No Matter What the Cost

Seba shifted uncomfortably in the hospital bed, watching as the nurses and the doctors went in and out of her room. Her dad and her sister had fallen asleep in two of the chairs on one end of her room, occasionally one shifting and forcing the other to as well. Val had gone home to tell everyone that Seba was generally alright, and had called saying that they would all be over as soon as the doctors allowed visitors. Letting her head flop to the side, she let out a frustrated breath, just wanting to get out of the starch, sanitary room. She hated hospitals, she always had, and had learned to despise them more when she was occasionally dragged there after loosing conscious or being unable to walk at all. Occasionally, a nurse would ask her if she needed anything, like something to eat or drink, but she just shook her head and went on staring at a wall or the ceiling. She just wanted to leave, to go home. But not only did the police have to still come and ask her questions, but she had to have a psychiatric exam before she was allowed to leave. Seba forced herself into a sitting position and yanked the oxygen tube away from her face, carefully removed the IV from her arm, then pulled the sticky tabs reading her heart rate. As soon as she did so, however, the machine began screaming loudly as it no longer had a heart rate to read. Seba clamped her hands over her ears as nurses and doctors rushed in, and Caaj and Matt woke up. A doctor began pushing buttons on the machine and finally got it to shut up, only to turn to her and ask, “What are you doing?” Seba glared and started climbing out of the bed away from him, only to have a very large male nurse try to keep her in the bed. Swallowing her fear, Seba jammed her foot painfully into his chest, knocking him backwards.

Mystery arms grabbed at her and instantly, Seba was throwing punches and scratching at anything that she could reach, shrieking as her body either twisted the wrong way or a hand grabbed a bruised area of skin or sore flesh. Finally the hands pulled back and Seba glared to see doctors and nurses standing cautiously around, watching her as warily as she was watching them. Her father shoved through the group and asked, “What the hell is going on?” Seba crossed her arms and growled, “I was just trying to fucking get up! Not rob a bank or anything!” The doctor who seemed to be in charge rubbed his temples and told her, “Miss Sanders, you have been through a very traumatic experience-” Seba cut him off, “Don’t even go there! I do not need sympathy or pity! Just give me some damn pain killers, and I’ll be on my fucking merry way!” The doctor gave her a dirty look before arguing, “You have multiple broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and breaks that were never set properly.” Seba jumped out of the bed without even flinching despite the ache that shot through her upper body. Re-crossing her arms over her chest, she glared and informed him, “I’ve been getting hit and shoved and hurt for a long time. I have a pretty high pain tolerance. Just write a fucking prescription for the strongest pain killer you have and let me go.” She started prodding at her shoulder before crying out, “How the hell is this dislocated?! I can pop it back into place for fuck’s sake.” Before anyone could tell her to wait, she jammed her shoulder back into place with a loud pop, then rolled it in circles for a few moments before asking, “Can I just leave now?

The doctor looked at her like she was absolutely crazy, then burst out, “No!” Seba groaned and tapped her foot then asked, “Can I go now?” Caaj smiled at her sister’s stubborn attitude and couldn’t help but think that Seba was most definitely their father’s daughter. The doctor and Seba continued arguing for a good five minutes before Matt cut in, “How about she get’s her ribs set and stays for a couple hours for observation or whatever, then she gets discharged later tonight?” Seba grumbled but reluctantly agreed as well as the very aggravated doctor. Matt stepped outside to make a call and Seba and Caaj sat onto the hospital bed as Seba sighed, “I hate just sitting here. I’m fine.” Caaj shook her head and pointed out, “Sis, you’ve got broken ribs. That isn’t something small.” Trying to run her fingers through her hair, Seba groaned as she realized how knotted her hair was. Matt poked his head in the room and asked, “Is Val allowed to invade?” Caaj chuckled as her sister asked, “Wait what?” Matt shrugged and took it as permission to give his wife the go ahead. Seba figured slightly what was going on and asked, “Could Mom bring me some clothes and, like, a hairbrush or something?” A squeal came from the mobile phone, and Matt informed his daughter, “Val is very happy you still call her ‘mom’.” Seba chuckled slightly as he left the room again, and Caaj prodded, “I want to know about the tats and metal!” She laughed at her sister’s excitement and began, “Whenever Amanda was short for cash she’d rent me out to friends, and they’d tattoo me and pierce me, or use me as a Barbie doll. But I like them, they’re very me, ironically.”

