Troll Coping

Chapter 32

By the time I wake up, my parents are sitting beside me fully clothed and anxious with anticipation. 

"What time is it?" I ask while stretching and cleaning my eyes. 

"11:00am" My dad responds in a matter of fact manner. I notice a nurse standing beside my parents. She looks tense and uncomfortable. She proceeds to step from behind my parents and brighten her demeanor. 

"You hungry hun? I brought snacks?" 

"Thank you." I open the gram cracker bag and begin to munch as I look to my parents and the nurse expectantly.

The nurse clears her throat before continuing.

"So your parents tell me you had quite the nightmare last night. Has this been a reoccurring theme for you during your stay?"

I continue to munch on the gram crackers in attempt to avoid answering the question. 

She bites her lip, seeming more on edge than before. The tension is so thick, my parents begin to fiddle.

The nurse attempts to assert dominance. 

"Diana, your parents are just worried about you." She says in a stern tone.

I place the gram cracker bag down on the tray before looking out towards the window. My parents and the nurse seem to be on eggshells, unsure how to approach me at this point. 

"Thank you for breakfast. May I use the bathroom?"

The nurse hesitates before stepping aside and gesturing permissively. 

I swiftly work my way off of the bed and towards the bathroom, a bit limp from a lack of exercise. The nurse and my parents can be seen simultaneously looking down in shame as I walk by them. As soon as I enter the bathroom, I make sure to lock the door and turn the faucet on to the highest pressure. 

I can hear the nurse begin whispering to my parents. I place my ear closer to the door in attempt to try to make out what they're saying.

The nurse attempts to collect more information. "So the nightmares have been a reoccurring theme for her?"

"Since she was a child." My mother adds.

"Any Post Traumatic Stress? Or stressors that could be dated back to childhood?"

More silence fills the air. My father begins to speak. "Well, there's one thing I could possibly  think.."

My mother quickly intervenes. "Babe!"

"What? I'm just answering the question."

My mom lets out a frustrated sigh as the nurse attempts to redirect. "Okay, well, if you guys want to have her meet with one of our social workers, we can definitely do that. It's not exactly therapy, but it's a good temporary fix until we can get her paired with a professional."

"Thanks for your help Debbie."

"Anytime Sandy."

The room door shuts and more silence begins to fill the air. I hear my parents let out more sighs as they reposition themselves. I place myself on the floor and being to sulk. 

My phone lets out a ping notification. I wipe my nose and eyes clean before reaching for my phone. A new notification has arrived. 

"Damon wants to meet!"

I quickly click on the link. HIs profile photos are carefully orchestrated. His initial picture shows him in work out clothes, with his hands on his knees, looking off into the distance on what appears to be a football field. The next picture shows him and his dog cuddling up together. He seems too good to be true. I scroll down and continue to read his profile.

"Home for the summer. Looking to create memories so fun, I no longer have to look to my childhood for nostalgia."

I chuckle as I proceed to scroll through the rest of his pictures. Within moments, he follows up with a message. It reads:

"Hey girl! It looks like we went to the same elementary school. Say what? You seem kind of tall too! Do you play any sports?"

I smirk and immediately begin responding when I hear a knock on the door. 

"Diana, I need to use the bathroom." My father sounds impatient. I rush to brush my teeth and change into clean underwear before opening the door.

"Sorry!" I smirk guiltily at my father. My mother arches an eyebrow, suspicious of my sudden change in mood. I sit down and continue to smirk. My mother does not let up, she continues to study me. 

"So.." she pauses in attempt to temperature gauge. "Any clue what you'd like to do today?"

"I was wondering how soon I'd be able to get into PT. I've walked a few times already and feel pretty good so far!"

My mother looks surprised. She begins to bite on her cheek. "Let me see if I can find out for you." As she excuses herself from the room, I begin responding to Damon.

"Hey, I just came back"

I stare at the message before erasing it and attempting to write another one.

"Hey Damon, I haven't been back very long (:"

Disgusted, I erase the message and let out a groan towards the ceiling. 

"You okay hun?" My dad strains as he checks in from the toilet.

"I'm fine dad!" I reassure him. Finally, the message comes to me.

"Really? I haven't managed to find a single classmate from Denslow Hill Elementary since I've graduated! You must be from Mars. And I did play sports! Basketball and Volleyball (:"

I press send as I'm overtaken by angst, which quickly converts into endorphins. Suddenly, I'm back in good spirits.