The Errand Girl

The unspoken apology

The sound of people moving around woke me from the light sleep my body had forced itself into, I blinked open my bleary eyes and let out a nearly silent shriek as something covered my mouth and nose, a strong smell overwhelming me. After several minutes of my slowing struggles, the grip finally loosened and I slumped forward, unable to feel anything but exhaustion. I woke up once more, this time I lay on a bed, it was a bland room, slightly greying white walls surrounded me and the double bed I'm laying on, I groaned and sat up, my body felt weak and shaky.

"Where..." I muttered tiredly, yawning into my hand, I looked out a window, I seemed to be in a tall building, I could see high rises and the blue sky.

"Thank god you're awake! How are you feeling?" Came a sudden voice, I squeaked and looked around, spotting Kevin in the doorway.

"Where am I?" I demanded, this is to much, now they've basically kidnapped me off the streets and shoved me into a bedroom.

"Calm down. This is Daryl's second place, you just need to relax for a bit, no aggravating the injury" he informed me, he crossed his arms and leant against the doorframe.

"Why am I here?" I questioned nervously, he examined me briefly and sighed.

"You need to rest your leg, you have an appointment at some point in the afternoon" mumbled Kevin, that didn't really answer my question. He spun on his heel and closed the white sliding door.

"Wait! I don't want to stay here!" I called after him, I could hear another door closing and then general silence, other then the quiet hum of some electronics. I sighed and leant back on the fluffy pillows, the bed had plain beige sheets and covers, I examined myself, my clothes had been changed and I'm certain someone bathed me.

I experimentally breathed into my hand, and shuddered in realisation, someone brushed my teeth as well. I'm fine with being clean, but having been unconscious and unaware makes it extremely creepy. Do I have no say in anything? I thought I was just going to be forced to complete errands and chores. Not lose my entire freedom, my home and basically my job.

I cuddled the blanket up to my face as I tried to control the crying, I can't keep crying over everything, even if I don't know how else to react. I waited for a while, the sun had drifted over the buildings and was reaching far enough that the sky was beginning to turn pink. I jolted when the sound of a door came into existence, I nervously stared at the sliding white door, footsteps could be heard slowly approaching, I gulped and watched the sliding door open. Daryl stood there, eyeing me with his cold eyes, I shivered and shrunk into the bed, hoping to somehow vanish.

"You've been crying, did the drugs wear off already?" He commented, I didn't understand. "I'm asking if you're in pain" he grumbled, I slowly shook my head negatively, he examined me some more.

"Well then you have no reason to cry" he informed me, of course I have reasons to cry! He approached the bed and I flinched as he reached for my arm, he didn't much care for my fear and pulled my body towards him, I whimpered nervously and closed my eyes expecting to be hurt.

"Don't be dramatic, we're leaving" he grumbled, he helped me to my good leg and forced me to lean against him, his arm was firm around my shoulders. We exited the room to another white room, I kept my gaze lowered to the grey carpet, we moved into a third room and then out into a hallway.

An elevator chimed and I was helped onto it, we went down quite a few floors and then out into a foyer, nobody seemed to care about the sight of him leading me outside, his grey sedan sat waiting. We drove in silence, I sat in the backseat, I didn't need to check the doors to know that child lock was on. Buildings, cars and lights passed us by, I felt my heart going wild and I hugged myself tightly.

"I don't get it, you can still get treated without paying immediately" suddenly pointed out Daryl.

"You can?" I asked, he scoffed.

"How could you not know that?!" He demanded, I cringed at his tone of voice.

"No one taught or told me" I mumbled, it was always mum that dealt with the money side of things. We finally pulled into a carpark, I was to afraid to look up at what I had waiting for me.

Daryl helped me out of the car and locked it behind us, I limped alongside him, we entered a hospital, I paused and looked around. He forced me to continue, he spoke quietly to a receptionist who waved us to an elevator, we did as she said and I waited nervously.

What is he planning?

A nurse ushered us into a room, I was even more confused, isn't there normally a super long waiting period? Daryl sat me on a medical bed, I eyed him nervously.

What if he's going to have me fitted with a tracking device? Or maybe he plans on cutting my leg off?! A friendly looking nurse thanked him and ushered him out, she approached me and picked up a board, she gave me a gentle smile, I almost cried again, it's beginning to get rare that someone is nice to me.

"Ok, we have everything here, no known allergies, no known health issues, you seem pretty healthy" she mumbled to herself, she smiled once more at me and checked the fabric under my bad leg.

"Please, get changed into this gown in that changing room and we'll begin the surgery!" She exclaimed, I slowly nodded. She handed me a white gown and I limped off of the table-bed thing and into a changing room.

I changed slowly, before limping out into the room, the nurse looked at the bandage and tutted lightly. I sat back on the table-bed and watched her carefully, a doctor came in and put gloves on. I shuddered and glanced around nervously.

"Lucky you! Normally we don't use anaesthesia for these kinds of surgeries, we use a fluid which numbs the area around the target" she informed me, I stayed quiet.

"Your... Um brother? Is really looking after you" chuckled the nurse, she placed something over my face and a strange flavour was in the air, they then pressed a needle into my skin. They lay me out on the bed and everything was slowly fading, I blearily watched them remove the bandage.

I jolted awake in a proper hospital bed, I was being wheeled to a waiting room and sleepily glanced around, my head felt airy and empty. I made eye contact with two very familiar people, my body and mind to light and drugged up to properly react.

"You'll be here for a week, hopefully I won't need to do this again" mumbled Daryl, Hunter was gazing at my leg thoughtfully.

"You'll owe us a lot of work for skipping out on so much of it" muttered Hunter.

"She doesn't need that stress right now Hunter, give it a rest" mumbled Daryl, Hunter huffed and stormed off, I couldn't hear what his response to Daryl's words was. Daryl approached me and I watched him carefully, he sat on the side of the bed.

"Your boss called, he was very disappointed to see that you were walking around while injured, he fired you, in the nicest way I've ever heard. Oh and you're not allowed to leave this hospital until the week is over" explained Daryl.

I felt my heart tug and I frowned, unable to conjure up strong emotions in my drugged up state. He stood up and ruffled my hair, he smirked at how he messed it up, I watched him leave and lay all alone in a room which smelt sterile.

I should have asked what he had done to me...