Floating in the Abyss ✔️

Chapter 5

The next few days passed by with monotony. Nurse Charlotte came in every few hours, checking on me and giving me medication. I came to find she was quite nice, and although I wasn't going to start telling her my life story, I wasn't stressed around her like when I was when I first met her. Same with Sarah, who visited every day and brought me my library book from the house. When I finished the book, the same day she had brought it to me, she took it and went to get another book I had asked for and delivered it to me again.

The ward I was staying in was quiet and peaceful, with no loud noises keeping me on edge. The only noise was a small beeping sound that came from a monitor in a machine which stayed next to my bed. Nurse Charlotte told me that it was monitoring my heart rate which essentially meant it was making sure I was alive.

Various doctors came in to check on my injuries, which were apparently healing well, and slowly the bruises started to fade and became less tender. I began to quite like the hospital and since Sarah informed me that my father and step mum were being held and questioned in prison, and weren't coming out any time soon, I was slightly more at ease. Even though I knew they could no longer hurt me, I had other concerns including where I would go next. I knew I couldn't stay in the hospital forever, as much as I would be okay with that, but I didn't know if there was anyone else that could take care of me, let alone want to.

After five days, just as I had been told, Sarah and Nurse Charlotte appeared, together, holding an important-looking red folder.

"We have the results of your DNA test." Nurse Charlotte smiled, standing at the end of my bed.

"I forgot to explain this earlier, but it might be a bit longer before we can trace back to any other family members."

"Why?" I asked, not really minding. It meant I could stay here for longer, not that I was healthy or well enough to leave anyway, but I didn't want to leave.

"This was a paternity DNA test. Your father took one in prison, and they've matched them together to see if he is your biological father or not."

"Is he?" My mind reeled with the possibility that he wasn't actually my father and that I'd been living with two strangers all this time.

"Yes, he is." Sarah made sure to pause whilst I processed this information and my breathing rate slowed. Even the heart rate machine had started beeping faster, gaining Nurse Charlotte's attention. When it slowed again, Sarah continued. "Now, it's my job to go back and look through marriage records to see who his previous wife was and any national census information or other police records about him. Thankfully, I checked that there was a census around the time you were born, so I should be able to find it without too much hassle, but this is nothing for you to worry about. I should have everything you need to know by tomorrow afternoon." Sarah explained. I understood majority of what she was saying, but I didn't care too much about the logistics of it all.

"Exactly." Nurse Charlotte added, clearly feeling important. She was young enough for this to probably be her first time working with a police officer who was running DNA tests on a child.

"Alright, I'm going to go and do some research back at my office, but I'll be back tomorrow afternoon." Sarah left and Nurse Charlotte started going about her normal duties, including checking my blood pressure with the pump. She wasn't able to do it for the first few days as the bruising on my arms made it too painful.

"I love that book." Nurse charlotte said, seeing the book I had laying on my lap from earlier.

"Me too." I sighed, touching the cover gently. I had wished constantly for my own copy of Little Women so many times. It was the only thing I had ever wanted, not that I had ever asked for it, but it was my one wish.

"You know the movie just came out. I'm going to see it with a friend tomorrow."

"Really?" I audibly gasped. I hadn't watched a movie anywhere other than school before, since there wasn't a TV at the house and I didn't have access to one, nor did I know how to use it. The only movies we watched at school were educational anyway, apart from the odd Christmas movie at the end of the year. I hadn't ever celebrated anything; not my birthday, not Christmas, not Halloween, not Easter. Nothing.

We used to watch Elf in homeroom at the end of the year, on the very last day, but that was it. I never really focussed on it anyway since I was busy thinking about the next six weeks where I would trapped in my room. I wouldn't have food tech to feed me, and the library biscuits would be much more sporadic.

"Can I watch it?" I asked, looking at the television like it would magically start playing.

"Well, you can only see it in the cinema, since it's new, and you're not allowed out of here yet, but it will be showing for a few months, so I'm sure you'll be out of here in time to go and see it."

Clearly Nurse Charlotte didn't know where I came from. There was no way I would be able to go and watch a movie. I didn't have any money, and I was either at school, locked by myself in the basement, or being knocked unconscious. I shuddered at the thought.

She gave a me a funny look, but I looked away. I thought she would have been told this, but maybe she was only given brief information.

"You're all good. I'll be back later." She smiled, leaving the room. I went back to reading Little Women. The life of Beth, Jo, Meg and Amy was like a dream world to me. I had always wondered what it would have been like to have siblings, and ones that were really close.