What Have I Done to Deserve This Pain, Other Than Loving Him
Kapitel Drei
Stephan Barnes hated his stepson, but when he saw him faint from blood loss he rushed to call 911.
"911, what is your emergency?"
"My stepson has just tried to kill himself! We need help right away!"
"What is your location?"
"202 South Street."
"We're sending an ambulance right away..."
Somewhere, a soft beeping invaded my blanket of darkness.
It is said that death comes in many ways. Was it coming to me as a hospital?
"Now come one, come all to this tragic affair, wipe off that makeup what's in is despair......Fuck. I got nothin'."
Was that an angel singing to me? It was a beautiful voice, that was for sure.
I opened my eyes I was blinded at first. Seriously, I knew where I was as soon as I saw the paint. Scary, creepyhaunted, death-filled old Belleville General. It looked like the room my mom died in.
On my right, nearer the door, a blue curtain was pulled back so I could see a boy about my age sitting on the other bed. He had chin-length shaggy black hair brushed behind his left ear and I saw bright hazel irises flash from under a black eye. He held a notebook in his lap, tapping a pen to his bruised lower lip. I had never in my life been jealous of an inanimate object until that moment.
He was a god with stitches from his hairline through his left eyebrow to the bridge of his nose and random cuts and scrapes all over.
His skin was very pale in contrast to his black shirt and pajama pants.
"Where am I?" I asked, not wanting to disturb him.
"SWEET JESUS!" he screeched. "You're finally awake!"
I sat up, wincing from my half-healed contusions along my stomach and spine.
"Yeah. How long was I out?"
The boy wrinkled his nose. It was so adorable.
"A few days. They brought ya in a couple of nights ago."
He got up and sat in the chair next to my bed.
"So..." He paused. "Why?"
I shook my head.
"Oh."
A woman walked in and smiled at my roommate.
"Hiya, Gee. How are you?" she asked.
"Meh, can't complain. Other than this fuckin needle in my hand." He shuddered.
"Hey! You're awake!" the woman said.
I nodded.
"I'm Bella. I'm the psych ward nurse. This is Gerard." She gestured to the boy on the other bed. "Don't be freaked, but we have to keep you under observation for awhile. Since you.."
"I undestand. Is...is my stepfather here?" I asked, frightened.
Bella and Gerard exchanged an awkward look.
"No, but..I need to talk to you," Bella said.
"Uh..okay. Sure."
Gerard got up and crashed on his bed, closing the curtain.
"So, Frank, I know this is hard to talk about, but why did you try to kill yourself?"
"Well, um, it's because..." I bit my lip.
"Is someone else the cause?"
"Y-yeah.." Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.
"Can you tell me who, Frank?"
"It's my stepdad. He beats me," I whispered.
"Oh, Frankie, you poor darling," Bella said.
"Get him. Get that bastard. I want him in prison forever," I hissed, tears streaming down my face.
Bella nodded.
"I'll call the police immediately."
"911, what is your emergency?"
"My stepson has just tried to kill himself! We need help right away!"
"What is your location?"
"202 South Street."
"We're sending an ambulance right away..."
Somewhere, a soft beeping invaded my blanket of darkness.
It is said that death comes in many ways. Was it coming to me as a hospital?
"Now come one, come all to this tragic affair, wipe off that makeup what's in is despair......Fuck. I got nothin'."
Was that an angel singing to me? It was a beautiful voice, that was for sure.
I opened my eyes I was blinded at first. Seriously, I knew where I was as soon as I saw the paint. Scary, creepyhaunted, death-filled old Belleville General. It looked like the room my mom died in.
On my right, nearer the door, a blue curtain was pulled back so I could see a boy about my age sitting on the other bed. He had chin-length shaggy black hair brushed behind his left ear and I saw bright hazel irises flash from under a black eye. He held a notebook in his lap, tapping a pen to his bruised lower lip. I had never in my life been jealous of an inanimate object until that moment.
He was a god with stitches from his hairline through his left eyebrow to the bridge of his nose and random cuts and scrapes all over.
His skin was very pale in contrast to his black shirt and pajama pants.
"Where am I?" I asked, not wanting to disturb him.
"SWEET JESUS!" he screeched. "You're finally awake!"
I sat up, wincing from my half-healed contusions along my stomach and spine.
"Yeah. How long was I out?"
The boy wrinkled his nose. It was so adorable.
"A few days. They brought ya in a couple of nights ago."
He got up and sat in the chair next to my bed.
"So..." He paused. "Why?"
I shook my head.
"Oh."
A woman walked in and smiled at my roommate.
"Hiya, Gee. How are you?" she asked.
"Meh, can't complain. Other than this fuckin needle in my hand." He shuddered.
"Hey! You're awake!" the woman said.
I nodded.
"I'm Bella. I'm the psych ward nurse. This is Gerard." She gestured to the boy on the other bed. "Don't be freaked, but we have to keep you under observation for awhile. Since you.."
"I undestand. Is...is my stepfather here?" I asked, frightened.
Bella and Gerard exchanged an awkward look.
"No, but..I need to talk to you," Bella said.
"Uh..okay. Sure."
Gerard got up and crashed on his bed, closing the curtain.
"So, Frank, I know this is hard to talk about, but why did you try to kill yourself?"
"Well, um, it's because..." I bit my lip.
"Is someone else the cause?"
"Y-yeah.." Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.
"Can you tell me who, Frank?"
"It's my stepdad. He beats me," I whispered.
"Oh, Frankie, you poor darling," Bella said.
"Get him. Get that bastard. I want him in prison forever," I hissed, tears streaming down my face.
Bella nodded.
"I'll call the police immediately."