Who We Are.

The Hospital Visit

I wake up against a mattress. It is softer than what we have at my house but, still, I can tell it's missing more than half of its fluff. The lights are too bright and the noise is too loud. From the moment I wake up, I can tell I'm in the hospital. I slowly lift my head, wincing in pain, yet, manage to rest my head against the backboard. The brown grandfather clock from Walmart is there - staring my soul down in disappointment. "Just because I'm black does NOT mean I get into trouble," I retort back to the clock - it dinging it responds. It was four o'clock, looking through the window, I can tell it is the afternoon, but what day is it? My voice, at first it shocks me. I have always been an introvert, but my voice was to quiet for my liking. I put a hand to my throat and it feels like I have a lump in there - not physical but emotional. I sit, trying to adjust my position without totally falling off the bed. I don't hear footsteps, but I do see a man walk into my room and throw away the dead flowers that are scattered all around my bed. I peel myself from the bed, sitting up straight now. He didn't notice me until I spoke.

"Mister?" my voice comes out raspy and dry. His eyes go wide with fear and shock but then composes himself. He hands me the glass of water that was perched on my desk that I probably could reach by myself but whatever.He puts out his phone from the side of his hip and says, "Um, yes. Patient..." He pauses to look at the papers that are still near the glass of water that he handed me, then continues, "Miss Nguyen is awake and she seems normal." He smiles at me then walk out into the hallway. Normal? Thank the Lord. Maybe I can be in school by Monday. I fall back onto the headboard. I close my eyes just for a second to take all of this in. I remember getting hit by the car and my bike getting totally destroyed. I sighed in sadness then turned towards the window, only moving my head. It hurt so badly and I could feel all the layers of bandages that surround my noggin. I chuckle at the word "noggin" and as my mouth curls into a smile, I feel a large brick slam into my brain. It hurts to move. I lay back down and wait for the nurse to come back.

When he finally arrives, I start to bomb him with questions. "Um, do you know where my mom and dad are?" He shifts in his shoes like he is trying to tell me that they are too big for him. I look at his name tag - Tanor. Hmm, I look back at his shoes which he are still wiggling in. I wave a hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention. Instead of answering me, he goes and pulls out his clipboard that was hanging from his waist. I shrivel back into my bed and ask, "Hello?". I can tell he is my nurse, so I have the right to ask him questions, right? He looks up and clicks his pen - putting it back into his pocket. "One second, you're parents will be here very soon. Your mom came to visit you a few days ago with a little girl. Is she your sister?" I just nod, trying to give him a taste of his own medicine, the silent treatment. He doesn't notice it and heads over the TV stand in the far left corner of my room. He picks up the remote and throws it at me. It hits my legs and I feel an unhealthy burning. I wince in pain, and he just shrugs.

"Well, your mom just took off for work about a few hours ago and your father hasn't come to see you once while you were here," he answered. He had a very deep voice and seemed like he was happy that I was awake. Or maybe that's a requirement for nurses - to smile. Either way, I nod as a response and lie back down. Then, he continues. "Do you want me to call your mom?" I nodded again, still a tad bit annoyed about how he wasn't ansering me before, but he can ask my questions whenever he likes. Plus, after the last time I spoke, I don't want to hear my voice again. I didn't sound like me and that made me worried. It sounded like some one had pulled my sound box out of my body and left it outside for weeks to shrivel up and then stuffed it back into my body. Upside down. If I don't sound like me, that means I must've done a lot of damage. Do we even have the money for this? I pushed the voice out of my head and I heard the nurse call for someone called Mrs. Amberosa. A lady with dark brown thick glass and a bob cut appeared from behind the door frame. She had short brown hair and she was white just like the lady's friend I saw on the street. I could see the torso part of her clothes and it looked like she was wearing scrubs like the nurse. The only thing that was different from her and the lady on the street was the gigantic mole she had on her left cheek - right above her rotten snarl. She looked aggravated about something.

"Can you call her mom? I've got to get down to the lounge." Nurse Tanor says, collecting his things and getting ready to leave. She rolled her eyes. "Sure," she muttered. "Wait!" I called after her. She sighed and peeked from behind the doorframe again. I could basically see steam flooding out her ears. "Don't call her. She will come to see me after her shift."She nodded and left. The nurse - Nurse Tanor patted my head and then left on the heels of Mrs. Amberosa. I looked at the evil standing clock and bend over for a magazine. My life wouldn't be interesting for a few more hours.