Over the Rainbow

Voices…

They need to shut up, I’m trying to sleep.

Wait!

“Shit,” I whimpered. It was still raining and I had managed to lay down behind the trashcan. I just woke up, meaning I passed out- there’s no way I’d be able to manage to nap in these conditions.

It was still raining and freezing as all hell- wait that didn’t make sense. I groaned as I pulled my knees back to my chest and bit my lip. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t take pain very well, and right now that’s all I could feel, that and the frigid temperature.

“…over there! You go that way! It’s important we find her!”

My gut sank. They were talking about me! I know too much! They want to take me back and finish me off, or worse! I started to cry as I tried to disappear like I had done earlier- using my arms to keep my legs to my chest and to wrap over the back of my head in some form of protection. I was shaking and rocking back and forth. I was not a happy camper.

I was starting to get sleepy again- though I’m beginning to think it has more to do with blood loss than actually being tired.

“I’m going this way!”

The rain muffled the voice, but it sounded vaguely familiar… probably because it was one of the men from before. I bit my lip in a sad attempt to keep from sobbing as I curled through the pain and tried to press myself in a corner. I continued to shake as I heard heavy foot steps swiftly approaching, I tried to maneuver myself so my shoes wouldn’t show, they were like a beacon and I really just didn’t need the attention at the moment.

I bit back a particularly loud sob as the footsteps were nearly upon me. My throat was dry and I was drifting again, which as far as I’m concerned wasn’t a good sign, I’m sure the creep would appreciate me being too out of it to fight.

“Over here!”

Who ever it was, was right behind me- but I wasn’t going to go with out some sort of fight. The rain had plastered lose chunks of , hair to my face and effectively blocked my vision so when I sprung up and turned around, I took a wild swing.

It honestly felt like I hit a brick wall. My knuckles were stinging badly, but I assume it was my attacker I hit because he let out a low grunt when I made contact.

Still not able to see, I took another swing; unfortunately whoever it was caught my wrist and I let a sob escape from pain of it. I took another swing, that one was caught as well. I began to struggle weakly as the man I couldn’t see was yelling something. I don’t know how he did it, but I ended up with my arms crossed over my chest and my back to him. He was holding me in place as I had a mental breakdown- well close to it anyway.

“Lane! Calm down! Quit struggling, you’re okay now!”

My breathing hitched as I settled, recognizing Matt’s voice. His vice grip loosened and turned into a hug, there was such a substantial difference in body heat Matt actually made me feel like I was burning.

“Oh my Oz! Lane, we were so worried,” Matt let go and turned me around; I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand, I wasn’t feeling to stable at that point in time. “What happened!? We’ve been searching for hours!”

“Matt…” I whimpered before flinging my arms around his waist and crying into his chest- not that lasted very long. I felt his arms go around me and I promptly passed out.

Again.

Sometime after I passed out in Matt’s arms, I woke up on a gurney. They were just about to set me on the bed in a private room when I swatted them away and told them I’d do it myself. Not long after that Zacky came into the room and started asking me about my injuries, which is where we are now.

“And this one?” Zacky asked pointing to my right wrist.

“Same dumpster I cut my side on,” I sighed.

I rested my scraped elbow on my knee and immediately set my hand to rest on the connected hand. I was watching Zacky as he was flipping between pages and filling stuff in. I thought he looked cute in his white doctors coat and thick-framed glasses on his face. I smiled.

“What are you smiling at,” he asked with a small smile of his own.

“You,” he raised an eyebrow at me, “I just think you look cute all doctor like.”

He laughed and shook his head and then turned more serious, “Your cuts are accounted for, how about those bruises.”

“These?” I nodded to my arms and confirmed the topic of discussion; “That would be where I was grabbed.”

He put his clipboard down on the bed by my feet and looked at me seriously, “Did they take you out of here the first time?”

“First time?” I asked confused, “You mean when you guys… dropped me off?” I really wanted to say abandoned. “No, I did that on my own.”

“You’ve been missing for hours Lane,” he looked at me like I didn’t know what I was talking about- this is one of the reasons I don’t like doctors. They’re so condescending. “We haven’t heard anything of you since we dropped you off here, Lane. You were missing for a little over a day.”

