The Freaks | Sally Face

Chapter 68: Disconnected

Sal's POV:-
Ugh.. my body.. it feels weird, almost like I was made entirely of jelly. Everything was hurting, my head more than most of my body. I felt my eyelids begin to flicker, wanting to open but there was an extremely bright light that was preventing me from doing so. I slowly started to break my eyelids apart, exposing my eyes to small surges of light before eventually, I was able to fully understand where I was. I felt a cold shudder run down my spine as I looked around to where I was. I was in hospital? How the hell did I end up here? I shot up from the bed before a sharp pain darted in my head, nearly knocking me over and resulting in me losing all my sense of balance. I quickly grabbed hold to the edge of my bed, resting my legs over the side and trying to steady my vision and my balance.

Sweet mother of fuck this was strange. I raised my hand, gently wiping my eyes as my vision slowly steadied and I was able to fully stand up with the use of the bar on the bed. What hospital was I in? Where was everyone? Why was I alone? I look around, seeing a large bouquet of flowers on my nightstand in a beautiful glass vase. No message on them, dammit. As my sense of gravity was returning, I began to slowly walk around the room, looking out the windows of my room and noticing it a particularly starry night outside. I must be dead, there was no way I was in Nockfell, the stars were never out...
It was useless, I checked everywhere in my room and not one thing was telling me how I ended up here. I felt myself beginning to panic as hospitals were a real trigger for me ever since my accident as a child. Memories began to pour into my subconscious as I heard my Dad's roars of pain after the doctors told him that my Mom was dead.

"Mr Fisher.. I am terribly sorry to deliver this news about your wife... I am sorry for your loss..."
"What about my boy! My son! Where is Sal?! Don't tell me..."
"Your son is alive Mr Fisher..."
"My son... my beautiful son.. where is he! I must see him...!"
"I'm afraid your son had a very unfortunate accident Mr Fisher.."
"What do you mean! Is he alright?"
"Whilst he is alive sir, I'm afraid young Sal has lost a majority of his face from the accident...we did everything we could but unfortunately, he will no longer resemble the son you once knew..."
"What... what are you talking about?!"
"We can discuss further options such as prosthesis but.."
"You mean... he has to wear a mask..."
"I'm afraid so sir. It would be better to protect his face from any further damage..."
"You mean... he'll no longer be..."
"Normal. Yes sir..."

Those words that would keep me up every night after hearing the doctor discussing this with my Dad in the corridors outside my room after the accident. I could hear the pain in my Dad's voice as the doctor told him I would never be normal again. That I would essentially be a freak for the rest of my life... oh man... I feel sick.
I quickly reached out for the end of my bed, steading myself as the nausea flooded me. I called out, asking for someone to come and help but after a couple of attempts I realised no one was coming.

"Daddy, where is Mommy? I want to show her my new pink bit of my face..."
"Mommy isn't here right now Sal"
"But when is she coming home? Pink is her favourite colour and I want to show her. She'll be so happy"
"Sal I'm not talking about this now..."
"But..."
"I SAID NOT NOW SAL"

I was going to vomit. I ran over to the toilet at the back of the room that I had noticed earlier and immediately began to hurl everywhere. Reliving this part of my life was so soul destroying. Being a young child with so much to adapt to was so hard. I just want this all to stop, the memories, the pain and the trauma of reliving those words and those moments.

"How was school today Sal?"
"It was horrible Daddy. These kids starting calling me Sally Face.. I don't like being called Sally Face it's not very nice..."
"I'm sure that's their way of trying to be your friend Sal..."
"Daddy, I don't like it... when I told them to stop they laughed at me and pushed me down..."
"Boys will be boys Sal..."
"But..."
"Not now Sal, I'm going to have another beer and then watch the football ok? Why don't you go and play in your room?"
"Ok... what's for dinner?"
"I don't know, I'll sort it later..."
"But when will we eat... I'm so hungry..."
"I SAID LATER SAL"