His Words (bxb)

chapter twenty-one

Flashback: Thursday, October 1, 2020

✧noah✧

I am on a particularly awkward walk around the cold corridors of the psych ward with a nurse when a shrill beep from one of the nurse's gadgets goes off. I hear the nurse groan before pulling it out of his pocket and checking the notification. After a moment, he shoves it back into the pockets of his scrubs.

"You have visitors. Back to your room," he says harshly. Sometimes I wonder how these nurses got their licenses. Nonetheless, I turn and walk back towards my room with the annoyed nurse walking not too far behind.

I have a feeling these visitors are my new foster family. It's been three days since Cheryl and Conan spoke to me about the whole situation and though I dreaded the idea at first, I am now quite eager to move in with a new family.

At the past couple of sessions, Dr. Willow and I have been starting to dive into slightly deeper topics rather than having simple conversations. We spoke about what I expect from my new home and what I am nervous about and she helped me process and understand my insecurities. She really helped me consider everything I have the chance of having at my new home that I didn't have in my old one - a warm bed, good parental figures, a safe and secure environment and maybe even foster siblings.

I'm a little more open to the idea then I was when it was first introduced to me.

With that in mind, I step into my room (the nurse still close behind me) to find five people in it. I notice Dr. Evans stands near my bed first, then notice Conan and Cheryl standing closer to the doorway. The final two adults in the room I do not recognize and assume they are my new foster parents. They are sat on the two armchairs facing the bed.

On one armchair sits a short, blonde woman in a pastel green dress with a coat on her shoulders. A large, colourful necklace hangs around her neck, draping all the way down to almost reach her belly button. Her features are young, yet her overall demeanour suggest wisdom and maturity. Her hands are resting in between the two armchairs, interlocked with those of the person sitting next to her.

Another lady with long black hair sits in the second armchair. She emits a completely different aura than her partner - she wears a pair of skinny jeans with small tears in them and a plain white tee tucked into them. She has a pair of combat boots to match the look. While both women seem very youthful, the blonde woman definitely radiates that energy a little stronger than the second, who seems more casual and guileless from her clothing to the way she's sitting to the way her eyes sparkle with amusement as she looks around my plain room.

But how could I know all this from just their outfits?

I clear my throat as I step into the room. Everyone in it turns to face me as I do and I am suddenly anxious from the sudden attention. I shrink back slightly as I shuffle towards my bed and sit on it.

"How was your walk, Noah? I understand it was cut short, but I assume it was a nice change of scenery nonetheless?" Dr. Evans asks.

"Yea, it was nice. My legs were kinda sore from sitting around all day," I say back, glancing at the couple in front of me every once in a while. Dr. Evans is satisfied with my answer and steps away from my bed to let Cheryl and Conan speak to me.

"Hey, Noah. How have you been?" Cheryl asks in her usual cheery tone. Today she wears a long, purple dress with a brown jacket on top and a pair of Birks. "I'm doing fine, thank you. And you?" Cheryl's smile widens at my polite reply and she responds with, "Very well, thanks for asking. I've been very excited to speak to you again ever since we first came to visit you on Monday."