Killing Tink

Ch. 6

Tink woke up in the dark to the sound of the monitor beeping. A nurse came in and Tink felt relieved. She didn't remember having a dream but she was covered in sweat and from the nurse's panicked face she must have been doing something that was awful. She swiped her face on the pillow to clear the streaming of the tears as the nurse grabbed tissue and placed it in her free hand.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."  Tink kept repeating it over and over hoping the nurse wasn't angry at her for causing her to come in.

The nurse sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hand on Tink's leg. She fought the urge to yank her leg away knowing the girl was reaching out. It had been so long since anyone besides Stash had touched her. She should feel relieved or comforted but it was stifling. She felt afraid, angry, and stupid.

She tried to smile at the girl hoping it would make her leave. She felt smothered and wanted to figure out what was happening.

"I don't know what happened to you. But it's over now. You're safe. I can call someone if you'd like. Dr. Ravi, John, said I could call him anytime you need him. Should I call him for you?"

She shook her head no and burrowed under the covers waiting for the beeping to stop. She had been in the bed a long time. Her muscles ached and she felt she was going crazy. She needed out of the bed. She rolled herself in a ball and started rocking. Just her and the baby against the world. She could do this. She had survived. That's what he told her to remember.

The beeping continued and the nurse left and came in again. Tink felt a warmth race through her and a weird heavy floating feeling sit on her muscles. She knew the nurse had drugged her. She didn't mind. She probably was crazy. How could you blame someone for drugging a crazy person. She closed her eyes and slept.

In the morning someone delivered her a tray of breakfast. He was a tall skinny teenager who whistled and happily talked as he moved her table across the bed and put it in front of her. The tray held a small portion of broth and a glass of juice.

Tink smelled the broth waft up from the tray and started to reach for the spoon. As soon as she started to put the broth to her lips the memory flooded back.

She was there with Stash. She was trying to eat the soup and it came back up. He started beating her with the pan, the spoon, and then his boot. He picked her up. After that a blackness. The place that got her here.

He was sure you were dead.

Tink's stomach churned violently and her hands began to shake. She felt the world spinning and she tried to hang on to the side-rail.

The boy with the tray came back and started to help her sit back up from her slumped position and placed his hands on her shoulders.

Tink screamed a blood curling scream and everything went black.

She smelled ammonia and felt someone slapping her face. "Tink. I'm Tink!" She instinctively screamed as she opened her eyes to find herself staring into the faces of several people. They were all staring at her and examining her and she tried to hold it in but ended up vomiting all over the bed. It was bloody and warm and she couldn't handle the people staring and fingers touching and she started screaming until John ran into the room.

"Out. Everyone out!" He screamed.

The men in the white coats put their hands on their hips and pointed to the vomit. Tink knew they were saying she had to be punished. She couldn't stop screaming. A nurse came with a shot and John chased her away too.

Finally the room was empty. Just her and the shrink and a bed full of bloody vomit. She bit her arm to make herself quiet as John shut the door and dimmed the lights.