Back In The Box

Chapter 7

  I sprinted towards the picnic tables, where many were still enjoying their lunch, screaming for help.

  Newt came running up to me. "Help... Help me!" I panted, pointing towards Glenn who was running towards us.

  He gestured towards a few boys to get hold of Glenn. They rushed up and tackled him to the ground. He trashed around, trying to escape the grip of the boys. After minutes if trying, he finally gave up.

  "Five days in the slammer!" He said to the boys pinning him down. With much effort, the boys finally managed to drag him away.   

   Tiredness overwhelmed me and I sank to my knees. Newt knelt down immediately and put helped me up.

  Suddenly, I was lifted off my feet. Newt cradled me with his arms, walking towards a small building.

  I was set on the bed. Newt settled on a chair next to the bed. I closed my eyes just as a boy walked in. "Clint..." I heard Newt say, but I didn't hear the rest because I was already fast asleep.  I awoke to the smell of antiseptic. It was dark. As soon as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw a figure, with his head resting on my bed. I knew it was Newt.

  I stroked his hair a little. I pulled off my blanket and covered him with it, my actions restrained by the bandges on my elbows. I touched his face ever so lightly. As I drifted off to sleep again, I heard him sigh.

  The next morning, Newt was gone. In his place was Chuck, wide awake. As he saw me stir from my slumber, he shouted for Clint. I jerked awake.

  "Oops, sorry," he apologised. I shook my head. "What time is it?" I asked.

  Chuck put up two fingers. "Two o'clock?" I asked. He nodded. Clint came in. "You will be training with me today, since you missed yesterday afternoon's session," he told me.

  Clint walked out the door and I followed him. He gave me a sandwich and said, "Eat and walk." I devoured the sandwich, having not eaten for the whole day.

  We stopped outside a small room. Clint rapped on the door. "It's me, Clint," he said before walking in. I stood outside, not knowing what to do. Clint turned around when he noticed that I wasn't following him. He beckoned for me to follow.

  As I entered the room, I noticed that a musty smell lingered in the air. I switched to breathing through my mouth.

  The room was well hidden from the sunlight, so little natural light came through the window. A single bulb lit the place. The room had three beds on each side of the grey wall. Four were occupied.

  Clint headed straight towards a boy with a bandage on his face. He sat down on a chair next to the bed and I stood behind him.

  "Jade, meet Zack. Zack, meet Jade." Clint said. We nodded at each other in acknowledgement. "First of all, I'll be teaching you how to treat infected wounds," Clint told me.

  He ripped off the bandge on Zack's face. The skin around the wound was rotting and pus oozed out every now and then. He started explaining how to deal with cuts like these. Over the next few hours, we moved from cuts to fractures to fevers and others.

  As the sun set, Clint dismissed me. left the building smiling, knowing that I did well. No one was at the dining area as I was dismissed early. I picked up my food from the kitchens and sat at the usual table. Dinner that night was chicken, mashed potatoes and peas.

  Just as I finished my chicken and potatoes, Newt, Minho, Thomas and Chuck came. They sat around the circular table, with Minho and Newt sitting beside me. I pushed the peas on my plate around with my fork. "Are you eating those?" Minho asked.

  I shook my head and pushed my plate towards Minho's out stretched arms. Newt reached across the table and smacked Minho's right arm. "Let Jade have her peas," he scolded.

  "But I don't want them," I protested.

  "Eat them," Newt said firmly, looking into my eyes. After much grumbling and complaining, I finished my peas.

  We finished dinner. Thomas and Chuck went off somewhere, while Newt, Minho and I walked back to our rooms.

  When I stepped in, I realised that the single bed had been changed to a double decker bed. I looked and Newt curiously. "Alby made that himself," he told me. "Do you want the top or bottom?" Newt asked. I pointed to the top and climbed up.

  "Good night, you shank," Newt said, just as I was about to lie down. "What's a shank?" I asked.

  "Oh, right. You don't know the glader slang yet," he said. He launched into an explanation of what the glader slang was. I sat on the edge of the bed and let my legs dangle in the air as I listened to him.

  When he was done, I said, "Well then, good night you shank."

  "Night," he answered.

  I rested my head on the pillow and let myself drift asleep as I listened to the comforting soft snores that came from my very special roommate.