Befallen childhood- Adopted by Hamilton

64

Lin's POV (whoops, changed to last tense)
"Olivia." I lightly shake her as she sleeps on the couch at home. On the TV is an episode of Chuggington. Again, there is no volume. Sebastian had been playing with his toys loudly but Olivia hadn't reacted. She remained asleep. I bought Sebastian to daycare and returned only five minutes after Vanessa left.

Liv had taken a shower the night before and had trouble after. She was able to get dressed into a huge Hamilton sweater and underwear but Vanessa heard a loud bang and had to carry Liv to the couch for she was to weak to stand any longer. It had been a very bad night. The doctor said that was to be expected with a recent heavy dose of Medication but it's scary to watch happen. Her hair was a bit matted and she was curled up under a blanket, bot moving all night or day.

She pulled back when I shook her, not wanting to wake up.

"Liv, breakfast." I helped the barely awake girl to sit up and handed her a cup with a smoothie in it. She didn't say anything but drank it in silence, two hands around the cup.

"I brought you some books. Anne Frank and The Secret Garden. Plus the remote. She continued to drink the smoothie in silence. After a minute, she lowered it.

"Thanks."

"No problem." She let herself back down and into her blanket cocoon.

"I'm right here if you need me." A few hours later, I entered the room to see live sitting up. Her hair was in a crappy bun with pieces falling out. She had to have put on the shorts because they were no longer on the table. I couldn't tell because the sweater was just that big.

She wasn't doing anything though. The tv was on but she stared at the ground. I sat down next to her and stared at the TV playing a cartoon on silent. She didn't look at me. Neither of us said anything. I'd spent the entire morning working on stuff and in the other room. I'd checked on her occasionally but nothing. And then just sat and wondered what was going through her head. But I was too afraid to ask. We just sat in silence.
-
(Back to present)
Liv returns to the rec room in a black sweater and gray leggings, plopping down in the seat next to me.

"Why can't I continue my homeschooling here. I do it myself." She says without looking at me.

"They want you to take their classes."

"But I won't be here that long. Right?"

"Maybe. Hopefully not." I can sense the disappointment that comes over her. No one wants to be stuck in a hospital but I had to bring her here.

This morning she'd been feeling well so I brought her to rehearsal. She collapsed in the girls ensemble dressing room while talking to Carleigh.

"I have to leave, Liv."

"Okay."

"Maybe you should go play chess with the other kids."

"Yeah. Bye."

"Bye." I leave her behind at the hospital hoping she will be okay.

-
Liv's POV
She had a high fever." I hear the nurse say. "She got up to 105 and hasn't dropped back down yet. We're trying to keep her from rising." Today has been a blur. It could be anytime and I wouldn't know. It could be days from what I think it is. I've been so out of it. I woke up in the middle of the night and started violently throwing up. I remember running to the bathroom and a nurse coming after me. Her name is Julia and I met her the day before. She was filling in for someone on the night shift. Another nurse had gone to get someone but Julia stayed and held my hand through all of the pain.
I don't know everything about my disease but I think it weakens my immune system. I haven't finished all of my testing yet but this has been mentioned by every doctor I saw.

"Hey, sleepy head." A nurse says lightly when my eyes start to open. My head is pounding so hard that I could sweater there's a little wrecking ball in there. I feel like I'm being crushed and I am freezing cold yet burning up. I see a hospital gown on me and sheets messed up on the bed.

"Do you know where you are."

"I want Lin." I whisper.

"You'll see him soon. How are you feeling."

"Cold."

"Well, we're trying to bring your fever down. We have to make you cold." I start to drift back in and out. I catch some things the nurse says but not all. I see the doctor pull the blanket all the way down to the bottom of my bed.

"We're gonna put a cold towel on you, okay?" I dread it the moment the doctor says that. I feel the gown moved and a cold towel replace it. A familiar feeling of being exposed comes flooding back and my chest tightens up. I grab for the gown and when the doctor approaches me, I kick. He jumps back, unharmed. I am approached by others and my weak efforts are crushed as they hold me down. Now in a panic, I start crying and using any strength I have.

"No!" I scream. "No!" A nurse pulls the towel off of my stomach and pulls the gown down. I retreat to the other end of the bed as a cold cloth is placed on my forehead and I cry to myself, loosing sight of where I am. Between the moment and the last, I can only slip out, "please don't." Over and over and over, I repeat this phrase, unable to tell where I am but feeling unsafe and scared.

"Hey, hey, hey." Someone says lightly, grabbing my hand. I feel a cloth removed from my forehead. My arm is stinging. I go and reach for it before my eyes fully open but my hand is met with another. Then theres a sharp pain and my arm feels funny. "Olivia. It's Julia." I drift back out.
-
I wake in a dark room. It feels odd to be aware. Everything is blurry and my memories blend between real life and dreams. An unknown chunk of my hospital stay is separated from me. I look up to see equipment next to me. I follow the wires down and into my arm.

"You're awake." I look next to me to see a nurse with a binder sitting by a lamp. She hits a button and only a moment later does a lady come walking in. Another nurse.

"How ya feeling, Liv."

"Fine." I tell her. "A little out of it."

"That would be the medicine we gave you to get your fever down. We put an IV in in order to do so. I'm sure anything you were awake for is blurry."

"Yeah. Very." She runs something across my forehead and checks it. "Did I kick someone?" She nods.

"A little bit, yeah."

"Oops. Was it 'cause of a cloth." She nods. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right. Don't you worry about that." She says as she takes my pulse. "Just so you know, you're safe here."

"I don't always know I'm here."