Saving Winston

Chapter Seven

I woke up in a hospital room to the sound of people shuffling around me.

"Melissa's waking up. Everyone get to their positions now!" Someone shouted. "Report anything different in her behavior."

I sat up in my bed and the nurse that took me to my mom came over.

"I'm glad to see that you're awake," she smiled.
"What are you doing to my mom?" I asked harshly.
"Don't worry, she's in the best possible care there is. We're monitoring her behavior to see if she improves at all. Sorry about last night, you just couldn't see her then. If you want, you can see her today, but I can't promise she will be the same as you remember."

I nodded. I needed to see that she was okay myself.

"Can I see her now?" I asked.
"How about you visit her later today?" The nurse asked me. "She just woke up and I don't think she's quite ready for a visitor at the moment. Maybe after lunch?"
"Okay. Thank you." I said and walked out of the room. I went over to Ponyboy's room to see him stirring in his sleep. I walked over to his bed and gently woke him up.

"She's mine!" Ponyboy yelled as he woke up. "Sorry, just a nightmare." He blushed.
"It's okay. I get them all the time too. How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Great. The doctors are actually letting me leave today. I'm tired of staring at these white walls." Ponyboy complained.
"Mr. Curtis?" The doctor asked as he knocked on the door. "You are free to leave now. Please gather your belongings and I'm sure miss over here will help you out." He said as he pointed to me.
"Oh yes. C'mon, Pony." I grabbed his arm and helped him out of the bed. He still was a little weak and needed support to move around. We made our way out of the hospital and back to his house. I helped him into his bed and made some soup for him and grabbed some cigarettes. I saw that he was shaking and thought a light would help calm him down.

"Thank you, Claudia. You don't know how much this means to me." Ponyboy grinned and he started eating his soup.
"I wasn't going to just leave you." I smiled and sat down next to him on his bed.
"I love you." Ponyboy whispered in my ear.
"I love you too." I kissed him for a long time, but it didn't feel right. Something was different. There was no spark. I had this gut feeling I always got when I lied. Do I not love Ponyboy? Of course I love him. Am I just telling myself I love him to spare him more pain? I truly don't know.

"Hey Claudia, Hey Pony. How you feeling?" Darry asked as he came into the room.
"Great. I'm just a little weak." Ponyboy replied.
"And Clauds, how about you?"
"Just missing my brother, that's all." I responded. "Wait, I forgot to plan Drew's funeral."
"You did? Well that's not good. Thank goodness you have a neighbor like me who already planned it for you." Darry smiled and I ran over to him and gave him a huge hug.
"Thank you so much Darry, you don't know how much stress you just took off of me."
"I would go home and get ready. The funeral's in an hour." He winked at me.
"Bye, Pony!" I said as I rushed over to kiss him on the cheek and went over to my house. I put on a black dress and curled my hair. Darry and I went to the funeral. Ponyboy was too weak to go and Sodapop couldn't get off at work. When we arrived, I saw Drew's casket. Immediately, I started to tear up. I managed to get through the funeral without sobbing at all, just teary-eyed. But when I got home, seeing all the things that belonged to Drew made me lose it. His favorite baseball cap that was worn, the picture frame of us from ten years ago, even looking at the door to his room made me cry.

How was I going to live here without sobbing all the time?

I looked at the clock. It was 2pm. I changed into a shirt and shorts and headed back over to the hospital to find out if I could see my mom yet.

"Sure, sweetie." The nurse -Ms. Cass- got up and led me back to the room that held my mom captive while people observed her. Ms. Case started blabbing on and on about how my mom might not recognize me, but I knew my mom. She could never forget about me. She loves me.

The nurse walked me into the room and over to my mom.

"We'll be watching from inside so if you need anything, just shout." She whispered in my ear and walked away.

"Hey mom." I said as I took a step closer to her. She flinched a little as I touched her arm.
"Who are you?" My mom asked.
"I'm your daughter. Don't you remember me?" I asked, hurt.
"Where's drew? I need him with me. Why'd he die. Stupid boy." My mom was going hysterical. "He shoulda tried to not die. Drew was a very useful boy."
"Mom." I said firmly.
"I'm not your mom. Why do you keep calling me that" She started to laugh. My mom was literally going crazy.
"I'm your daughter, c'mon, mo-Melissa, please try and remember me."
"I'm Melissa and you are?" She asked. "Where's drew? I need him now." Mom said.
"Drew's dead!" I yelled.
"Oh yes, dead. Such a stupid boy..."
"Mom please! You don't remember me at all?" I started to cry and run my hands through my hair as I crumbled down to the ground.
"Don't cry little girl. Let's go find your mommy."
"You are my mommy!" I was sobbing while kneeling beside my mom. "I'm Claudia. Your second child!"
"Claudia, ah Claudia, that's the name of my daughter. She was a mistake. I never wanted her but her father got me pregnant. God, she was such a waste. Never helpful like Drew..." My mom complained.
"Enough!" I screamed.
"Come with me." Ms. Cass said as she led me out of the room.

Was what my mother said true? Was I a mistake? Something that shouldn't have happened?

I couldn't think straight, with everything going on in my life. I didn't want to believe her. She always told me she loves me. Was she lying?

"I thought she loved me." I cried to the nurse. "I really thought she loved me."