Rubbing a hand, the one that was attached to something, across my face did little to help make things any clearer. Squinting, I tried to figure out what happened and how I got here.
“Someone dropped you off, saying they found you stumbling along the side of a road. You passed out in their truck on the way here.”
That didn’t sound right.
I shook my head, letting my eyes take a look around the small yet large room. A blue form of something was in the corner. Maybe a chair? Something black was on the wall in front of the bed, and a sink on the side wall under a bunch of cupboards.
“The doctor will be in a bit,” she went on slowly and quietly. “But we ran bloodwork and did some x-rays. You were out of it the entire time, mostly.” Well, that at least explained why I felt hands on me off and on, I guess. “A fewfractured ribs, low iron levels and bruises everywhere.”
I had nothing to say to that. I didn’t care. It wasn’t like they could do anything to really help me. This was just a stopping spot until the next place I landed.
“Because you appear to be a minor,” she paused long enough for me to reply. I had no clue where she was going with that, I kept my mouth shut. I couldn’t answer her anyways. Master, whoever it would be next or if the current one was looking for me found out I talked, then she’d be in danger too.
I wasn’t that stupid, but I sure was confused.
I knew what a hospital was. I’ve never been in one, since that’s where people went when they were dying. So, was I that close to death? Was this showing me that my minutes fighting for breath were numbered?
When the lady went on, I tilted my head, letting the confusion hopefully express itself that way. None of this made sense. I didn’t feel like I was currently at my death bed, but that could be thanks to drugs, I suppose.
“I had to call your visit to the police. Someone will by it later today to have a chat with you. Then after that we can figure out how to contact your parents, and get you the help you need to get back on your feet.”
I glanced at my feet, finding them hidden under the blankets. My feet, all ten toes, were right there. I even wiggled them to make sure. Why would I need to find them?
“You must be starving,” she continued after a moment when I didn’t say a single word. “I have some pudding and crackers.” With that, she pulled out some sort of moving tray from thin air, or at least that’s what my mind said happened. I hadn’t noticed it before until then.
After she moved the top across the edge of my bed, I saw there was one cup of pudding and a package of crackers, along with a cup of water and a spoon. Not much, but given minutes ago I threw up, it was probably the best idea to not eat much of anything. Or nothing at all. I’d go with that.
“Can I at least have a name?”
I tore my gaze away slowly from the table back to her.
“I’m Anna.”
I blinked. What difference did it make to have a name? I answered, well sort of, to a hundred different names. Mostly, it wasboyorslave. Or a mix of those two with something else. Not to mention, I couldn’t answer. Master would be so upset if he found out I talked to anyone.
“Alright,” she sighed, giving up just like everyone else. “You eat. Rest.”
Sure thing, I thought. Instead of speaking, I turned my gaze back to the pudding, not really hungry. But I knew better than to pass up food, even when I didn’t feel good.
“If you need anything, press the red button on the side of the bed.”
I nodded once, knowing I wouldn’t do that. I’d rather die.
“You’re safe, now.” With that, she left, her shoes muffled against the shiny floor.
Safe. I wanted to scoff. I had never been safe. Someone always wanted me for something, and I’d suffer. Every damn time. I didn’t have to be fourteen years old to know this world hated me. I found out just how much I hated everything about life at the age of seven.
That was when things went from tolerable to full on hell. I’d wished so many times for death to take me, and so far I was still living.
Sniffing, I ran the back of my hand under my nose before reaching for the white pudding cup. Past experience told me to eat as quickly as possible, before the food was taken away. It’d happen way too many times. Just because this lady, Anna, seemed nice enough, it didn’t mean she wasn’t told to take the food away from me if I didn’t eat quickly enough.
The first spoonful slid down my throat slowly, almost clogging it. But after that, my body remembered how to eat food and the pudding was gone in barely under a minute. Then, I hurriedly ate the crackers, too. Those sat like a rock in my stomach.
Shifting around on the bed, I laid back on my side, knees pulled up against me as tight as I possibly could. The pain in my stomach only grew, causing my eyes to water.
I hadn’t noticed someone come in to clean up my mess from the floor, but by the smell, I could tell it had been taken care of. Wiped away as though it had never happened.
If only that could work for my life, too. I wanted every bad thing to be washed away, forgotten and buried deep underground to never be seen or thought of again. I’d like to go there, too.
