Saint Fidelity

I was awoken the next morning by a nurse welcoming herself into my room without any sign of warning. She was at my bedside, gently coaxing me out of bed before I could even adjust to the light. I hadn't slept long, so I was still half asleep, struggling to come to my senses.

"Where are we going?" I mumbled, stumbling out of bed, rubbing sleep from my eyes.

"The paint is dry and you can go back to your room before group therapy!" The nurse informed me cheerily, practically dragging me out into the hallway. I looked around for Devilyn so I could instantly cling to her, but I didn't see her. In fact, I didn't see anyone.

"Where's everyone else?"

"We're taking two people at a time to avoid crowding," the nurse said, leading me down the hallway. I nodded slightly, letting my eyes wander, until they hit another girl in a Nurse's uniform. She had a blonde boy in tow, which I quickly realized was Niall.

Almost as if he felt me looking at him, he turned, eyes immediately locking onto mine. His lips turned into a slight smile, and he raised his hand in a wave. Then, he paused, muttering a few words to his nurse, beckoned for me to come to him, then he slipped around the corner.

"Err, Miss?"

"Yes, Macie?"

I hated when they said my names. I hardly even knew half of them. "May I go to the washroom before I go back to my room? I'll be quick."

The nurse pursed her lips, mulling the thought over in her head for a moment, then nodded. "Be quick."

"Thanks," I mumbled, dashing down the hallway after Niall. I found him leaning against a walla round a corner, staring down at the linoleium. "Hey..."

"Hi," he said with a grin, his eyes scaling up and down my body.

"Hey," I said back, feeling a slight flutter in my chest as he looked at me. "What'd you call me over here for?" I asked, one eyebrow raised.

He shrugged, not seeming to have a reason. "I don't know. Are you going to group therapy today?"

I nodded, wrinkling my nose slightly. "I don't really have a choice."

Niall chuckled slightly, nodding. "True... Want to sit beside me?"

It was kind of ridiculous, how that made my heart leap. This wasn't some middle school crush, and sitting beside someone wasn't a big deal. I did my best to simply nod, which he smiled at.

"Okay, awesome. We should get back though, before they start to suspect something," he glanced behind him, as if the nurses were behind us watching.

"Yeah, I agree.... See you in a bit?"

"Yeah. Bye, Macie."

We both returned to our nurses, and I was escorted back to my regular room. It was a relief to be back there, despite the change in color. It would take some getting used to, and it did make an uneasy feeling rise in my stomach, but I'd get over it.

I found myself waiting anxiously for group therapy, and not the way I usually did. Usually, I was absolutely terrified as the clock ticked closer and closer to the time I'd be put in that room with other people... but this time, it was different. I was almost excited for it.

Weird.