Wasted

13

We all watched at Kyle left, in awe or in terror I actually couldn't point out which.

"Is he going to be okay?" Olive croaked. I looked at her and she was stiff in her chair, the color was drained from her face.

"Why wouldn't he be?" I answered her in a whisper. Nobody spoke, nobody moved, nobody even wanted to.

"What now?" I turned around to see Patrick standing - well more like barely standing - there. He looked even skinnier, yet he still didn't look bad. It was the first time I had actually heard him speak, his voice was soft but I could tell if it ever got to a point his words could cut like knifes.

"We don't know." Tyler muttered. Patrick started moving the empty chairs back into the semi circle. "What are you doing?" After he finished putting the chairs back he sat and motioned for everyone to sit too. Even Sutton looked confused. Olive looked at him.

"Pat what are you-" He cut Olive off mid-sentence.

"So obviously we don't know much about each other, Kyle has a whole damn past and sister we didn't know about." Patrick looked around to make sure we were paying attention. Patrick then looked up at the two Techs in the room who said nothing, so he kept going, " We need to change that, we can't have anymore surprises like Kyle's it rules everyone up."

"Some people aren't comfortable, this is a mental hospital it isn't dandy. If Kyle breaks down so be it." Olives voice was stern which was surprising for all of us.

"I understand that Oli, but we didn't even know how to comfort him." Patrick crossed his boney arms and sat back in his chair. Olive fell silent.

"He is right." Tyler mumbled.

"Telling our life stories or some shit won't do anything for us in this hell hole!" Olives face was scrunched up and red. Tyler looked at Olive.

"When did you become so..." I cut him off.

"Confident." Everyone looks at me. "I mean it, there's not one ounce of anxiety on you."

"Well then maybe they'll let me leave soon, maybe my life will be normal again." Olive began to stand up when Patrick laughs softly.

"Our lives will never be normal again."

...

That night at dinner everything was very quite, Kyle still wasn't back. Olive sat by herself and didn't speak to anyone, Tyler and I began to worry about her and Kyle. "Where is he?" I ask Tyler.

"They could have but him on 1-1 or something." Tyler pushed his mostly full plate away from him. "But I wouldn't understand why, I mean he wasn't a danger. He didn't lash out."

"Maybe he did and we just didn't hear it." I looked down and ran my fork back and fourth through the mashed potatoes.

"We would hear it." Tyler said. I looked up at him. I went to say something else but Tyler hushed me. "I take it schools back in, beds are going to fill up soon. They're going to fill up the other units before us, then they fill the beds left here."

"How did you-"

"Unfortunately, someone is already taking Kovas spot." He pointed over to the nurses station, to the room in the back. I could see a boy, but I couldn't make out his features. "Don't we already have enough going on?"

"Apparently not." I grab Tyler and I's plate and throw it in the trash. As I go to sit back down the bring to boy out, he was about as tall as Tyler with chocolate brown hair and a pale complexion. I stand there waiting for the nurse to say his name.

"Everyone, this is Beck." Beck stood there silent and looking at the floor. The nurse motioned for him to sit at any table, he chose to sit alone.

"Should we introduce ourselves?" I asked Tyler.

"Later, at wrap up group. He looked scared."

"I used to be scared." I looked at Tyler.

"So did I." Tyler grinned at me. "I think we all did, but after awhile I think the fear goes away. After years of being in your own and labeled, you don't feel anything at all."

"So what do you feel now?" I ask him.

"Numb."

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HOLY CRAB CAKES I'm sorry this update took forever! But I hope you like the character expansion, and BECK! I haven't really decided what I want to do with him yet but it will be good!
again sorry for the late update I've had finals at school and I was in two plays, one a musical. so hope you enjoyed this chapter!

-maya