slight confusion before I pick up the pieces that she's throwing down.

Crystal is out here fucking the patients? Ren's little love interest, at that- and Ren found out?

Interesting... I wouldn't have imagined this place to be like that.

My thoughts begin to swirl with interest, when a small voice cuts through the short silence left between me and Ren.

"Hey, Hayden!" the voice says. I look over to see Sarah's big brown eyes gazing up at me, a shy smile spread across her lips. "You wanna be my partner for peer counseling after lunch?" she asks.

I can't help my brows from raising in awe at how adorable she is, but it doesn't last long before a snide laugh cuts between us.

"Scram, Kiddo!" Ren says with attitude, tossing the crust from my grilled cheese sandwich back onto my tray. "Hayden is going to be my partner. You can pair up with Ella again."