I Promise it Gets Better

Chapter 3

"There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but the way out is through," -David Allen

When I wake up it's 11 AM. The previous night we were told that a psych ward called Gracepoint was coming to take me in the morning at 8 AM, so I was surprised to still be there. A nurse comes in and informs us that Gracepoint has decided not to accept me because they heard I didn't want to go and were worried I'd put up a fight.

"That's not helping someone if you reject them the second things start to get difficult," I say.

"I know. I guess this means we have to stay here until they find somewhere for you to go," my mom tells me.

A doctor comes in. She has short red hair and blue eyes.

"Hi, I heard what was going on and I just wanted to say that I went through the same thing with my daughter about 10 years ago. When she came back she was better. The ER is no place for a 14 year old girl, there are sick people everywhere. You guys should just go along with it so that this can be over quickly and you can go home," she says to us.

"Okay. As long as she gets better. I don't want to cause her more harm is all, it's not that I don't want her to go there," my mom explains.

"I understand, but I promise she will be fine and then this can be over," the doctor says.

We wait for a few hours before a nurse finally comes in saying that there is a psych ward called Peace River that has a bed available for me. She says that they had an ambulance ready and I should be able to leave very shortly. They give me a grey robe thing with no buttons or straps or anything like that. They tell me to put it on and that I can only bring necessities with me like a toothbrush, a hairbrush, toothpaste, etc.

"Who's naming these places? I mean come on Gracepoint? Peace River? It sounds like a private catholic all girls school where you're forced to wear ties and blazers"

I just talk to my mom and the nurse for a while before my mom has to run home to get me my things.

"I am so sorry this is happening to you," the nurse who's been watching over me all day says.

"Thanks, it's been rough," I say to her.

I listen to music as I wait for my mom. My dad brought me my phone sometime last night, but not my airpods, so I just play it out loud. A little while later, my mom comes back with a bag full of stuff she thinks I'll need, but still, no airpods. I change into my ugly robe and put on some ugly slippers and get ready to go. I brush my hair so that it's not a mess.

"Just because I'm going to a psych ward, doesn't mean I have to look the part," I say.

Then, the transport people arrive with a stretcher. The doctor explains that they aren't from the hospital or the psych ward and that they just work for the transport company.

"Goodbye mom. My chariot awaits me"

The doctor lady, my mom and the nurse that was watching over me, al crow around me. I lay down on the stretcher as they buckle me in and then just elevate it, like you would with an office chair, so that it's twice the height it was before. I sort of yelp from the sudden height increase. The doctor lady hands me the blanket that the hospital gave me.

The nurse who was watching over me all day waves, smiles, and says "I hope everything goes well for you"

I smile back and wave as they roll me out of the ER and into the ambulance parking area. Then, they find the ambulance that's supposed to transport me and suddenly lower the stretcher. They then pick up the stretcher and load me into the ambulance, locking me in place. The ambulance is weird, it's like a minivan except there are only three seats, two in the front and one in the back next to me, the rest of the space is open to fit a stretcher. I am told that it's about an hour-long ride to the psych ward. It feels weird to think that the first night I spend away from home will be in a psych ward.