Sparrow Lane
After
Light dances between my eyes, and my head aches. I try to move, but then the room begins to spin. My stomach lurches again.
"What happened?" I say in a groggy voice.
Someone bends over me. It's Lydia.
"You had an episode," she tells me calmly. "Do you remember what happened after you left my office?"
An episode? What the hell did that mean?
"What are you talking about?" I ask. I look around. "Where is the doctor?"
"He wants me to speak with you," she says. "He's not sure if being here is helping or hurting you right now, Max. You've been through a lot. But I think maybe you should be in a more stable environment."
"Can I go home?"
She considers it, then shakes her head. "Not yet, I'm afraid. They want to keep you for observation, at least for a while. But I called your mom. She's been worried about you."
"She's just worried about her reputation. Having a son in a mental facility isn't exactly going to help her. I need to go home as soon as possible, though." I push myself up, and wince. "I saw Dom," I say.
Lydia's eyes widen. "You saw your dead best friend?"
"Yes," I murmur. "He's here."
She looks around. "Here in the room with us?"
"No. Before. In the rec room. He was bleeding from the wound in his stomach—where the sickle went in."
"And why do you think he's here now?"
I pull my legs up to my chest and shiver. "He wants revenge," I whisper. "He blames me for his death."
"What happened?" I say in a groggy voice.
Someone bends over me. It's Lydia.
"You had an episode," she tells me calmly. "Do you remember what happened after you left my office?"
An episode? What the hell did that mean?
"What are you talking about?" I ask. I look around. "Where is the doctor?"
"He wants me to speak with you," she says. "He's not sure if being here is helping or hurting you right now, Max. You've been through a lot. But I think maybe you should be in a more stable environment."
"Can I go home?"
She considers it, then shakes her head. "Not yet, I'm afraid. They want to keep you for observation, at least for a while. But I called your mom. She's been worried about you."
"She's just worried about her reputation. Having a son in a mental facility isn't exactly going to help her. I need to go home as soon as possible, though." I push myself up, and wince. "I saw Dom," I say.
Lydia's eyes widen. "You saw your dead best friend?"
"Yes," I murmur. "He's here."
She looks around. "Here in the room with us?"
"No. Before. In the rec room. He was bleeding from the wound in his stomach—where the sickle went in."
"And why do you think he's here now?"
I pull my legs up to my chest and shiver. "He wants revenge," I whisper. "He blames me for his death."