All That I've Got

The Next Morning: Carys' P.O.V.

I didn't know where I was when I woke up at first, that is, until I remembered last night. Frank was still asleep, and had good reason to be, it was only five in the morning after all. I'd gotten freaked out last night about the storm and came in here, shuddering at the approaching flashback, one of my least favorite memories from the asylum.

"Afraid of the thunder, huh brat?" Ms. Loarly, one of my first nurses said with a sick smile as she leaned over me. I was sitting on that hard bed, back against the wall as I cried, trying desperately to block out her harsh voice. The wind was horrible that night, whipping so that it made the tree branches smack across the glass of the window, all kinds of creepy noises resulting.

She yanked me up when I hadn't answered, and I tried to fight, but was still in the pain from my weekly drugging. So it was more like a half dead zebra putting up a fight against a hungry lion, pointless. Dragging me by the hood of my jacket, she walked me down the hall, ignoring the faces of the shocked residents as we passed. She forced me to follow outside and somehow ended up tying my arms to one of the iron fence polls in the yard of the asylum, in the pouring rain, the sound of thunder fast approaching. She smirked before walking back into the warm walls of the asylum, leaving me out there the whole night as the storm went on. A bolt of lighning had been extremely close to catching a tree on fire a few times, and that was the night I'd developed my fear of thunder, something it would take awhile for me to get over.

I shook my head of the awful thoughts, deciding to get up and get dressed now. Without waking Frank, I slipped from under the blanket, quietly opening the door before heading across the hallway into my room to grab some clothes.

I didn't take that long in the shower, just enough time so that the hot water could fully wake me up. I got dressed, sliding on a pair of black jeans and looping a belt through them so that they'd stay put around my narrow waist. I slid a gray tank top over my head, brushing my hair so that it fell down normally again. I wiped off my smeared makeup, lining my eyes in black again before I was satisfied, and leaving the bathroom.

Frank was still asleep when I poked my head back into his room, so I quietly snuck downstairs and into the kitchen, grabbing a box of cereal before sitting down. I hadn't eaten anything but hospital food in this past week, and the fact that I almost never ate at the asylum unless I was forced, probably explained why I was glad for the sudden change in taste. I was halfway through my bowl of cereal when a pair of tattooed arms wrapped around my waist, a chin resting on my shoulder. Well, I'd tensed until I looked down and after realizing that it was Frank, immediately relaxed.

"Not that I didn't enjoy the company, which I truly did, but please, let me know in advance if you're that afraid of anything else," he said sleepily. "The fact that you're eating without me begging and pleading is shocking enough," he smiled.

I laughed after swallowing the food in my mouth, and he soon unwrapped his arms, reaching for the box of cereal and grabbing a bowl to sit opposite from me.

"Remember earlier when I said that some friends of mine were on vacation for the summer?" he asked after a few minutes of silence. I looked up at him and nodded, refusing to let any thoughts of my brother into my head. It was too early to cry about that right now. "Well I'd thought they'd be gone until the last week of August, but two of them are coming back today, and I didn't want to wake you up yesterday, but would it be okay if they came over for a bit? I promise, they don't bite."

It made me want to laugh at how carefully he was picking his words, so I decided not to mess with him and nodded my head, ignoring that voice in the back of my head that always had a comment on my choices. I finished my cereal and went over to the sink, rinsing out my bowl before placing it back in the cabinet. Frank did the same soon later, hugging me before he went back upstairs for a shower.

The door bell rang around one in the afternoon, and after a day of lazing around on the couch and watching TV, it scared us both at first.

"Well Mikey didn't really specify what time they were getting back," Frank mumbled before getting up.

I continued to shade in the rose that I'd been working on in my sketch book as he went to open the door, not even looking up until I heard two unfamilar voices.

There were two guys, both taller than Frank, though they both only had a few inches in height difference to each other.

The shortest one, probably about 5'6, had light brown hair that was gelled up in a different style than I was used to seeing, black-rimmed glasses and a girlish frame to him. He was certainly skinnier than most guys were.

The other was about 5'8 with messy black, shoulder length hair hanging over his eyes, and something about him led me to conclude that he was the artisitic type. Even though both guys looked almost nothing alike, they seemed to be related. He was the first one to look over Frank's shoulder at me, and meeting his eyes for a second, I could see that they were a hazel color like Frank's, just a bit darker.

"Hey Frank," they both said, smiling as they hugged him.

"Guys this is Carys, Carys these are two of the gang, Mikey and his older brother Gerard," Frank said as he motioned for them to come in and shut the door.

