Orange Jumpsuits

Just Okay?

"-ake up! Wake up! Wake..." I heard my mother shout before slowly deteriorating into sobs.

I had quite the headache. Her wailing was not helping.

"Mom, get it together. She'll be okay. Her body just needs some time to recuperate," I heard a voice murmur, likely to be my sister.  She can be wise in so many ways.

"'Okay'? Just 'okay'! First, you both have a father who wouldn't do a thing for his own kids, even if it killed him! Second, she was tried and convicted of murders she can't - not just won't - but can't do. And now, some psychopath put lethal drugs into her food! Tell me if that's 'okay'!"

She really needed to keep it down. My head was killing me!

"Get a grip, mom. When she wakes up, it's going to feel so revolting for her. You need to be in the moment rather then sitting here worrying about how terrible she has it!" My sister. Gotta love her.

"I suppose you're right. You're so smart when it comes to these things. You always know how to prioritize everything right and how to handle them," Mother replied, and she was right. My sister was and still is the first person I go to whenever I don't know how to handle something. It was scary during the trials, though. I've never seen her so frantic for control of the situation. It's as if she needed a clue as to what to think of the situation at hand.

I knew right then I needed to show them I wasn't giving up. I needed to show them they could keep their hope with them. I needed to open my eyes.

Open. I thought. Open. Open! I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. I thought those words harder and harder until, finally, they weakly obeyed.

I moaned as my surroundings became apparent.

"She's up!" My mother shouted, lurching forward to look at me.

"Shhh!" I scolded her. This was the worst feeling ever!

"Sorry." She whispered. I tried to move my hands to my head to massage my temples, but they came to jerking halt as the chains stopped them. I moaned again after hearing the clank.

"I'm going to go get the nurse." My sister said softly.

"Mom, can you massage my head?" I asked. She was a little stunned of my first sentence, but answered anyways.

"Sure!" She said a little louder than necessary as she stood up and made her way behind my now propped up bed.

My sister came in with a hispanic lady who didn't look happy. I figured it was just because of my reputation.

"How do you feel?" She asked loudly and I winced. My mother stepped in.

"Could you bring it down a little bit? Loud noises irritate her headache." She whispered.

"My bad," She said in the same volume, no expression, "I'm going to give you medicine for the nausea."

The nerve of some people. My mom, knowing there was nothing she could do to give this nurse a well needed attitude adjustment, continued to rub my head, muttering something under her breath.

The nurse walked out without a word after putting the medication through my IV. The IV itself made me sick, knowing it was in my body and pumping fluids in every second. It just worsened my thought of being sick.

"Do you want a damp, cool rag over your eyes?" My sister asked. She knew exactly what I always wanted. I nodded. She went to the sink and retrieved it for me, gently placing it on my already closed eyes. It took the edge off.

A few minutes later, I felt something lurch in my stomach, and warned my sister and mom that I was going to be sick. They jumped and got me a pink basin before I actually did vomit. My sister held my hair, while my mom the bucket.