you rip my throat
out.”
“I’m flattered you think so lowly of me,” he said
suddenly calm now. “And your parents aren’t home. They
left for work fifteen minutes ago. Now will you please take
your medication?” I didn’t answer; instead I stared at him
disobediently, pushing him to hit me again. Maybe this
time he wouldn’t stop midway. Maybe this time he’d kill
me.
“I’m not going to kill you, Jen. You’re much too
important for that, which is why you must take the pills,”
he snarled giving me another chance. Still I said nothing.
“Fine then,” he sighed.
He squeezed my mouth open and dropped the pills in.
Before I could spit them out in his face, he leaned forward
and got the bottle of water I always kept on the bedside
table and emptied its contents into my mouth.
As water filled my mouth, natural instincts kicked in
and I immediately gulped it down as fast as I could. When
he was satisfied, he got off me and in the same movement,
pulled me into a sitting position at his side. I was instantly
leaning over coughing up water at my feet on the floor
while he patted and rubbed my back. My throat burned as
if he’d poured acid down it instead of water.
“Are you okay?” I heard him ask at my side, and I
nodded without thinking.
“Good,” he snapped and got up from my bed, walking
to the door. Just as he was about to open it, he spun
around to face me. “By the way, you get to go to school
today. I talked to my parents and managed to convince
them that we could leave later. I’ll be in the car.” He then
turned and stalked out of my room, leaving me alone.
I stayed on my bed for a minute, staring at the door
Eric had just shut. I listened to his footsteps creeping
down the stairs, and it was only when I heard the front
door bang I allowed myself to move – to let out the breath
I was holding. I waited until my heart was tame, and my
breathing even and steady to get off my bed and tiptoe to
my bathroom. I didn’t know why, but I felt the need to be
silent.
I stood in front the mirror, surveying myself for any
visible damage. There were no marks on my neck or face,
but my right wrist was already beginning to swell. I saw a
trip to the ER in my future.
Standing in front of the sink, I leaned over it and
shoved my fingers down my throat, until all the pills that
Eric had forced down into me came back up. Then I
changed my T-shirt, which was now wet, ran a comb
through my hair, grabbed my bag and headed downstairs
and outside. When I climbed into the car Eric had both
hands and his head pressed against the steering wheel, and
without saying anything or looking at me, he started the
car and pulled out of the driveway.
“Hospital or school?” he asked after a few long, never
ending minutes. His voice was blank and empty.
“Hospital,” I muttered, looking out the window. That
was it for our conversation.
When we got to the ER no one paid any attention to
me. “Hello!” I shouted when speaking to the ER nurse as a
human had failed. “Why do I have to wait? I am the only
person here!” I screamed over the counter at her.
Her eyes narrowed as she took me in, and I could tell
that she was starting to get annoyed now. She let out an
irritated sigh and flashed me a fake smile. “Miss,” she
began sweetly, and an angry breath escaped me.
Just as I was about to tell her off, Eric, who was still
brooding in silence took my left hand in his, silencing me.
“Miss, my name is Eric Wilson and,” that was all he got
out before a male nurse walked up to him and shook his
hand.
“I’m sorry Mr. Wilson… we didn’t realize. If you’ll
follow me,” he smiled. I was confused. What the Hell had
just happened?
The male nurse showed us into a private room and as
soon as we entered, I walked over to the bed and sat
down. Moments later, Eric was at my side. It wasn’t a
minute after the nurse left when a young man in his late
twenties, entered the room. The name sewed onto his coat
declared that he was Dr.
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley