Chapter 17- Lost

When I woke up Eli was gone and there was a note beside me. I stretched before I read the note, my bruises not aching as much as they had before. The pain pills were working. I looked at the note:

Alice,
I had to go home and they told me not to wake you because you might have wanted to go with. I’m going to get Noah from Raven and I will see you tomorrow morning.
Love, Eli

I folded up the note and put it in my pocket. I glanced on the clock and saw that it was 10:43. At least I wouldn’t have to stay at the Centers for long. Deciding that I wanted some food, I made my way towards the downstairs to the cafeteria. On my way I passed few doors that had patients in them and many of them I assumed were elderly people. As I rounded a corner, I saw nurses and Dr. Greenland rushing towards a room up ahead on the right. I walked a little faster and peered into the room. There was a steady drone of a heart monitor and nurses surrounded the patient as Dr. Greenland began jumping her. I watched as a girl about Noah’s age began screaming.
‘Mommy! Daddy what’s happening to mommy?!’ The nurse told man who I presumed was the father that they had to wait outside the room. The father and girl were crying as they were rushed outside. He was holding the child in his arms as they sat down in one of the many chairs lined up against the wall and waited.
I glanced back in the room and saw that the doctor was now standing beside the bed and shaking his head as one of the nurses pulled the blanket over her head. ‘It’ll be okay, honey.’ I heard the dad say from behind me. ‘Mommy… is in a better place. She’s not in pain anymore.’ He was trying to be strong for his little girl. He saw me looking at the whole scene and glared, ‘You want some advice kid?’ He took in the yellowing bruises covering my body and cuts on my wrists. I just stared back at him, ‘You don’t know what you have until you lost it, so treat every day like it was their last. Make sure your conscious is clear before you waste yourself on stupid things.’ He looked back at his little girl and squeezed her shoulders. Dr. Greenland and all the nurses came out of the room.
‘Mr. Billings…’ the doctor said shaking his head and then looked at me. ‘If you’ll excuse me,’ he said to the man and walked me up the hall a bit before talking to me. ‘Ms. Autumns, what are you still doing here? You were supposed to be guided to the Centers in our other wing.’
I shrug my shoulders and sighed. ‘I don’t know, the nurse never showed up. Eli’s gone though. I was on my way down to the cafeteria.’
He shook his head and closed his eyes a moment before opening them back up. ‘The cafeteria’s closed, go back to your room and I will get him.’ Looking really stressed, he walked away back to the still crying, broken family. I rolled my eyes and continuing walking down the hall to the cafeteria where the vending machines were.
Once I got some chips and root beer, I went back to my room and watched some TV. When someone opened the door half an hour later, I was almost asleep again. I groaned, ‘Why can’t you people just let me go? I’m not going to kill myself.’
‘Well, well, well. Look who it is?’ I glanced up and saw who my nurse was and wanted to shoot myself for the comment.
‘Austin,’ I stuttered and shot to my feet. ‘I didn’t know you worked here…’ He chuckled and crossed his arms.
‘Not really work, more like volunteer but I’m treated like I work here. They give me too much damn work.’ He sighed and look at the clipboard that had my papers on it. I turned a dark hue of red and looked away. He frowned after he finished reading and glanced up at me. ‘Wow…’ was all he managed to say.
‘Umm… Can we go now? I kinda want to get this all over with…’
He nodded and flipped the next paper and read it. ‘Sure,’ he said quietly. ‘You are going to the Centers. Section C Room 157, you will be in evaluation and held until Tuesday night.’
I shook my head, confused. ‘No, only tonight. That’s what Dr. Greenland said. He said I have to be held overnight. Not the whole day…’
‘Usually when he says that, he just means that you’ll be spending the night here. He doesn’t specify how long the next day you will be here.’
I dropped my jaw open in disbelief. ‘You have got to be joking, I have to take care Noah. I have work tomorrow, when do I get out?’
He looked back at the paper, ‘8:00pm if you pass the evaluation.’
I held my hands in the air. ‘How the f**k do you pass an evaluation?’
He looked at me for a second, confused. ‘…Are you okay Alice? You don’t seem yourself.’
I put my hands down and sat abruptly. ‘No, Austin I’m not okay. I’ve had a pretty tough day if you didn’t read that paper.’
He sat down beside me and rubbed my back. I relaxed a little bit and he replied, ‘The papers only say your injuries, medication and where you’re to be sent…’ He stopped rubbing my back and smooth his hands across my shoulders, down my arm and to my wrist. His fingers glided over the bandage gently.
I pulled away from him and blushed again. ‘Oh…’
‘Do you wanna talk about it while we walk? I kinda don’t want to get in trouble again for sitting around.’ I nodded and he helped me up and held the door while I walked out. When we got about halfway down the hall he spoke again. ‘If it makes you feel any better I went to the Centers a couple times.’
I looked up at him, ‘Really? What’d you do?’
He smiled, ‘Nothing, I just take the crazy people there.’ I tried to frown at him but couldn’t help but smirk a little. ‘Hey, see there’s a smile. I knew it was there somewhere. I love your smile by the way. It brightens my day everytime I’m upset.’
I smiled even more and turned away, ‘Thanks… Well it all started with this morning-’
‘Okay, before you start. Does this have anything to do with me? Eli didn’t give you those bruises did he?’