Running From Lions

He pulled his hand from mine trying to hide his arms.

“I’ve seen them you know and your stomach,” I said and he looked away from me.

“His legs are pretty much the same,” Jack cut in and Jonah looked at him before nodding.

“Why Jonah?” I asked and he shrugged.

“Why do I do anything?” he asked and I looked at him.

“I feel sick,” he stated.

“I’ll go fetch a doctor,” Xavier said walking out the room.

“Alex I’m sorry, I never meant to do that. I just…I don’t know. I’m sorry,” Jonah said.

“I know,” Alex stated and Jonah nodded.

He started to scratch at his skin again and I looked at him worried.

“Hello Mr. Zanda, how do you feel?” the doctor asked.

“Sick, my body hurts and my skin itches,” he stated and she smiled at him.

“ We need to have a chat,” she said looking around and he nodded.

“It’s okay you can talk,” he said and she sat on he edge of his bed.

“You passed out from a combination of things. There was alcohol in your blood, along with other substances, your blood pressure was low and you were bleeding from several areas. I think this was your body’s way of telling you it’s exhausted, when was the last time you slept or ate properly?” she asked.

He scratched away at his skin.

“A few days,” he said and she nodded.

“I suggest you rest and start eating properly. The cuts to your body where did they come from?” she asked and he sighed.

“Myself” he said and she nodded.

“Have you thought about seeing someone maybe a counselor?” she asked and I shrugged looking away from everyone.

“As I said we found alcohol in your blood but your friend here suggested we test for other things. Now is this a one of thing or a regular thing?” she asked and Jonah looked up.

“Regular,” he said quietly.

“And what is it that you normally take regularly?” she asked and I shrugged again.

“Anything and everything,” he stated.

“There are marks on your arm that fit with injecting substances, do you do this regularly?” she asked and I shook his head.

“Only ever a few times and recently, maybe 4 times. Normally its just tablets I don’t snort things that often, sometimes I’ll smoke them,” he said and I looked away from him.

It wasn’t that I was ashamed of him it just upset me to see he was that ashamed of himself.

She nodded slowly.

“We can put you in touch with people that can help you stop, this can have a serious damage to your health if you keep this lifestyle up,” she said and he nodded.

“I suggest you rest and I’ll send somebody in to talk to you about stopping and also about counseling,” she said and he just looked at her.

“I still feel ill,” he said and she smiled.

“That, I’m afraid is what called withdrawal, that’s your body’s way of telling you it wants more drugs. Your feeling nauseous, your aches all over your body and your apparently itchy skin is all linked to it. I suggest you stop itchy though because you’ll cause yourself to bleed and it’ll get infected, I’m sorry to say sleeping right now will be difficult but it will all eventually get better,” she said standing up and leaving.

“You can go you know,” he said and I shook my head.

“We’re going to go get some air,” Xavier said standing up with Alex and Jack nodded sitting back down.

I watched them leave before looking back at Jonah.

“I suppose it’s easy to quit in jail,” he said as he lay back down.

“Well you might never find out,” I stated.

“I will for what I’ve done,” he said quietly.

“Well I’m not sending you there,” I stated and he shook his head.

“You have to Rory, I could’ve killed you. Everyone’s given up on me and they’re leaving,” he said and I nodded.

“Yeah so where does that leave me? You’ve ruined everything Jonah,” I said and he nodded crying.

“I just don’t know who I am,” he said hugging his knees to his chest.

“I just want you to be normal again, I want you to be the person you were. I miss you being at home and looking after me,” I admitted and he smiled.

“I never stopped looking out for you, I just got it wrong sometimes. Especially now,” he apologized.

He sat there crying.

“I’m scared Rory,” he admitted.

He scratched at his wrists and I stopped him, he grabbed my hand in his own.

“I'm so sorry Rory. What do I do?” he asked looking lost.

“Stop,” I stated and he sighed.

“They’ll send me away,” he said quietly and I nodded.

“I know but there’ll be others and we can come visit,” I reassured.

“You say we like more than one person would come visit me, you’re the only person who’d care Rory,” he said and I didn’t really know what to say.

“We’d come,” Jack said and Jonah looked up.

“Why is your boyfriend so nice?” he asked and I smiled.

“Would you really come and visit me?” he asked and I nodded.

He shifted his weight looking at his feet as he pulled his knees up to his chest.

“What’s happened to mom and dad?” he asked and I shrugged.

“Probably what’s been coming for years,” I stated and he shook his head.

“But dad won’t want me and he will you, then he’ll stop you talking to me and I’ll end up…” he trailed off.

“Shut up Jonah,” I stated and he looked at me.

“Rory it’s like I’ve forgotten who I am and what everything means to me,” he said through tears and I smiled.

“Jonah your scared of everything but you act brave, you pretend everything’s alright just because you think that’s what your meant to do, you play with your hair when your bored, you sucked your thumb for years, you have that ridiculous teddy for a start, you cry at the thought of being left to look after yourself, you like having someone to look after, your clever, you can play sport, you hate people who pick on others. Jonah your everything but this,” I said moving and Jack appeared next to me.

“You shouldn’t be moving about so much,” he said grabbing my arm as I tried to stand up, he helped me sit on the edge of Jonah’s bed before sitting down again on the chair.

Jonah moved to sit next to me putting his arm around my shoulders.

“How come you remember all this stuff?” he asked and I rolled my eyes.

“Because,” I stated and he smiled.

“Do you really mean you’ll visit?” he asked and I nodded.

“I came now didn’t I?” I asked and he nodded slowly.

The door opened and a man walked in.

“Jonah Zanda?” he asked and my brother nodded.

“The doctor sent me to talk to you,” he said and Jonah nodded.

He looked at us and Jonah told him it was okay to talk in front of us, the guy explained who he was and asked questions.

When Jonah spoke he nodded and wrote things down, the guy explained what would happen if Jonah chose to get help and where he would go and Jack kept smiling at me.

“So Mr Zanda is help something you would like?” he asked and Jonah nodded slowly and I felt relieved.

The guy told him he’d be back alter and left.

“Rory you should go back to your room,” Jack said and I nodded slowly.

“Alex is outside so why don’t you go back with him and I’ll stay here,” he suggested and I nodded slowly as he helped me off the bed and Jonah laid down again.

Jack shouted Alex to come get me and Jack kissed me.

“I’ll come see you in a bit okay?” he said and I nodded.

“Behave yourself,” he said and I smiled as we left.