√ 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 » 𝗲𝗺𝗺𝗲𝘁𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻

15; flower

Priyanka slipped out of the hospital bed quietly, looking around slowly.

After finding no one around the commute, Priyanka tugged her hospital dress down and crept out of the room.

I'm going to make it, she thought triumphantly, I'm going to make it-

ah, shit.

The blonde doctor appeared and crossed his arms. "This is the fifteenth time, Ms. Patel. If you don't stop this behaviour, I will call your parents."

Priyanka scowled defiantly at the doctor. "Go ahead, sir," she mocked. "See if I care."

Carlisle shook his head in defeat as he walked away, black boots tapping on the linoleum floor.

It was Priyanka's 8th week in the hospital, and she had been transferred from the ER to a private room, to a psychological ward in the matter of 2 weeks.

And every single time Priyanka had tried to leave, that stupid doctor kept... showing up.

Randomly.

Out of thin air, practically.

Priyanka sneered after the retreating figure, and stomped back to her bed.

After the doctors had confirmed that Priyanka was, indeed, suicidal, her personality flipped around.

Her mindset was like a mood tapestry; one side pink, yellow, lime, white.

The other side black, red, midnight blue.

Priyanka laid in the pools of white; white bed, white walls, white hospital dress.

And looked up at the white ceiling and thought of better times.

~

"Mama, look!" Young, 5 year old Priyanka excitedly held up a dandelion to her smiling mother.

"Thank you, jaani ," Priyanka's mother smiled, taking the flower with great, delicate care, and placing it behind her ear. She smoothed her sari out happily, "Can you pick me another?"

Young Priyanka giggled and hugged her mother, before racing back to the flower field.

Priyanka's mother turned back to her sister, and they continued conversing.

There were only seconds left before Priyanka's life was ruined, and Young Priyanka made the most of them, absentmindedly.

It was the calm before the storm.

Priyanka's father stepped out of the house, and onto the porch where his wife and sister in law were laughing, carefree.

"Manjot... I'm so sorry," Inderjeet whispered, only to the confusion of Lasi Patel, Priyanka's only aunt.

Priyanka's mother paled noticeably. "No..." she murmured in horror.

"We have to leave to start the program," Inderjeet turned around, slamming the door weakly.

At that crucial moment, Young Priyanka ran back, holding a dandelion.

"For you mama!" She squealed, twirling around in her daisy crown. "Look!"

Priyanka's mother took the dandelion, tears welling in her eyes.

"Perfect!" Priyanka giggled.

"Perfect," Priyanka's mother muttered bitterly

She crushed the dandelion in her fist venomously, letting the torn petals fall to the grass.

Priyanka's mother stood up abruptly, knocking the chair back.

"Get out of my sight," She told her sister. "And you, Ashmira, you should pack."

That was the last day that Priyanka's mother showed an ounce of love for her.

~

Priyanka rubbed at her wet eyes roughly.

She stood up, ready to cause more mischief.

Maybe switch some pills?

She had changed, after all.

And certainly not for the better.