Velia
I stand there. Staring at the girl I find hard to look at. Her died rose gold curls soaked from the shower she just endured, sticking to her pale skin. The dark regrowth starting to appear in the middle part of her hairline. The towel is wrapped tightly around her body, I cant help but notice how much weight she's put on, it disgusts me. I look down at her wrists that are bandaged from recent events, they hurt, I can feel it but I know she wont say anything to them. She hates talking to them.
The nurses come and go, watching her like a hawk. All she wants to do is run away, go to New York and find her birth parents, but she's trapped, in this small hospital suit, just waiting to get released.
"Velia!" the nurse, Aubrey calls through the door "1 minute, otherwise I'm coming in".
I roll my eyes as I look at myself in the reflection of the bathroom mirror. My towel drops from my body and I pull on some underwear and black track suit pants. I slip my arms through a plain white, long sleeve and slide on my brown Ugg boots.
3 loud knocks bang on the bathroom door and I groan "I'm coming". I twist the lock making it say 'VACANT' in green letters and open the door to see a very unhappy Aubrey, she crosses her arms over her chest and I already know where this conversation is headed.
"5 seconds and I would've pressed that call button" she says motioning to the red call button sitting alone on the wall beside my bed.
Water drips onto the floor from my soaked hair and I cant help but stare at the puddle forming at my feet. My eyes travel back up to Aubrey's hazel eyes and I lean my hip against the door frame.
"You threaten me with the same thing every day and you still haven't done it. Tomorrow I'll wait an extra 10 seconds" I gimmick, pushing myself of the doorframe and walk around the frustrated blonde.
One little thing you should know about me. I'm on 24/7, all day and night, suicide watch.
Aubrey shakes her head and she turns to face me. I'm sitting on my bed and open up to a fan quiz page in the Teen magazine that lays alone.
"Do you think this is a joke?" she asks, taking a step closer to me. I shrug my shoulders and scan over the page finding one question, easy.
What tv show was One Direction discovered on?
From being 14 and obsessed, I instantly know the answer. The X-factor UK.
The energy Aubrey is letting off is putting me in a shitty mood. I was clearly joking.
I look up at her and the annoyance on her face is very visible, she kinda looks like shes having a stroke.
"Velia you need to take this seriously". I give her a fake laugh "I was out before time up, what's the big problem?". Aubrey is my 'watch' nurse for most days, if its not her its Eric and he isn't the nice one.
Aubrey works with me Sunday to Thursday, 7am to 6pm. At nights when I'm sleeping another RN comes in and just sits in the reclined chair watching Netflix all night. Eric only does Friday and Saturday but those days are a living hell, he sucks the fun out of the whole children's ward.
"V, I trust you but if you're in that bathroom longer than 10 minutes and don't respond to me I am authorised to press that button, even though I'll get in more shit than you for allowing that door to be locked" she tells me, taking a seat at the end of my bed.
I look up from the page that reads '20 facts you need to know about Stranger Things' and sigh "do you really think I'd kill myself in a bathroom. That's disgusting and just icky! I'd rather do it somewhere calm and relaxed and let me tell you, this place is neither of those things" I try to reassure her but she doesn't look assured.
"Okay" I surrender my sarcastic bitch act "I promise that I'll answer you and be out of that bathroom 30 seconds before time" I say truthfully, putting a hand on my heart.
All she has is a blank look on her face but then she grins "good. Now you are instructed to go to the new support group in the West wing" she says standing. I watch as she pulls out a piece of paper from her pocket and hands it to me
Name : Velia Harper Room : 202 SW, EDC
Is to join us at 12:10pm over in the West wing in support room 5. Please do not be late and bring any medications or help aid you will need between 12:10pm to 1:15pm. Thank you
My mood instantly drops, I hate support groups.
I groan and tilt my head back "I just did one". Aubrey chuckles and hands me my little, black leather backpack already packed with my vitamins, pencil case, scarf, bottle of water and a container filled with dates and raisins.
"This one is a new one and is only with kids aged 16 to 19 with depression" she explains to me walking towards my door, I stand from my bed and put one strap of my bag on my left shoulder "this group is going to be very depressing" I joke arching an eyebrow as I walk past Aubrey and into the corridor.
She closes my door and scribbles down my whereabouts on a sheet of paper attached to a clipboard hanging on my suite door.
"I trust you to get yourself there. I'll come get you at 1pm for lunch" she says to me before heading the opposite direction.
I start my journey over to the West wing but something catches my eye just as I'm about to reach the elevator, surely I can be 2 minutes late.
