Borderline

Seven

   I am in a hospital bed, again. After finding me butchered up the nurses immediately called my psychiatrist who ordered them to call an ambulance.  So, an ambulance showed up and half-heartedly dressed my wounds then strapped me down to the stretcher. The ride to the hospital was short, and I bypassed the ER.  They brought me straight to a regular room and had a tech from Willow, Briar, sit with me. There was another bed but the curtain was pulled, all I heard was a girl's voice. 

   Briar sat with me for a while until a doctor came. It was a younger man, wearing green scrubs. He came to tell me they were going to be stitching me up then sending me back to Lake Oak in a day or two, I had to stay in this special part of the hospital to make sure I was safe enough to return. I did my nods and said my okays and he left. After he shut the door the curtain between me and the other bed opened. A girl with long ginger hair stood there, she looked young, 15 at the most. When she opened the curtain Briar exclaimed, "Abigail?"

   "Briar! I've missed you so much!" Abigail came over and hugged Briar. "I got my feeding tube out today.  I was on RoseWood but got sent here for a feeding tube and they're talking about sending me to Willow."

   "But you just left us a few months ago," Briar says to her. Abigail looked down at her hands.

   "I relapsed pretty bad." Abigail wore a hospital gown but you could tell that under was a small and frail girl. When she walked back to her bed I caught a glimpse of her spine protruding out of her back. She sat back on her bed. "But I'll be okay." She then looked at me, "I'm Abigail, but you can call me Abi."

   "I'm Margo. I'm on Willow."

   "Oh, that's cool. Maybe we'll see each other. Do you know Sophia?"

   "I do! How is she?" I sat up in my bed.

   "She's had to get restrained for feeds lately, so not well. " I looked away from her. I turned to Briar.

   "Can we visit Sophia?"

   "It would have to wait until you get your stitches but I don't see why not. Unless she's on restrictions because of her feedings." Briar looked at her phone, "They should be here to stitch you any minute. Then I'm going back to the unit."

   "What about me?"

   "You'll be staying in medical for a few days. Probably until the end of the week, to make sure you're safe for the unit again." When Briar finished the doctor walked back in and closed the curtain, cutting me off my Abi, and began to stitch me.

   The aftermath Included 36 stitches altogether. Briar left and went back to the unit. I opened the curtain back up but Abi was asleep. I took this as a sign to find Sophia.  I told Briar I was going to the bathroom and went out on my search. After a few rooms, I found her. She was laying down, looking miserable.  "Sophia!" I exclaimed. At the sound of my voice, she perked up, slowly. The tube in her nose tugged slightly and she winced.

   "Margo, why are you here?" She looked down at the bandage on my arm and sighed, "Now I understand." She adjusted her tube so it wouldn't tug and turned towards me.

   "I'll be here for a few days."

   "That's what the told me but the tube feedings have been hard. It prolongs my stay each time. Here and at Willow." She looked away, "It's just really hard seeing my weight go up and up."

   "It'll be okay. Stuff like this takes time. " I sat in the chair and talked with her for a while until Briar found me.

   "This isn't the bathroom. I know you wanted to see Sophia but you should have waited until the okay." Briar dragged me away and stuck me back in my room. I sat in my bed thinking of Sophie and Abigail and myself.