“That’s bullshit,” I looked at him sternly, “Last recognizable person I saw was Matt’s second in command. Oh, by the way, you may want to inform whoever is in charge at City Hall that their customer service sucks. I’m putting it lightly when I say that lady was a total bitch.”

“You were at City Hall?” He furrowed his eyebrows at me, “Akisha dropped in on our meeting- by then we were waiting to see how you were doing.”

“That reminds me! What the hell? Thanks for telling me you were dropping me of at a hospital, it was really appreciated,” I gave him a pointed glare.

“It was for your own good,” I froze. I hated those words.

It’s for your own good.

“That’s bullshit too,” I said quietly; I avoided Zacky’s gaze; he seemed to have understood that he hit a sore spot.

“Put this on,” he handed me a gown, I really didn’t want to put it on but I was way too tired to argue. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

I did what he instructed after he walked out. I was still freezing so I limped over to the cupboard and pulled out a blanket before going back to the generic bed and laid down, bundled up in the blanket. I was looking at the pile of wet dirty and blood stained clothes that I had just removed and felt just a bit irked. Looking down at my feet, I couldn’t decide if I should keep the shoes on, Brian did tell me to keep them on at all times- I don’t even know if I can take them off.

It’s worth a shot.

I groaned as I hunched over to start untying the big red bows- that was also the moment that Zacky decided to walk back in.

With Jimmy.

And Matt.

And some dude with a nose ring who looked really tired.

“I didn’t expect an audience, otherwise I would have waited to put on a show,” I paused before I continued to untie my shoe. I looked back up at the men around me and decided now probably wasn’t the best time for jokes, “What’s up?”

“Lane,” Jimmy cleared his throat, “We’d like to introduce you to The Apprentice.”

I gave a small wave before returning to carefully untying my shoes, “So, seeing as how I was otherwise… preoccupied during your first meeting, what’d I miss?”

“Lay down, we’re going to fix you up and talk at the same time,” Zacky said putting a hand on my shoulder and forcing me down onto the bed. Then he pushed a button above my head.

“Great,” I sighed, “Can I get some water?” Zacky nodded and retrieved a cup filled with the liquid-y goodness. I sighed and took a drink, the door opened and three women came in holding a multitude of equipment- I gagged on the water when I recognized the needle equipment.

“We’re just going to get you hooked up and then we’ll get started,” Zacky said, taking some of the stuff on of the nurses was carrying.

“Hooked up?” My voice was a little scratchy, “To what?”

I was too busy staring at all the equipment to notice that my voice had cracked like a teenage boy during puberty.

“Delaney,” Zack looked at me sternly, “You are in a hospital. People go to hospitals usually because something is wrong with them and they need help.”

“Ah,” I held up a finger slowly moving away from him, “But those people come here voluntarily. Me? I did not- I’m exempt.”

“There are restraints on the beds for a reason,” Jimmy smiled at me.

“Very funny,” I deadpanned.

“This won’t hurt,” I felt my left wrist pulled away from my body and I snapped my to Zacky, who was now holding an IV needle in his hand.

“What’s that for?” I squeaked, trying to pull my arm out of stronghold.

“Lane, you know what it’s for,” Zacky said.

“For someone else?” I smiled still trying to pull my arm away, I felt pressure on one of my fingers and then that annoying beeping started, only it was twice as annoying because it was inconsistent and very rapid.

Haha, that’s my heart.

“Lane, you need to calm down,” Zacky said as I continued to shrink away from him. Seeing Zacky with that needle freaked me out and I started to sweat, even though I was still freezing.

I was starting to feel light headed as it got harder to breathe and I started shaking, “Honestly, I think I’m going to be sick.”

I felt my right hand be enveloped by a much bigger one, looking I discovered that it was Matt. He gave me a stern, concerned look, “Lane, calm down.”

He was squeezing my hand and I was gripping his back for dear life. I couldn’t talk, my throat felt constricted. Matt’s eyes drifted from me to somewhere else where he gave a small nod. I followed his gaze just in time to witness Zacky stick that wretched needle into my arm and I immediately tensed. I could feel my grip loosen as the corners of my vision began to go black.

Then nothing.

Again.

This is getting old.