Just have Faith {EDITED}

Surgery

We make it to the hospital over four hours later. By then, I've been covered in thick white bandages and medical tape. I'm shivering and scared. I sit close to Ashley. Zak sits across from us at the small table. I shiver violently as we park the bus.

The door opens, my teeth start chattering, and I bite the inside of my lip. I taste the blood. Something about the taste of this metallic substance triggers a bad feeling. I'm hit with a sudden wave of nausea. I grip the corner of the table as I open my mouth and let the blood mixed with saliva drip out of my mouth and onto my lap. I shake harder. The glass of water sitting in front of me starts to rattle on the table.

Zak is the first to notice. His eyes go wide and he rushes to grab a napkin to clean up my bloody, saliva- covered mouth. Zak comes back and crouches beside me. Cleaning up the blood, he gently rubs circles into the back of my hand.

"Did you bite your lip?" He asks softly.

I give a small nod. Zak pulls my lower lip down and presses a dry part of the napkin onto the open wound. He rips the rest of the napkin off and throws it away.

"It's going to be okay. It's just a little blood. Did it trigger something?"

I want to say I think it did, but I can't. I nod instead.

"Okay. C'mon, let's get you inside and properly cared for." Zak says

He helps me get up and out of the bus. There's a bunch of people dressed in white standing outside the bus doors. They have a stretcher prepared for me. Zak reaches the ground before I do. The stretcher also triggers something.

They tie me to the gurney as I scream bloody murder. I want to get out. I want this all to stop.

'Get the iron gag.'

They place the iron gag in my mouth. They strap it to the bars beside my head.

I stumble back whimpering. I land right on one of the large bruises and cuts I have on my back. I let out a blood curdling screech of pain. It's raspy and high pitched. Zak tried to calm me down. He makes the mistake of grabbing my leg. I screech louder. He lets go of me and yells for everyone to stand back. I catch my breath. No more screaming. Don't scream. You're safe now. You're safe now. I don't get up but I allow Zak to come closer to me.

"Stretcher? Bad time?" He asks

I whimper. How is he catching onto all this?

"Okay.... umm do you wanna walk inside? Wheelchair, maybe?" He asks "They have one out here if you want it."

I nod.

Anything but the gurney. Anything but that.

I watch as Zak runs over to one of the white clad people. He runs back with a black wheel chair. There's a pillow on the seat and a white sheet draped over his arm.

"I told them you won't let anyone touch you. So I'm gonna help you into the chair and wrap the blanket around you to keep you warm, okay?" He says

I nod and allow him to gently help me up. He lead me to the wheelchair. I misstep and stumble. Everyone rushes forward. I shove myself into the folds of Zak's jacket.

"Can we get some space please? You guys are stressing her out." Zak says pulling his jacket away from my face.

Everyone shuffled back a few steps back. I don't wait for Zak to help me. I just plop into the chair and wait to be pushed inside. Zak adjusts the blanket around my legs and pushes me inside the hospital.

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I sit in a white room by myself. Zak is talking to the police out in the hallway. There's a white bed, with white sheets, under white pillows. The walls are white, the floor is white, the blinding lights and ceiling are white, everything is white. Except for the wheelchair I'm sitting in. The room is too bright. It's hurting my eyes. I don't like it. I groan slightly and cover my eyes with my hands. Just then, someone walks in.