Adopted by Phan

Chapter 5

I woke up the hospital, panicking. I wasn't supposed to be there! I had spent years attempting to stay out of homes and as soon as they realised I had a record I was going to be sent straight there. The room was bright white and had that smell that all hospitals have, like clean and squeaky floors. It was empty so I cautiously stood up, my head pounding and my vision going black for a few seconds.

I regained my balance and headed to the window, kneeling on the large armchair that lay in front of it. The street below was covered in cars and people, all going about their business. I guessed that it was around noon, considering I could see at least 10 people in suits and pencil skirts coming and going from cafés across the street.

I heard the door open behind me. I continued to gaze down onto the street, never really having an opportunity to watch people without wondering who I was going to pickpocket. I suppose before that moment, the entire point of my life was to survive until the next day, get food and money to support the group and myself if needed.

A hand landed on my shoulder and I flinched, strangers touching me was not my strong point. I looked down at myself, noting that most of my previous injuries had been covered in some sort of ointment, probably some sort of anti inflammatory cream. The hospital gown I was wearing was clean and white, unlike my previous clothes which had been coated in dirt most of the time.

The hand belonged to Dan, the one who had knocked me over in the dairy and Mr Pissed Off stood behind him, his neon coat hurting my eyes. I squinted at them, moving my eyes away from the coat and back out the window and my hair falling into my face.

My hand went to my hair, yes it was short but long enough to be tied back. It was empty. My hair was the best place to store things because it was the least likely place to be searched and I had previously had a pocket knife in a case resting just behind the hair tie. The knife was a gift from Jax, he had pickpocketed it from some army guy thinking it was a wallet.

"Are you okay?" It was a female voice, obviously not Dan or Mr Pissed Off and I turned around yet again. I nodded curtly and ran my hand through my hair again.

"Where's my knife?" There was silence from the nurse and the other two, Dan looked rather sheepish though.

"Where is it?!" My voice rose as my temper did, that was basically the only thing to my name and it had kept me alive for several years. I wasn't about to lose it.

Dan reached his hand into his back pocket, pulling a red lump out and handing it to me. My fingers ran over it, feeling the deep scratch in the plastic. I had a run in with some gang members a few months back when they thought it would be easier to kill me, one of the times my knife had saved me. I placed it on the back of my head and used my spare hair tie to twist my hair back into a short ponytail, securing it in place.

There was a cough from a female, the nurse I assumed but I ignored it. They'd only try and get me to talk, which was the last thing I wanted to do.

"Dan and Phil here are the ones that bought you in, they just wanted to know if you were alright." The first thing I registered was that Mr Pissed Off was called Phil. Probably a better name for him if I was to be honest.

"Cool. I'll leave now." There was a muffled noise of confusion behind me, from either one of the boys.

"No you won't, Holly." I shuddered.

"Don't call me that. Ever." There was menace in my voice and it came out snappy, you could tell that she was crossing the line. It had been years since I had heard that name and sometimes I forgot it was my legal name considering nothing we did was legal. I was 99% sure that even Jax didn't know my birth name.

"It's your legal name, therefore I will call you Holly." Bitch. Like hell you will.

"Very cool. And I'll call you Bitch. You don't like it? Well neither do I. Now back off before I use this knife to kill someone else." There was indignant splutter from Bitch, who was actually a blonde, 20 something year old lady who looked like a Barbie doll.

I heard footsteps and then the door an turned back to see Miss Blonde had left the room and it was just Dan and Phil left. I groaned.

"Well there goes my chance at getting out of here." Dan tilted his head to the side, confused. I snorted.

"It's not like this is the first time going through this. She going to get the foster man, I'll end up back in a home with a police record." The others knew I didn't have a police record, but that was for Jay, who technically didn't exist in their eyes.

I was born Holly, and it remained my birth name because of money shortages on the street. "A home?"

"A foster home. A massive building full of abandoned children and lost hope. Why do you think I've been living on the streets for the last 6 years?" In the commotion I didn't hear the door open and a police officer stepped forwards.

"It's good to see you back Jay. I think it's about time you found a real home."

The voice was familiar and I grinned to myself. It was Officer Briny who worked in the child care section of the police. He had seen me on the street many times and had probably seen me stealing, but he always let me go. He had been homeless too, when he was younger.

"My home is on the street, I don't need a real one."