Spending the night alone in the hospital was a total rip-off the only company I had was one minute and that was when the nurse came in to change my drip and ask me some questions about my comfortability.
It was pure torture I tell you.
I slept off over five times and woke up to the same boring atmosphere.
Morning rolled around slowly and by 7am I was ready to say goodbye to the hospital staff and the uncomfortable bed.
Unfortunately I wasn't leaving till ten in the morning.
You know what was more painful? Finding out that it was my parents that set it that way.
I begged the nurses to sedate me for three more hours they laughed and told me I was acting like one of 'those teenagers.'
I still don't know what the dandy nurse meant.
I am a freaking adult for crying out loud.
Doctor Haliday came by again asking the regular questions by that time I had already grown into a mood and refused to answer.
When my parents came around by 10:07am I scowled the whole time they talked with the Doctor by my bed.
My Mom thought I was being cute and pinched my cheeks.
She needs reminders that I am not fifteen anymore.
"She's mad. Let her be" said Dad.
My mom waved him off and laughed "She just needs a cookie".
See what I mean!
We were out of the hospital walking under the bright morning sun. The hospital parking lot was fairly full and I wondered just how many people had rushed here over night and this morning.
Did they have the same fate as me?
Were their families mourning them already?
Were they being released back into their normal lives?
The questions lingered at the back of my mind.
I ignored them and focused on the task of moving my feet to the car.
My Dad loved driving himself around so not seeing the driver in the driver's seat wasn't much of a surprise to me.
We got into the white Chevy my parents in the front and my grumpy self in the backseat.
My mom tried to make small talk with me but by the fifth disinterested 'hmph' I gave she stopped trying.
The rest of the ride I stared out the window into the busy streets of the big city.
I envied the people I saw in office attires in their cars or walking on the sidewalk. They didn't have to stay home because they overworked and forgot to eat.
I did and I wasn't happy about it.
I was going to miss work and all the workload would be on poor Carl and Amy.
I paid them good money but they still didn't deserve it.
Cancer sucks.
We reached the house in record time because of the freeness of the roads this morning.
I watched as Dad pressed numbers into the fancy door pad outside the gate. The electrical gates open and Dad drives up the driveway up to the fountain in the center.
I liked to stay by the fountain at night when it was all lighted up.
It was beautiful and the concrete mermaid made me
laugh at times.
Dad didn't drive further meaning he wasn't staying.
"You Mom and I have an occasion to attend and we won't be back till late evening. Mrs. Clara and the rest of the staff will keep you company"
Mom slapped his hand lightly "That's too professional. She's our daughter".
My Dad rolled his eyes like as if he hadn't heard her. My mother twisted in her seat facing me.
"Your Dad and I have an occasion to attend so we won't be able to keep you company. I'm sure Mrs. Clara and Diego won't mind. Just make sure you rest and take your drugs. Is that okay dear?"
I nodded once pulled on the door handle and hoped out of the car.
I didn't look back as I walked to the front door of our home. The horn from the car blared once and then the sound of tyres on gravel followed.
I pulled open the door walked inside and slammed it hard behind me.
The stairs up to my room seemed like the journey of a thousand miles so I decided to stay downstairs for a while.
I was in the lounge room lying on the sofa there when I heard singing.
I knew that it was Mrs. Clara.
She sure was a solid super soprano.
"Oh there you are Linda" I heard her voice say. I assumed she was standing at the doorway of the room.
I had a pillow over my head and I was facing the couch so I couldn't see her and she couldn't see my face.
She must have understood because I heard her retreating footsteps after she muttered "Poor child" loud enough for me to hear.
A few tears slipped out of my eyelids. I didn't know why I was crying. I felt like there was no reason maybe my eyes have a mind of their own.
It was like this most times.
I would be angry for no reason or be extremely rude to someone.
I didn't understand myself.
I didn't hear any footsteps but the pillow was suddenly removed from my head.
I didn't turn to check who it was. One sniff of this person's cologne and I just knew that it was Diego.
"Lin. You're crying. Wake up" he said shaking my shoulders lightly.
I shrugged his hand away.
I didn't want him too see me like this.
"Lin" he said more firmly.
"Leave me alone"
He stopped after that and he left silently as he came.
Why did it always have to be complicated?
That was my last thought before I journeyed far into the land of sleep.
The overwhelming urge to pee was what woke me up. I untangled my legs from a blanket I did not remember putting on myself.
I took hurried steps towards the toilet a few turns away. Relief washed over me when I released the contents of my small bladder.
I washed my hands dried them on a towel and walked out of the toilet.
When I got back to the lounge room Diego was there placing a tray of plates of food on a low stool.
He rose back to his intimidating height and kept his gaze on me.
"What are you doing?"
His lips tilted upwards "I was just bringing you lunch. I thought that was obvious".
I narrowed my eyes in an attempt to seem angry or disinterested.
"I'm not hungry. I don't want anything from anyone"
Diego smiled and dug out his phone from his front pocket "I have strict orders from your parents to make sure you eat and take your medication"
He extended his phone to my face to show me the evidence of his words.
I slapped his hands away "I'm not a child anymore"
"I will decide when I want to eat or not"
Diego tsked and returned his phone back to his pocket.
"They are still your parents and you are their child..."
My disgusted look must have shut him up because he stopped talking with a frustrated sigh.
"I will decide when I want to eat now I do not" I hissed proceeding to walk out of the room.
The reason for my current behavior; I have no idea.
I would have made a grand exit if I suddenly didn't feel dizzy and almost slip in the linoleum floor.
Diego caught me in record time. Our stance was the same as 'the dip' in slow dancing so his face was close to mine his shiny black orbs staring intently into mine. He brought me up slowly keeping a firm hand on my back.
He led me to the couch I sat down on it holding the side of my head with my free hand that wasn't intertwined with Diego's.
"Are you okay?"
When I didn't reply he went on to say "I think that you should eat now"
I removed my hand from his and leaned my back against the couch.
"I just wish they'd stop treating me like a kid"
Diego nodded still looking at me. I wasn't staring at him but I could feel the burn of his eyes on the side of my face.
"They care about you and..." he paused. "and I'm not sorry to say but you never listen. You push yourself and something like this happens all the time. Maybe if you'd listen to them more you wouldn't feel they treat you like a kid"
I kept silent thinking about the truth in his words.
Another trait of mine was stubbornness. I did the opposite of what I was always asked to do.
"You have to listen to your parents Lin they know what is best for you."
"Some people like me didn't have the opportunity of parents to order us around" he said twiddling his two thumbs. He smiled and ran a big hand through his hair like as if what he said was nothing.
My mouth was opened slightly this information was new to me. I didn't know anything about his past life before he came here.
"Thank you" I whispered feeling stupid that I'd been acting up because I felt I was being treated like a child.
"It's okay. Will you eat now or?" he shrugged and gestured to the food in front of us.
"I'll eat now if that's okay with you"
He laughed and went on to serve me. I collected the plate of overflowing food from his hand wondering how I was going to eat half of it.
I kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to complain again.
When he stood up to leave I almost cried.
My hand shot up and wrapped around his wrist holding him back.
He looked surprised alternating glances between my face and my hand on his wrist.
"Stay please?"
From where he stood above me he smiled.
I was face to face with a strip of his skin that was showing on his stomach.
I was awed by his naturally tanned skin.
I cleared my throat and stared expectantly at his face.
He settled again beside me reaching for the remote to the TV on the center piece.
"No way am I passing up an opportunity like this" he said casually throwing his hand over my shoulder.
He laughed at my confused expression.
"Eat up Lin".