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Chapter 5- Donovan
After her visit to the morgue, Shorty lost it. The nurses had to sedate her again when she woke up screaming. As soon as I was forced out of Sadie’s room, I plopped my ass on one of the chairs outside her room and laid my head back against the wall, closing my eyes and trying to drown out the heart-wrenching screams coming from my best friend.
How the fuck did we get here?
First, Sadie endured years of abuse from her own father, along with an ex who kidnapped her and left her for dead—again. And to add the cherry on top, her father loses his shit, and stabs her mother nearly to death, leading to his son taking him out like the rabid dog he was.
And now, her brother is dead.
My best friend—my girl — lies in a hospital bed not only trying to heal from the physical scars, but the mental and emotional damage that won’t ever fully heal.
The constant beeping of monitors, voices through the intercoms, nurses’ annoying laughs as they gather around the nurses’ station, carts fumbling down the halls, sneakers squeaking against the linoleum floor, makes me want to stab my ear drums.
When I open my eyes, the fluorescent lights give me a fucking migraine.
I can’t believe her brother is gone.
This is going to put her over the edge. There may be no hope of bringing her back.
God. I hope I’m wrong.
If Sadie loses anyone else, her soul will rip into a billion pieces and get lost in the void where no one will be able to bring her back to life.
I can’t handle hearing the grief-stricken screams anymore. I jump up from the chair and jog until I reach the elevator. I start pressing the buttons impatiently, but the doors won’t fucking open.
Fuck this. I’m taking the stairs.
I run down a few flights of stairs to the ground floor. I bust the steel exit doors wide open and breathe in the cold air, trying to catch my breath.
All the strength I carried for Sadie finally comes crumbling down. I fall to my knees, heaving, and let out an ugly cry.
Chapter 6- Sadie
I’ve lost track of the days.
As I lay in this stiff bed, I stare out the window and count the number of birds that fly by. After what felt like my hundredth breakdown, I refused to speak. It’s amazing what you see and hear when no one thinks you’re paying attention.
Take, for instance, the night nurse who hums hallelujah while checking my vitals, thinking I’m asleep, or how the redhead nurse flirts with the married doctor.
I’m thankful when Abuela brings Sophia to see me. Holding her and listening to her babble keeps me grounded, and just for a moment, the pain subsides. I’ve been having nightmares about Dad stabbing Mom repeatedly while she cries out for help that never comes. Pain ripped through my chest knowing she was alone with no one to protect her.
Josiah wasn’t strong enough to bring himself back from the darkness, but he was okay leaving me behind to drown in my own.
Chapter 7- Sadie
How can one’s heart hurt so much?
All I do is cry knowing I will never see Josiah again. I’m going to miss his warm smile, the way he loved Sophie, and the strength he had to survive Dad’s abuse over the years.
A gut-wrenching howl comes out of me.
Nurses rush in to try and calm me down. I hear voices but I shut them out and close my eyes for a chance to see Jo’s bright smile on the day we went to the apple orchard farm. His warm arms embrace me against his chest as he whispers, “Everything is going to be okay.”
Chapter 8- Sadie
“Shorty, you have to eat something,” Donnie desperately pleads. My heart aches from knowing I’m hurting him. I just want to be left alone. Why can’t he understand that?
“I’m not hungry.” My back is turned to him. I can’t stand to see the pity in those beautiful blue eyes, but I know it’s there.