For the next half hour after a nurse came and wrapped Seba‘s ribs, Caaj and Seba simply talked, Seba telling her sister how she would find books and would school herself, Amanda occasionally bringing old text books in for unknown reasons. Caaj told her about the entire Avenged gang, who was married to who, and who’s kids where who’s, everything that Seba would need to know to survive their crazed family. As Seba was about to ask her sister about one of the boys she had mentioned, a group of adults and kids alike poured into the room, with balloons, decorations, and colorful boxes. Seba went wide eyed as a very tall and skinny man jumped onto the bed and hugged her tightly, yelling loudly, “Oh my God Seba you look so pretty!” Seba tensed and Caaj eased, “Seba, this is Jimmy. You remember Jimmy, yeah? Runs around screaming, always has candy or whiskey on his person, that Jimmy.” Getting the hint, Jimmy let go and whined, “You have to remember me! I’m everyone’s favorite uncle!” Seba smiled a little and lied smoothly, “Of course I remember you. I just have broken ribs is all.” Jimmy got off the bed and muttered sheepishly, “Sorry.” Seba shrugged and Val came forward and hugged her daughter, before saying, “We possibly might have let Sara Rae loose in Hot Topic before we came here. And she might have gone a little overboard.” As the words were spoken, almost as if on cue, a tan, dark haired girl came marching in, two taller, tired looking boys following with bags weighing down their arms. Seba took in their appearance cautiously, but eagerly. Both of them were very cute, no doubt about it, and different in their own way. The first one had dark brown hair that was almost black until the light hit it and proved otherwise, was tall and skinny, and somewhat tanned, like he hung around outside a lot. She noticed his ears were gauged and that he had snake bites along with a couple other tattoos, but other than that all she could see was he had black skinny jeans, a brown wife-beater, and a brown and white flannel on with a brown beanie. The one trailing behind him was definetly the one Seba paid most attention to, although she wasn’t sure why.

He was taller and paler than the first, had pitch black hair instead of almost black, and seemed to be stronger. Neither had taken off their sunglasses, so she couldn’t tell what color their eyes were, but the second one had snake bites, angel bites, and a nose stud. He wore something similar to the first boy, a blue and grey flannel with grey skinny jeans. Caaj poked her sister’s arm and whispered, “One in brown is Xander, hands off, he’s mine,” she teased lightly, “and the one in blue is Bronx, and he is all yours.” Seba blushed momentarily before Sara Rae squealed, “Seba! I missed you soooooo much! We have to go shopping soon, since we’ll have to return what doesn’t fit. I wasn’t sure what size you were so I got Caaj’s size, one above, and three below. Oh, and hair stuff and jewelry cause Val said you had some piercing, and I thought you might like some change. I didn’t know what your style was, so we stopped at Spencer’s, Hot Topic, Aeropostal, Hollister only for a smaller size in jeans just as a precaution, Fredrik’s and Victoria Secret for panties and bras, once more a lot of sizes, then Vans, Active, and Slick because they have better hoodies and to reward the boys for playing pack mule!” Seba stared at her child hood friend in shock, her jaw wide open, and Jimmy howled, “You let my shopaholic daughter loose with my credit card?! I’m gonna go broke, woman!” Val and Leana looked at their feet and Val muttered, “Matt’s too.” Matt groaned and mourned, “I’m gonna go broke, too!” Sara frowned and defended, “Hey, I didn’t hit six figures! And a lot has to be returned if it doesn’t fit! You might be my dad and uncle, but you’re old and I can whoop your asses in video games and in a cage match!” Caaj began giggling hysterically and a younger boy with dark brown hair and a true California tan whined, “Sara Rae you have severe mental issues!” Sara glared and caught him in a headlock, growling, “What was that, oh brother dearest? Did you say that you love me and will be my pack mule on my next trip to the mall? Well, only if you insist!”

