The Girl with the Golden Eyes

“Hey Penny... you're awake!” It's true, I had been awake for a few hours.

I was still pretty confused as to what was going on, I know I'm in an LA hospital. I have a broken wrist, both my legs and ankles are bruised very bad because they were crushed by seats, luckily they aren't broken.

I know I was one of 10 survivors on a plane of 50.
I know I am the only one of my family alive.

That is the worst. I know Mike and Annie weren't my official family but Mike filled in that missing parental figure nicely; because I've never known who my Dad was.

When I was a little kid, before I knew about the birds and the bee's if you catch my drift, my Mom told me I was one of the special kids in life who didn't need a Dad because I had her, my Mom.
It's weird to think she's gone; I don't think my brain has wrapped itself around that fact cause I haven't felt the loss... the pain, well THAT pain, obviously my legs and wrist hurt like a bitch.
I kind of just feel numb.

A doctor in his mid-thirties had come into the room holding a chart and multiple folders.
“Good morning Penny, how are you?” I just looked at him and he huffed out a laugh “Stupid question. I do need you to talk to me though so we can find where to... so we can discuss your discharge okay?”

My golden eyes left his plain brown ones and I pushed myself up, “Yeah okay.” My voice came out at a lower volume than I had planned.

I cleared my throat and the doctor pulled up the chair beside my bed and looked through the chart in his hands.
“So your left wrist is broken, which you know.” He pointed to my wrist and I simply nodded, “Your legs are okay.. but it I won't lie to you, walking, running, moving your legs will hurt for a while.” He looked to me for my approval before pulling the blankets back and my eyes widened.

They were an unnatural color... both my legs were purplish due to the bruising and the gown ended just above my knee, I was afraid to pull the gown up. “See when the plane was crashing something broke in the set of chairs in front of you and they snapped all the way hitting you to here.” His fingers above my body and not touching me he made an imaginary line across the middle of my thighs

“Ouch.” I breathed, not of pain but of imaging what I would've felt... I was lucky to be alive I know that.

“We've been trying to find you some family for you to go to once discharges but your mother was very isolated family wise.” The doctor gave me a sad look.

“I'm seventeen, can't I just live on my own?” The question was valid, I knew people younger living on a student welfare.

“I'm afraid not, those situations are special. Your step-father's family refu- were unavailable to take you in. They send their apologies.”
That was a lie and we both knew it; but I knew why. They had never liked me. When we went to visit them I was the teenage daughter with twelve piercings and weird eyes and I barley talked to anyone just sat reading, writing or watching tv and snuggling with their pets. Basically I wasn't the good little church and family girl they were looking for.

“So what's gonna happen to me?” I asked slightly worried. He smiled and patted my shoulder.

“Actually, we're trying to find your father.” He said optimistically.

“I don't have a father...” I paused and looked up surprised “So how can you find him?” I asked confused.

He began to explain that my finger prints were on record at this hospital and I had been delivered here. “That's wrong. I was born in Redbourne, in Ontario... back across the boarder to Canada.”

“I'm afraid not kid, a man named Frank Feranna had signed your mother into the hospital and all we can assume is he's the father, he was in the room when you came into the world.” I knitted my eye brows together and just starred at him “Not to mention, even when you left he paid the hospital bills.”

So let me get this straight... an unknown man had cared about my mother and I enough to pay medical bills for us... well MY medical bills, but he didn't like us enough to stick around for my life?

“Some guy... he didn't even stick around.” I muttered and the Doctor looked genuinely shocked.

“Penny... I guess you don't know, but, you're kind of a missing case. I mean considering you thought you were Canadian you wouldn't know. Penny, after you were born your parents were taking their time naming you. Your Mother healed quite fast, well she had healed enough to be discharged, the story is that your folks settled on Penny but your Mom went to 'Birth Records' filed you out as Penny Nona Hendrix, she took the certificate discharged you and left.” I starred down at the pattern of the blanket, blue and weaved...
“I know the man had used the police to try and find you but the police figured you were with your healthy mother, there wasn't much they could do...”

I let out a big sigh and he just patted my shoulder “I'm sorry I shouldn't have unloaded that on you. Especially this soon. Listen you just focus on getting better and we'll update you on things.”

The doctor left and I snuggled into bed. I lost my whole family, I just found out my mother kidnapped me from the hospital, my now NON-dirt bag father paid all the bills for me even after he lost me and I will have issues walking cause of bruises legs...

“Miss Hendrix?” I looked over, the door had opened and a woman with a look of fake warmth on her face smiled at me, “I'm Abigail Jonstone, I'm the hospital's youth councillor.” She sat down beside my bed and gave me a smile.
I arched my eyebrow up and didn't say a word.
“You've been through a very traumatic experience and we think it would be best for you to release some of those feelings.” She clasped her hands together and with a sigh she said “Let's begin shall we?”

Great! Adding to the list, after bruised legs I have to talk to a shrink about my problems...
Maybe they should find my father...