"Frank told us about you, nice to meet you," the one introduced as Mikey said smiling.

I don't know why, but I waved back and smiled shyly, there was something about these two that just made me feel relaxed, though I hadn't let my guard down completely.

"I expected Gerard to be the first to say something," Frank said as he hopped back on the couch, laughing when I glared at him for making me drop my pencil.

Gerard and Mikey sat down with us, Mikey on Frank's left and Gerard on my right. I didn't tense up at all though, but I did roll my eyes when the phone rang.

"And that's the 'I bet you five bucks it's my parents look'," Frank laughed when he saw my annoyed expression, getting up to run into the kitchen to answer the phone. "Hi Mrs. Winters!" he said loudly, making both Gerard and Mikey laugh when I glared in the direction of the kitchen. The questions began soon after Frank had begun to report any progress to my parents.

"So a year and a half?" Mikey asked as he moved so that he was occupying the space where Frank that just sat, looking down at my hand as I continued to draw, nodding my head in response.

"Is everything really all white? Seems that movies take it a bit over the edge with that," Gerard asked with a curious look as I looked up at him, deciding that writing this down would be easier than nodding or shaking my head, flipping to a clean page.

My room was completely white, the hallways and carpet were too, but the therapy room and cafeteria were the only places with remotely any color. Though as you can see, I avoided the cafeteria whenever possible.

They both glanced down at my small frame for a quick second, making me laugh when Mikey's eyes widened slightly, the same hazel color as Gerard's.

I promise you that I'm not anorexic or anything, I just didn't see the point in eating, but I guess Frank's going to attempt to help me break that habit.

"Just to clarify, since Frank wasn't very specific on the phone, but you can't talk, or do you choose not to?" Mikey asked.

At first it was rebellion, but whatever they gave me at the asylum caused some kind of reaction in my vocal cords, which are slowly closing. I can talk, just only a few words, and even then, it's hard to breathe because I haven't said more than ten words in so long. Don't count on it happening any time soon.

"So what did you do about school while you were there?" Gerard asked. Ut seemed like they were taking turns asking questions, not that I minded answering them.

I had a tutor at first, but when you've been locked up in a white room for weeks on end, I think it's understandable that you don't pay attention to one word about anything school related. But I did eventually make up everything I missed. The school sent me the lessons every week and I caught on fast.

"So you'll be in our high school this year?" Mikey asked curiously.

I haven't asked my parents yet, but I'm sure if I don't try anything stupid like commiting suicide or anything that could possibly make them even more worried about me, I don't see why not.

Gerard's next question was cut off by Frank walking back into the room, holding the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he listened. It didn't seem like he was talking to my mom now.

"Carys, you're not feeling sick right about now are you?" Frank asked looking at me.

I shook my head with a confused expression as he repeated this to whoever he was talking to, my best guess was that it was Dr. Scott. He walked over and squatted down in front of me, lifting my chin with the tip of his finger to look into my eyes. Gerard and Mikey weren't the only ones with confused expressions on their faces.

"No, her eyes are fine Dr. Scott. You really think she's in shock?" he asked, confirming my suspicion.
"He wants to know if they're any side effects to anything they gave you at the hospital," he informed me. "Okay, I'll make sure to call you then," he said, nodding before hanging up. "They found something in your blood that kind of worried them, but he said he'd look at it again and to call if you blacked out again," he clarified, quickly getting out of the way when I tried to kick his knee.

"I forgot about the needles thing, sorry," he said holding his hands up. "But you're okay, right?" he asked, sighing with relief when I nodded. "Your parents called to check up on you and as soon as your mom hung up, he called so fast the phone didn't even ring."

"Exactly what did the medicine at the asylum do to you?" Mikey asked next.

Every Friday they injected me with something strong enough to knock me out for a week and leave me in agonizing pain when I woke up. they didn't tell my parents that nice little detail, but the bag they gave them before we left is probably somewhere in my parent's bathroom, not that I'm eager to look for it. Take my advice, don't get admitted into an asylum.

"Loud and clear," Gerard said chuckling. "Sorry about all the questions, but you're an interesting person," he smiled.

Basically the rest of the day was spent 'talking' with the guys, and I learned quite a bit about their group, including the fact that they were all in a band called My Chemical Romance, and when the other two members of the group, Bob and Ray, got back from vacation, I was invited to see them play. That sounded awesome, but even then, what Frank had just told me was now being repeated by that annoying voice.

They'd found something in my blood, but what?