The Girl Who Stutters and The Boy Who Mutters

Chapter Eight

"Jesus Rogers, she could've died!"

That's the first thing I hear when I finally begin to resurface.

"Yeah I understand that, will you stop screaming at me already Becca?"

"You're awake!" I open my eyes all the way Lacey staring down at me and poking my forehead.

I slowly crane my neck to try and look around the room. The whole group is here and I'm so momentarily stunned that I don't even wonder why I'm sitting in a hospital bed with everyone surrounding me.

What. The. Hell.

I try to speak, but I'm surprised when I can't. My throat is so dry and my body is so stiff. I don't understand any of this at all, I'm so confused.

"She looks like a fish," Liam laughs pointing at me. And you sound like a two year old, I think to myself. But then again I suppose I probably do resemble a fish right now considering I keep opening and closing my mouth but not saying anything.

"Get the girl some water," Victor says slapping Liam on the back of his head.

Liam rushes out of the room, but not before glaring at Victor. Soon enough Liam comes back with a bottle of water. Becca helps my sit up and I down the entire bottle of water within ten seconds.

"Well don't drown yourself," Hannah laughs as I wipe the water that had managed to trail out of my mouth.

"W-what the hell h-happened?" Is the first question that pops out of my mouth. My voice still sounds scratchy but at least I can talk now.

"Well when you were at the park with us all yesterday-"

"Yesterday?" I ask looking up at Hannah.

"You've  been out for almost a day kid," Becca says looking down at me, "You have to be more careful. you got bit a snake."

"I m-missed the rest of m-my classes!"

"Did I not just tell her she got bit by a snake?" Becca asks looking up at Scott who just smiles and shrugs, "cause I'm pretty sure I just told her she got bit by a snake, yet she's still worried about her classes?"

"I had my dad talk to your teachers," Scott says, not looking me in the eye.

"Oh," I say, a little confused as to why Scott would take the time to do that for me. But I don't get the chance to ask him because a doctor walks in.

"I see you're up now," the doctor says striding into the room and over towards my bed.

"I g-guess s-so."

"Don't worry about the stuttering," the doctor says looking down at the clipboard he's holding. "Sometimes stuttering is just a part of the trauma."

"It's a speech deficiency asshole," Scott snaps while glaring daggers at the doctor. "You should already know that though. I thought doctors were supposed to check the patient's medical history or something."

"Um I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk to me in that tone sir," the doctor says before turning back towards me. "Now Ms. Smith, the snake that bit you is only deadly if left untreated so you should be thankful your friends got you here so quickly. We have some pain medication for you and you're free to leave as soon as you fill out some paper work."

This was not at all how I imagined my first two days of college to be like. And as I sit here in this hospital bed filling out paper work I remember something mother had once told me about not hanging out with the "wrong crowd", and now I have to wonder: have I managed to fall in with the dreaded "wrong crowd"? I mean these guys are nice and all, with the exception of Scott and Liam, but I've only known them for a day and now I'm in a hospital on account of being bitten by a snake.