I Know

Chapter Three

"Your lucky it is four p.m sharp! If it was after you could have gotten a strike!" Yelled Ms. Johnson at Harry.

I still can't believe that he is a patient here. I don't understand how or why? Is this part of my "healing process" like what Ms. Johnson calls our recovery. Is this boy undercover or faking it? He is so lucky I am not talking because if I did imagine the...

"EMMA!"
It seems like the 100th time someone has shouted my name.

"Pay attention please! Stop daydreaming." Ms. Johnson adds.

I nod in understanding and she continues.

"Each of you are here for reason, you are ages from 18-21 who have a case that relates to "trauma". For example Mr. Zayn here." Her gaze follows to the angry boy grunting with his arms crossed. Rolling his eyes at everything our mentor says. He looks at her and once again rolls his eyes at the mention of his name.

"Would you like to explain why you are here?" The boy looks away from the carpet and his eyes dart to Ms. Johnson. His caramel eyes project his annoyance.

"No!" He says fast and quick keeping his emotions neutral.

"Zayn, you have to share like everyone else here. If you don't do it now you will still do it at some point." Ms. Johnson replies and rests the palm of her hand in Zayn's shoulder and he quickly shifts away.

"It is none of any ones business to know what happened."

"It is good to let it out of your system." The lady back fires and Zayn sighs in annoyance and defeat.

"I was kidnapped with my mother by one of her ex-boyfriends. He used to physically hurt her. Punch her for no reason or kick her. She had to play along with his so called "love" towards her. When finally someone got sense into her, she broke up with him and we moved away. But he tracked us down and three years later we find ourselves in his basement. Tied up to a huge pole both if us back to back. When the police finally showed up after 4 days the guy heard them and ran down stairs he gave my mom this hole speech about no one approving their love and the typical "if he couldn't have her, nobody can" so he shot her in the head. Then he was about to shoot me but I was already quickly surrounded by policemen so his final move was to shoot himself." He breaths heavily and looks at the teacher.

"There! Happy with my pity story?" I felt bad for him I really did! He wanted to cry so badly but didn't; you could see the water starting to build in his eyes.

There were a few seconds of silence between the students as Ms. Johnson wrote something on her clipboard.

"Now, thank you for sharing Zayn. As him," she says and her eye balls move to Zayn who seems to hate all this attention. "you may all relate to your cause of being here. It might be a death, an experience, an action..."

Every word Ms. Johnson says sinks in pain and struggle. Images of the car accident freely flow in my mind each memory more horrifying than the next.

"Now to continue you will all open your journals in front of you and write. Here at Dickinson Sanitarium we believe that the best way to let all your feelings out is through a small whole called writing." I could't agree more!

"At the end of each session we will use 20 minutes to reflect on our journals and the last 10 minutes we will spend reflecting within ourselves.

The name of your work today will be 'LETTER'. All of you have a person or people that are a part of your story and because of them, that small detail that they represent makes your stay here important. Write them a letter saying how they are part of your cause."

What the hell? That makes NO sense.

"Ms. Johnson?" Asks the boy with the name tag "Louis". What if, like you said, are involved and not only one person?" He asks. I was wondering the same thing.

"Then choose one," She responds and then adds, "the most important one."

I start by opening my journal and write as the headline "LETTER". I am still very confused about our task but chose my sister Leah as the person that the letter is addressed to and begin..."

"Dear Leah,"

"Wow!" The voice beside me gaps.

Before I know it I have written 3 pages with many details explaining Leah the accident, the funeral, my stay at Aunt Liz's and my stay here and how she is involved in this.

The voice is from Harry. He looks at his half a page and back at my two filled pages ignoring the first page of the book which he know is already filled.

"Well..." Ms. Johnson interrupts our writing time has passed so today we won't be able to do our interactive reflection. Its already 6 so gather your things. You all have free time until 7 pm that is when we will eat. Free time is inside your rooms so no wondering around.

I quickly gather my stuff and the second the "doctor" is done I pull him by the wrist outside the room. And give him a "what the hell" sort of look.

"Listen." He starts and looks at my name tag, "Emma," he continues and I roll my eyes in the obvious.

"I know you have many questions about why I was faking to be a doctor because yes, sadly I'm a patient here, too. But... Come here." He pulls me aside as two doctors pass by us.

"I have like pairs of doctor clothes and I know it sounds weird but I wear them to get away from this awful sad place. I put them on and just go outside to get fresh air and walk around in total freedom. And then I come back to technically I do nothing wrong." He shrugs and is right. I mean he does comeback.

I cross my hands and roll my eyes as a small smiles comes to my face and lean in deeper against the wall.

"How about," Harry starts and comes closer and whispers in my ear, "tomorrow I take you out for some ice cream. I have 2 pairs of doctor uniforms and a few dollars in my room. Well I do steal the money from the front desk." My smile grows in laughter.

"So... What do you say?" He backs away in pure confidence and puts his hands on his hips.

I nod in agreement and he smiles!

"Alright then! Tomorrow after support group you will come with me to my dorm and I will escort you for ice cream!" I give a small laugh at the word "escort".

"Until then my lady!" He says with his goofy english accent and leaves to the right and I go to my dorms.

A huge smile takes over my face.

Its a date!