Overdose

13. Yvonne Mcreary

I had never felt like a celebrity before. I had never had a bunch of people following me around, watching my every move. Yet that's what I felt like after Xander did that experiment on me. The staff always looked at me wherever I went, and they constantly asked me how I was feeling. It didn't help that Evan was constantly on my side, as though he was my bodyguard.

My checkups seemed to come constantly. In the morning and at night, I was checked for my body temperature and my stress levels. Xander said that if my stress level got too high, then I might actually burst into flames. I was trying to stay calm, but it didn't help that everyone was constantly asking me questions. Damion, Lilith, and Veronica were trying to be helpful, but I really wished that they would just back off for a few minutes. Evan was the only one I could tolerate, as he never really spoke to me.

I had just finished a check up when suddenly, three other prisoners backed me into a corner.

"So, heard you got powers now." One of them said.

"Who did you hear that from?" I mumbled.

"There's only a few of us in here, so word travels fast." The only girl of the group said.

"Tell us, what can you do now?" The boy on the right said.

"Nothing. I can't do anything. I just need to go back to my room, OK?" I could feel myself starting to panic.

For a moment, I was transported. I was in the bathroom, living that same Tiegan nightmare all over again. My heart was pounding, and I felt like I couldn't move. My legs felt like jelly.

"Get away from her! What are you doing?" Lilith pushed them away. "What is the matter with you guys? Can't you see she's freaking out? Heath, take your friends and get them away from here. I will talk to you later."

I didn't have time to be surprised by Lilith defending me, due to the fact that my chest felt like it was tightening around my lungs. It was a strange sensation. You never really get used to having panic attacks. Sometimes they felt so different. It felt like I couldn't breathe, and it was hard trying to balance breathing and not crying. It almost felt like I was drowning in air.

"Come on, I got you." The other prisoners were gone. It was just Lilith and I. She slowly lifted me up. I didn't even notice that I was on the ground. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am." I said.

"Jesus!" She touched my hand. "You're burning up!"

"Am I?" I asked. "I couldn't tell."

"Come on. You need to take a really cold shower."

We got Evan to convince the staff to let Lilith and I stay in our room for the rest of the day. It wasn't very hard, considering all the staff knew about my condition and Xander had told them to make sure I never got overwhelmed.

"How do you think those prisoners found out?" Evan asked, sitting on Lilith's bed. Lilith was sitting next to me on my bed, making sure I stayed calm.

"I didn't tell them, and I'm sure Yvonne didn't tell them." Lilith said.

"Yeah, I definitely didn't. Evan, you just found out two days ago right?"

"I don't even talk to other prisoners anyway." Evan sighed. "And I don't think the staff is just chatting on about the condition of prisoners. They tend to be very quiet."

"Thanks, by the way. For helping Yvonne." Lilith looked at him.

I nodded, not saying anything. Evan stood up. "I guess I should get back. They probably need me for something." He walked over to the door. "Lilith, let me know if she needs anything else."

Lilith nodded, and he left.

"You don't want to go into the rec room?" She asked, moving over to her bed. I shook my head.

"Not really. I don't want to be surrounded by people right now." I admitted, sliding under my covers.

"That's fine." She gave me a large smile. "I'll stay in here with you."

"Are you sure? You can go sit with Damion and Veronica in the rec room if you want."

"No, it's fine. I want to make sure you're okay." She rested her head on her pillow, looking at me. "I like spending time with you anyways."

I felt something odd. My stomach felt weird, but not like sick weird. More like...nauseous but I didn't have to throw up? I just felt nervous, but in a good way. And trust me, I never would consider being nervous a good thing. It was odd, but I liked it. And being in that room with Lilith, just us, made me feel happy.