Running Scared

Chapter 11:

 I screamed my head off. I yelled at him to go away. He just walked backwards with his hands up, slowly. The nurse came as my screams turned into shrieks. She told me to calm down.

“Jessica! That's not him! That's your friend!” She yelled and begged me to really look at him.

She was wrong. It was James. It was him. Why did they let him?

“Jessica, it's me! Mel!” His voice was too high.

I shook my head and blinked. They were right. It was Mel.

“Mel?” I asked.

“Jessica,” she smiled. “It's so good to see you.”

She stayed on the other side of the room. The nurse stayed next to me, making sure I wasn't going to lose it again.

“I'm... I'm... sorry about that. I thought you were... him.”

“You know it's me right?”

I nodded. “I can see that now.”

“Do you suffer from hallucinations?” The nurse looked at me, her pen in hand.

I looked at her and debated between the truth or lie. “Sometimes. Not often.” Partial truth. I don't want to be that freak with the hallucinations of her past. She scribbled my answer down and walked out with a smile.

Mel slowly walked over to me and sat down in the chair. I turned my head and smiled at her. “I've missed you.”

“I've missed you more. ANTM is lonely without you.”

In other words, she's missed me more than anything else.

“I haven't watched TV since I... er... was taken. I don't think I know how to work a remote anymore,” I laughed weakly.

She smiled solemnly. The conversation was scarce as we sat there, catching up. Mom snuck in later with a smile on her face. Mel looked up and turned around to look. She jumped up and gave her a hug.

“Sorry I disappeared,” she whispered in her ear. “I've missed both of you.”

“Oh honey, it's okay. It's just good to see you two together.”

Mel pulled back and smiled. “It is.”

They both sat on either side of me and traded turns talking. Later, the nurse came in and Mom asked when I could come home. She said tomorrow.

Tomorrow I will be home.

Mom was filling out the final paperwork while I sat in the wheelchair next to her. My leg was still broken and in six weeks they might be able to take the cast off. I wasn't paying much attention. Earlier when they were getting me ready to leave, I was impatient to just get out of there. I hated hospitals so much but until today, it didn't bother me. They helped me sleep dreamlessly.

Last night I had another nightmare and I woke up screaming. The nurse ran in and quieted me then gave me medication to sleep. Miraculously, it worked. I woke up to Mom worrying aloud.

She gave the nurse behind the desk the papers and a warm smile before wheeling me out the door. A male nurse helped her lower me into the car. I shied away from the contact but gave him a smile, not meeting his eyes. Mom sat in the drivers seat and pulled away from the dreaded hospital.

The drive was silent, I wanted to ask her a question that had been gnawing on me since this morning but I didn't want to make anything too awkward. It would just have to wait.

When Mom pulled into the garage she told me to wait for her to get me. I sat patiently as she quickly handed me my crutches and she helped me inside. Sitting just inside the door was luggage, suitcases, a few piled near the door.