The bed squeaked and sunk as two boys flung themselves on the bed and Bronx groaned, “Never again am I doing that unless there is a physical girl trying it on! Guessing weighs way to fucking much!” Seba chuckled and apologized, “Well, it might have all been in vain. I’m pretty fucking thin.” Bronx and Xander both had taken off their shades and she could see that Bronx had bright emerald eyes, while Xander had one blue while the other was chocolate. Caaj smacked Xander and scolded, “Stop whining you little brats! It was for a good cause! And close your mouths, your drooling on yourselves.” Immediately both boys snapped their jaws shut and wiped their mouths, only to glare at Caaj when they realized she was just kidding. Sara Rae had dropped her brother and launched herself onto the bed and announced, “All males out of the room while we pretty the birthday twins up! Bronx, Xander, grab your reward bag and change too, because you just look messy, you lazy bums!” The girls never gave the boys a chance as they shoved the boys out, Sara Rae a star pitcher as she aimed the bag perfectly at the back of Bronx’s head, and closed the door, then diving for the shopping bags. Seba got up and sighed, “Dad’s going to have a coronary if you picked out the type of clothes I think you did, Sara. Last I remember, you were showing up Barbie with your own amazing little doll clothes.” Sara smirked and retorted, “Good thing we are in a hospital then, cause you, my dear, are going to look fucking hot! Val, Michelle! Shower! Caaj get your ass over here, I refuse to let you spend your birthday in old jeans and a sweatshirt!” Both girls were yanked in a different direction as Michelle and Val helped Seba scrub the dirt and grime off of her body without hitting any scratches and wash her tangled hair. The water was running down the drain practically black, until finally, it ran clear with soap-suds. Sara Rae jammed her arm in with a set of fluffy black towels and yelled, “There was a sale, I bought sheets and stuff too!” Val handed them to Michelle and yelled back, “Do not tell the boys!” Seba pulled one around her thin body and Michelle finally burst out, “Okay, you are really fucking thin! When is the last time you ate?!” Seba counted on her fingers for a moment as she held the towel in place in between her arm and ribs cage, then replied, “Six days ago.” Val shrieked at the top of her lungs, “I’m going to shank that bitch! You are eating, and that is final!” Seba’s eyes lit up and she pleaded, “Send someone for McDonalds! I don’t know what’s there, all I remember is amazing fries!” Michelle’s eyes narrowed and asked, “When was the last time you at anything fried?” Seba made a face, like she was trying to recall the past and answered unsurely, “Eight years ago? I am really no good with numbers.” Leana ripped the door open and yelled in disbelief, “You haven’t eaten fast food in eight fucking years?!” She turned and sprinted for the door and relayed to her husband, “JIMMY! Go to McDonalds and by like six of everything! And as many fries as you fucking can! Seba hasn’t eaten fried anything in eight god damn years!”

Seba giggled like mad and cheered, “Yay, thank you Leana!” Sara Rae marched in with two bags in her hands, replacing Michelle, and said smugly, “Sexy time. I’ve got every size.” Seba gulped and Sara Rae tossed her a pair of purple panties first, which Seba quickly tugged on under the towel, then Leana replaced Val and ordered, “Drop the towel!” Seba didn’t move and asked her, “What makes you so god damn qualified to figure out how big my boobs are?” Sara Rae was still pulling out bras as her mother replied, “I used to be a porn star, duh! My specialty is tits and dicks.” Seba sighed, realizing she couldn’t argue and dropped the towel, her hands clenching and unclenching as Leana gaped and gasped, “Holy hell! You have bigger boobs than Caaj or Val! Uh, Sara, a, uh, 32 C. Front clasp, strapless.” Sara revealed a silky purple and black lace bra and informed Seba slyly, “Bronx loves the color purple.” Leana giggled and Seba hissed, “What is with you and playing matchmaker?! I’ve been back for not even a god damn day! Besides, he probably doesn’t even remember me.” Leana and Sara Rae glanced at each other as Seba clasped the bra in front and asked, “Why am I being forced into a push-up bra?” Sara Rae giggled and clapped her hands before pulling Seba out of the bathroom and squealing, “Look how smexi Sebbie looks!” Jaws dropped and Seba yelped before jumping behind Sara Rae. Leana came out and shrieked, “No boys allowed in! God dammit! Out!” Seba peaked out from behind her friend to see Bronx being pulled out by Xander. Sara Rae looked over her shoulder and smirked, “Told ya that he would like it.” Lacey ran over with make-up and pulled her away to sit her on the bed and informed her, “Gena will do your hair, and I will do your make up!” Aria bounced over and sat next to Seba and said, “I’m Aria. My mommy and daddy told me all about you on the way over here! You’re really pretty!” Seba tried to move, but Gena and Lacey moved her back, so Seba simply said, “Oh, thank you!”

Violet and Lillie came over and began chatting with their newest sister, telling her all the silly stories from their perspective, what life was like, anything they could talk about. Finally, Lacey and Gena were done, and Seba hurried to the mirror to see how she looked. Gena walked in and told her, “I fixed the pink. It’s just a tad darker, and I straitened it, then tousled it a little.” As Seba started to get teary, Lacey came in and commanded, “No tears! Don’t ruin the make-up I did so well!” Seba laughed and thanked them, “This is amazing, thank you so much Aunt Gena and Aunt Lacey.” It was Lacey and Gena’s time to get teary eyed and they hugged her in hearing being called Aunt again. Caaj and Sara ran in with Hot Topic bags, and shoved their aunts out, slamming the door. Val let the boys in and the group waited to see what Sara Rae had picked to dress the now sixteen year old twins in, and waiting to see how life would become.