Enigma
If I Were Normal
Thursday rolled around and I woke to the sound of people bustling into the room. Three tall people followed a short nurse to the bed across from me. The mother ruffled the hair of the youngest looking person, whilst the third stood there twitching anxiously and cracking his knuckles.
The youngest pushed her long fair hair from her eyes and glanced around the room discreetly. I pushed myself into a sitting position and smiled wanly. The girl gave me a quick startled smile before turning back to her mother. The boy looked around to see what his sister had seen and he gave a small wave before returning to his knuckles.
I lifted the covers and swung my legs out of the bed. The nurse turned to me and smiled without humour. “Your breakfast will be along shortly Annette,” she spoke rapidly and then stalked from the room.
“Everything will be okay dear.” The mother was comforting the girl. “All it is, is a quick operation and then you will be home in a couple of days. See, nothing wrong with that.” She smiled and stroked the girl’s hair. The boy grabbed the girl’s hand and kissed it before drawing her into a tight hug. Obviously I was wrong about them being related.
The nurse stalked in again and placed my breakfast on the table beside me. She smiled thinly before returning to the other people.
I munched eagerly on the toast and gulped down the odd-tasting orange juice. They were unpacking the girl’s things now and she sat on the bed miserably. The boy had gone, obviously needing to be somewhere else.
Once finished with my food, I grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste and made my way down the hall to the bathroom. I had to wait a few moments as someone else finished in there before I could clean my teeth. Then I walked back to the room, smiling at the people who passed. Dr. Stepp was waiting for me.
“Morning Annette,” she smiled warmly at me. It was as if we were best friends.
“Hi,” I smiled slightly at her and placed my things back in the draw. “Time for more tests?” I asked drily.
She smiled at me again, “Yes, come along then,” she fell into step beside me as we proceeded down the hall. It was five minutes before we reached our destination. She pointed at the bed in the middle of the room.
I lay down and stared at the blank white ceiling. There were posters of baby animals and the solar system lining the walls. It would be so much more appropriate if the pictures were on the ceiling. That’s where I’m looking. I’m not staring at the walls for hours on end.
Dr. Stepp smile disappeared as she concentrated on getting the equipment ready to be used. Needles lay in order along a bench on my right side. One of those was for collecting a blood sample. I grimaced and looked back at the blank ceiling. Maybe it was better that it was so void of anything. It reflected the way I wanted to feel right now. Blank. I didn’t want to feel this revulsion for what I was. If I wasn’t like this then I wouldn’t require all these damn tests. If I were normal like everyone else, my life could be so much better.
But, would I have met Strider? Would I have retreated to the online world if I were not who I was? What if I had been popular and liked by everyone like my sisters are? I don’t think I would’ve met Strider. I bit my lip at the thought. I couldn’t imagine life without him. That seems rather dramatic, but he was my first friend. The first person I had ever sustained an ongoing conversation with. My brow furrowed as I thought. If I were normal like everyone else then I wouldn’t be the person that I am now.
“Here we go dear,” Dr. Stepp broke into my thoughts as she pushed the needle into my arm. I felt the moment when the skin broke and the sharp point entered my vein. She paused for a moment before drawing the handle back, sucking blood into the long tube.
“All done,” she smiled as she turned back to the bench to prepare the next equipment.
What about David? Would I know him if I didn’t need to come to hospital? I doubt it. So, there were two reasons for me to be grateful that I am a freak. I smiled slightly, wondering if David would be coming to hospital this week.
The youngest pushed her long fair hair from her eyes and glanced around the room discreetly. I pushed myself into a sitting position and smiled wanly. The girl gave me a quick startled smile before turning back to her mother. The boy looked around to see what his sister had seen and he gave a small wave before returning to his knuckles.
I lifted the covers and swung my legs out of the bed. The nurse turned to me and smiled without humour. “Your breakfast will be along shortly Annette,” she spoke rapidly and then stalked from the room.
“Everything will be okay dear.” The mother was comforting the girl. “All it is, is a quick operation and then you will be home in a couple of days. See, nothing wrong with that.” She smiled and stroked the girl’s hair. The boy grabbed the girl’s hand and kissed it before drawing her into a tight hug. Obviously I was wrong about them being related.
The nurse stalked in again and placed my breakfast on the table beside me. She smiled thinly before returning to the other people.
I munched eagerly on the toast and gulped down the odd-tasting orange juice. They were unpacking the girl’s things now and she sat on the bed miserably. The boy had gone, obviously needing to be somewhere else.
Once finished with my food, I grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste and made my way down the hall to the bathroom. I had to wait a few moments as someone else finished in there before I could clean my teeth. Then I walked back to the room, smiling at the people who passed. Dr. Stepp was waiting for me.
“Morning Annette,” she smiled warmly at me. It was as if we were best friends.
“Hi,” I smiled slightly at her and placed my things back in the draw. “Time for more tests?” I asked drily.
She smiled at me again, “Yes, come along then,” she fell into step beside me as we proceeded down the hall. It was five minutes before we reached our destination. She pointed at the bed in the middle of the room.
I lay down and stared at the blank white ceiling. There were posters of baby animals and the solar system lining the walls. It would be so much more appropriate if the pictures were on the ceiling. That’s where I’m looking. I’m not staring at the walls for hours on end.
Dr. Stepp smile disappeared as she concentrated on getting the equipment ready to be used. Needles lay in order along a bench on my right side. One of those was for collecting a blood sample. I grimaced and looked back at the blank ceiling. Maybe it was better that it was so void of anything. It reflected the way I wanted to feel right now. Blank. I didn’t want to feel this revulsion for what I was. If I wasn’t like this then I wouldn’t require all these damn tests. If I were normal like everyone else, my life could be so much better.
But, would I have met Strider? Would I have retreated to the online world if I were not who I was? What if I had been popular and liked by everyone like my sisters are? I don’t think I would’ve met Strider. I bit my lip at the thought. I couldn’t imagine life without him. That seems rather dramatic, but he was my first friend. The first person I had ever sustained an ongoing conversation with. My brow furrowed as I thought. If I were normal like everyone else then I wouldn’t be the person that I am now.
“Here we go dear,” Dr. Stepp broke into my thoughts as she pushed the needle into my arm. I felt the moment when the skin broke and the sharp point entered my vein. She paused for a moment before drawing the handle back, sucking blood into the long tube.
“All done,” she smiled as she turned back to the bench to prepare the next equipment.
What about David? Would I know him if I didn’t need to come to hospital? I doubt it. So, there were two reasons for me to be grateful that I am a freak. I smiled slightly, wondering if David would be coming to hospital this week.