Befallen childhood- Adopted by Hamilton

-16-

"Maybe one of your parents can pick you up, hun." The nurse says, handing me an ice pack. "It looks like it might be broken. How did you fall of the stairs?"

"I just missed my step. I can go back to class. I'll be fine."

"You're in tears. You can't go to class. I'm calling home, okay?" I sigh and lean against the wall. God my wrist hurts. I start looking at some stupid 'Where's Waldo' book that someone left on this seat. Vanessa gets here before I think she will. The nurse speaks to her quickly and she grabs my bag.

"Feel better." The nurse says.

"Thanks."

"So you missed a step?" She asks as we walk.

"Yeah."

"Why don't I believe that?"

"I can't answer that. Why are you out of work so early?"

"Well, I have to bring you to the emergency room. Besides, it was a slow day."

"I don't need to go to the emergency room." She doesn't even reply to me. She brings me straight there. The whole time we don't really talk until I'm in a room, sitting on a bed.

"Wanna freak Lin out?"

"Yes. How?"

"Send him a picture of you here." I laugh. She stands up and takes a picture of me watching TV on a hospital bed. She turns it to me. I look sick anyways. Maybe because I'm not eating much but because of my lack of medical records, the hospital can't see that I've lost any weight.
-
Lin's POV
"Oh my god!"

"What?" Anthony says. He looks at the picture. "Why is Liv in the hospital?"

"Liv's in the hospital?" Pippa asks, followed by every around the table. How am I gonna get through tonights show? I call her right away.

"You're on speaker phone." I warn her. "Most of the cast is here."

"Hi, everyone."

"What happened?"

"Liv broke her wrist at school today."

"How?"

"She fell down the stairs. Missed a step and caught herself with her hands.

"Ouch. Is she there?"

"No, She's getting a cast right now."

"Okay, say bye to the cast so I can talk to you for a minute."

"Bye."

"Bye!" They all say back.

"Tell Liv to get better." Leslie says. I turn sleeker phone off and put it to my ear.

"Liv isn't clumsy."

"I know."

"So what happened then?"

"The kid won't speak. If I didn't love her, I'd be angry."

"Well, you wouldn't have a reason to be angry."

"Well, yes."

"You need to go all lawyer on her." I say. She laughs.

"I might just have to. We'll be home before you so have a good show and see you after."

"Thanks, babe. Tell Liv I hope she feels better.' Love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

"You don't believe she fell, do you?" Pippa says.

"I do. I just don't think she missed a step."

"I wonder why she can't just talk to anyone."

"I don't know. She hasn't been here long. We'll get it out of her."
-
"Okay, kiddo." I say, putting Liv's book on the table and sitting next to her on the couch.

"Hey."

"You'll get it back later." She rolls her eyes. "Are you okay?" She shakes her head this time.

"I'm really not." She pulls her legs out from being bent up beside her. It's around midnight and some light snow falls outside. The only light is a lamp beside us. She swings her legs in front of her and start to play with her nails. "It's funny."

"What is?" I ask.

"Watching people hover over me like there will be a precise moment that I break down and say everything I feel. 'Cause having this happen to me, I know for sure it won't work like that. I have more control over it."

"You think you have control over your feelings?"

"No. I control how much of them I tell. I don't understand movies and things when people throw a fit or scream or whatever. I never did that, even as a toddler. But that might have been bad because I guess it's why I'm passive, now."

"Well, what can you tell me?"

"The same pain that does that to people just gets stuffed in me and eats at me. Sometimes I think, soon, there won't be anything left of me but my body." I shift forward and right next to her letting her rest her head on my shoulder. "I'm depressed."

"We can find out."

"Can you want to die without being depressed?" I shut my eyes, bracing myself as if she hadn't already said that and was about to.

"Oh, Liv." I wrap both of my arms around her.

"I'm sorry, I'm so ungrateful."

"Oh you aren't at all. You've been through a lot and all we've wanted is to know you feel this way. You're not ungrateful at all."

"I still feel it."

"As long as you are alive and you are staying alive, you aren't, even if you wish you weren't alive. But since you are, you aren't ungrateful."

"You're telling me not to kill myself." She translates it to.

"Well, yes."

"Thank you. No one has ever come this far and cared to protect me from myself with just a few words." I give her a tighter hug.

"I love you, Liv."

"You do?"

"Yes."

"I love you too." I give her a kiss on the head.

"There is more to discus. I'm sorry but there is, but right now I am so proud of you. You're helping me help you. That's all I want.

"Thanks, Lin."

"My pleasure. Now get some sleep, little night owl."
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A/N- there's a purring cat on me and i need to move her to get up. Damn.