Adopted

Chapter 50

Jessica's POV

Everything hurts. From my head to. Well, everywhere seems to hurt.

My head feels like it's stuffed with fluff because I can hear noises and music I think. But I can't make anything out.

I feel someone take my left hand and squeeze it. I squeeze it back. I think. There's a noise that sounds happy. It's a voice, but it's really muffled. 

I feel kind of like I'm floating maybe?  I mean other than the pain. I can hear beeping. And music. And voices.

I'm choking. I can't catch my breath!  Why can't I breathe?!  Help me!!

"She's choking!" I hear someone yell. "Get a nurse!  Calm down Jessie, shhh, shhh. You're okay. Just relax. Please sweetie, relax."

Who is that? 

Someone comes over to me and tells me to try to take a deep breath and on three blow out. I try.  Something comes out of my throat and I cough. But I can breathe again. Something is placed over my nose and mouth, but I can still breathe.

"Jessie, it's Mom, sweetheart. You're in the hospital, but you're going to be okay," I hear.

"I can't see!" I say.

"I know sweetie. Your eyes are covered. The nurse is going to come undo those bandages."

I reach up. My right arm is heavy and moving it hurts so I use my left hand. I feel bandages on my eyes. I feel my head. My whole head is covered in bandages. Someone takes my hand before I get to the other side of my head.

"Don't touch there," they say.

"Hello young lady," another voice says. "I'm Paula, your nurse. Let's uncover your eyes, shall we?  I've lowered the lights in your room so you might find it too bright even still or you won't. But we don't want to shock your eyes."

I hear scissors near my eyes. I'm scared she'll cut my face, so I close my eyes, I think. I'm not even sure they were open.

"Okay sweetie. You can open your eyes," I hear.

I blink. Everything is blurry. I keep blinking and squinting until the figures around me get some definition.

Mom. Dad. Zack? What are Dad and Zack doing here?!  Dad's on tour.

I look around and see Josh and Kala, too.

"Okay, sweetie," Kala says, "We're gonna leave you with your parents. But it's so good to see you awake. Get well and we'll see you tomorrow, okay?" 

I nod because, well, what else would I say?

They all leave and Dad sits on the bed beside me.

"Nice to see those beautiful brown eyes again," he says, tears in his eyes.

"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in Canada?" I asked.

"Do you remember what happened?" Mom asks, sitting in a chair beside me.

"Not really. I remember going to meet some kids at the back of the school. But I don't remember anything else.  What happened?"

"Plenty of time to discuss that," Mom says, climbing onto the bed with me and being really careful about putting her arms around me.

"Everything hurts," I moan.

"I'll go see if the nurse can give you something for the pain," Dad says, getting off my bed.

"We were so worried we were going to lose you," Mom said.

"Why?  What happened?"

"I really want to wait until you're feeling better to get into it with you," she said.

"But why? Why am I in the hospital? Why does everything hurt?"

"Okay. But try to stay calm, okay?  You were at school and some boys figured out your diagnosis. They tricked you into meeting them after school and," she swallows hard and I see tears in her eyes. "They beat you up, darling. Really badly. You were in a medically induced coma because they kicked you in the head a few times and your brain was swelling. That's why your head is wrapped in bandages. They did surgery to help relieve the pressure. They took a small part of your skull to give your brain room to swell and relieve the pressure in your head.  In a few days, when you're stronger they'll take you back in for surgery to put the piece back and you'll be good as new."

"I remember," I whispered. "Paige said they wanted to meet me because I'm your guys' kid. But then they started hitting me. Mom. Why did they do that?"

I started crying. Mom hugged me and rocked me.

"I don't know sweetie. I don't know. But they won't be at the school anymore when you go back. Ms. Abigail expelled them.  But honey, the police are going to come to talk to you. I'm not sure when. But now that you're awake, they're going to want to talk to you.  Do you think you can do that?"

I nodded.

"That's my girl," she kissed my head ever so gently.

Dad and the nurse came into the room.

"I hear someone's in quite a bit of pain, huh?"

I nodded.

"This is probably going to make you very sleepy so don't fight it. You need sleep anyway." 

She put a needle into my IV in my left hand. It felt warm going in and after a few minutes, I felt really tired.

"Ooh," I said.

"You okay?" Mom asked.

"I'm tired," I said.

Dad laughed.

"You're slurring your words you drunkard," he said. "Go to sleep sweetie. We'll be right here."

I closed my eyes and was carried off on waves of warmth.

"No! No! Stop!!" I cried.

"Shhh, shhh, you're okay sweetie.  I'm here."

I opened my eyes and saw Mom still lying beside me on a bed. I looked around and saw I was in the hospital. Was I sick again? No. No. The boys at school. They beat me up. I started crying.

"Shhh, shhh," Mom whispered.  "You're okay. You're safe, sweetheart."

Dad climbed onto the bed on my other side and started singing quietly in my ear. Whatever he was singing was playing in my room, too.

I fell back to sleep, feeling safe.