A Righteous Love

Chapter Thirty - We Just Don't Talk About It

Chapter Thirty - "We Just Don't Talk About It"

*Trigger Warning*

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Flashback - Two Years and Seven Months Ago

Chinese food. The smell of Chinese food was the first thing I noticed.

"I'm going to go... walk around or something. I need some air. Let me know if anything happens."

"Okay."

A door opened, then shut. Feet shuffled around on what sounded like tile floor – like a cafeteria. It was uncomfortable.

A TV was quietly playing something like a morning news program. I could barely make out the voices of the newscast, but I could hear them talking about "amazing blue skies" and "the most perfect weather we might ever have".

Someone was slurping and munching near me, and I could smell the Chinese food even more now. It was seeping through my nostrils and making my dry mouth water.

Dry mouth. When was the last time I had something to drink? My eyes squeezed shut before they fluttered open and I saw where I was.

A hospital.

I thought I'd wake up – but not here. Not anywhere like this.

"Hey!" A voice made me jump. My head jerked to Melissa sitting on my right side, next to my hospital bed; the culprit of Chinese food. "You're awake! Did you know the cafeteria here has Chinese food?"

"What?" I managed to mumble, but my voice was thick and groggy so it was hard to talk.

"Yeah! It's so good. But they don't want you eating anything yet. Something about 'tests' and the 'pills'. I'm so glad you're awake though!" She chirped. "You woke up briefly yesterday too, but as soon as you were up, you were out again. They said you'd wake up though. They've been doing everything they can to make sure you're okay."

"What time is it?" I said after I cleared my throat.

"Nine-thirty," she nodded, slurping up her noodles.

I leaned up in my bed slowly and felt my bones cracking inside me. My eyes shifted around my room – the TV was on, Melissa was the only one with me, and the sun was shining through the windows and lighting up the white room. It gave me an instant headache. I glanced at my left arm to see a needle punctured through it for the IV. Then I saw the hideous hospital gown that I was sporting.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" Was my next question. And that certainly wasn't the last.

Melissa swallowed her big gulp of noodles and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Mom went for a walk, and Dad's been sitting in the cafeteria. He has a full cup of cold coffee in front of him, and he's just sitting there. With his hands folded and staring at the table. He won't talk to anyone. He hasn't really said much to me, and barely anything to Mom."

"Oh God," I whispered, rubbing my forehead with my hand. "My head is throbbing so bad."

My sister obviously didn't understand what happened. Or maybe she did but she was handling it really well. She was only thirteen after all, how much could she understand?

"I should tell Mom that you're up. But she really needed that walk," Melissa sighed. "Maybe I'll go tell Dad."

"No, just... just stay here. With me. I want to be alone with you for a little bit before they bombard me," I breathed.