Group Therapy

39 - Guilt.

l feel a needle poke my stomach, followed by another, and another, and another.

After what seems like forever, I finally start to feel myself regain consciousness.

"That was it, you won't feel anything from now on."

I peel my eyes open only to close them right back up as a blinding white light is the first thing I'm greeted with. "l thought you said we were going to your house.." I mumble.

"We did, you're in the hospital room." he explains.

"You have a hospital room in your house?" l try to push myself to sit up.

"Woah easy there, you don't feel it but she's still stitching you up." Ryder gently pushes me back down.

"Right, yeah." l close my eyes back up to avoid looking at anyone or anything.

This has to be the most embarrassing thing I've ever had to do.

And silence.

"Hey Ryder..?" I mumble, feeling my strength settling back in.

"Mhm?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Having you deal with all this."

"All of this as in?" he questions.

"The carrying me here and trying to keep me conscious."

He doesn't say anything but I feel him gently pat my shoulder in response.

"All done." Lidia, who I'm assuming is the doctor says.

Opening my eyes I look down at the newly stitched wound, she cleans the surface and then sticks a bandage on it.

I thank her and pull my blood stained hoodie back down.

"Hold on a second." Ryder stands up and walks out of the room.

He walks back into the room and hands me a folded piece of clothing "It's the smallest size l could find."

"Thanks." l smile and slowly get back up. Surprisingly the wound doesn't sting anymore, must be the painkillers.

I walk into the bathroom and change into his over sized black long-sleeved sweater.

I walk out and sit back down at the edge of the hospital bed while Lidia throws away the bloody sheets and equipment she used.

"I'll wash it and give it back to you later." Ryder takes the hoodie from my hand and places it next to him on the waiting chair he's sitting in.

I nod and give him a thankful smile.

Once again, everything goes silent.

"I'm not gonna lecture you about it, nor am l gonna beg you to stop. But what I'll do is let you know that you can talk to me. I'm an asshole yes but I'm not a snitch, whatever you say will stay between the two of us." he breaks the silence, presumably referring to the wound.

For a moment, l stay silent, taken aback by his words.

I don't know how l should feel about this.

"Uhhmm... Yeah, thank you." l mentally face palm myself for my non existant social skills.

"Get some rest, I'll drive you home in a few hours." he stands up.

"Actually I'm okay, feeling a lot better thanks. I'll just call an Uber, don't worry about it."

"No you need to rest, bleeding for a whole day is not something you can just get over in a second." and with that he walks out of the room, leaving me no choice but to do so. The doors are voice controlled and I caught on to the hundreds of guards in and out of this place when we were coming in. If he doesn't want me to leave I'm probably not gonna be able to.