Elias

It's been two days and I'm sick and tired of sitting in bed. Nobody will tell me when my supposed family is going to visit. I don't even know what day it is. It's currently 2am and I cannot sleep. I look at all the monitors on me, see all the wires. I could get up and walk around right? As long as I'm careful I should be fine. I pull my legs over the side of the bed and place them on the floor. I grab the pole that the IV bag is connected to and stand up. I look at the heart monitor closely. I could pull the wires off but then I'm sure that would alert the nurses. Then I see a small red button in the corner. I hold it until it turns off. I rip the wires off of me and walk slowly to the little closet that this hospital room has. I'm in a hospital gown where the back is open. I hope there's a robe or my clothes in there. I open the closet and find my shorts. My shirt nowhere to be found. I quickly check the pockets and feel for my pocket knife. It's not there. I quickly look around the room and see my duffle bag in the corner. My body hurts, shooting pains throughout my stomach from the stitches but I don't care. I need to find that knife. I drop to my knees and start riffling through it. I don't see it or feel it anywhere. I start panicking. I hear the whispers laughing at me, at my panic. The shadow people laughing. What was once quiet is now loud, so loud I can;t hear anything else. I dump the bag over and start searching through the clothes and towels. That's when I see it. The knife, tucked away in my extra pair of shorts. I feel like I can finally breathe. The laughs die down and the shadow people dissolve back into the walls.

I pull out my extra shorts and shirt and pull them over everything. I fucking hate that hospital gown, it's rough, scratchy and thin. This hospital is fucking freezing. I have trouble pulling my compression shirt over my arm because of the IV and brace. So I do the rational thing and rip the IV out and take the brace off. The I've starts bleeding like a bitch. Fuck. I look around and see a cabinet with a bunch of shit in it. I open it and find gauze. I hold that against my arm and pull my sleeve down. My shoulder hurts like a bitch but I don't care. I need to get out of this fucking room. I look for my shoes but I see none. I guess I'll walk around barefoot.

I quietly open the door and see no one in the hallway. I start walking and looking around. There's drawings everywhere with sentences that I don't care to try to read. No I can't fucking read good. The words jumble together and are hard to sound out. I don't care, I've never needed to read anything. Hell even at my job at the grocery store I didn't have to read. All the cans and boxes were organized, I could tell where everything went. No reading necessary.

As I keep walking I see an elevator. I want to go outside, get out of this stuffy hospital. I rest the button and wait. Before the doors open and I see a tall man walking over to the elevator on the phone. Fuck he's huge. I hope the doors open soon. I would take the stairs but I don't think I could manage it. The doors open andI walk into the elevator and press floor one. He walks in with me, gone silent and he just stares at me. I can hear someone on the other side of the phone but he's not responding. Fucking weirdo.

"Can you not stare at me creep?" I tell him harshly

He just stares at me. Not saying a word.

We stand in silent as we go down the floors. He just stares at me, like I can answer something for him.

I grumble to myself. Why did I get stuck with a creep.

The doors open and as I walk out the elevator I hear the tall man ask me something.

"What's your name kid?"

I turn and look at him "None of your fucking business you creepy bastard." I tell him. I walk away as quickly as possible. I look at the signs to try and find the glowing red sign. That always means there's a door. I find one and walk out. How has no one stopped me? A random teenager walking around at 2am. I walk out the doors and see a garden? I think that's what it is. The pathways are lit up with lights. It's actually really fucking cold. It's January in Chicago of course it's fucking cold. I see a bench and go to sit down. I hear an alarm spring out throughout the hospital. Is that for me? I think to myself I see flashing yellow lights everywhere. Is there a problem? Was that creepy guy a shooter? I've heard about that kind of stuff. People go into hospitals and go crazy, they start shooting because something bad has happened. Some of my coworkers at the grocery store were talking about it. Said how they scared for Meredith and Katrina? I'm not sure, sucks that they knew someone who went through that.

I see people rushing throughout the hospital. Nurses, doctors, and security running everywhere. I see the tall man walking outside. He's looking right at me. I grip my knife and open it. If I need to I can defend myself. He sits down next to me and goes on his phone. I look at him cautiously. He puts his phone down and asks me a question. All the lights and alarms stop. What the fuck is going on?

"You're Elias aren't you?"

"How the fuck do you know my name?" I ask him harshly. Moving to stand up. Fuck my stomach hurts.

"My names Alvaro and I'm your eldest brother and now guardian. Those lights and alarms were for you. You left your room and didn't tell anyone."

I just stare at him. This is my oldest brother. Alvaro. What a weird name.

I look over at the door to the hospital as it slams open rather loudly. I see nurses and my doctor run towards me with a wheelchair.

"What were you thinking? Taking your IV out, turning the heart monitor off, taking your shoulder brace off? Are you crazy? You had major surgery, you're in no condition to be taking casual strolls at 2 in the morning." My doctor tells me.

I just stare at him. It's my body, who cares if I hurt it. I'm real tempted to stab him. I grip my knife harder in my pocket.

"Doctor I believe that's enough. It's cold he has no shoes on, and is wearing shorts. We can talk to him inside." My brother Alvaro says as he stands next to me.

The doctor nods his head and the nurses come next to me and try to grab my arms to pull me up.

"NO DON"T FUCKING TOUCH ME!" I yell at the nurses and I start throwing elbows and trying to get their arms off.

"Elias you need to calm down. You are in no position to get up on your own, let alone walk. You might have caused more damage to your shoulder." The doctor tries to tell me.

"No don't fucking touch me, I don't want to go back to that fucking room." I sneer at them.

"Elias it is 20 degrees outside. You have no shoes, nor socks on. You're wearing shorts and a thin long sleeve compression shirt. You need to go inside and warm up." The doctor tells me

"Fuck that, I am fine outside. Go get me a blanket if you're so worried." I tell the doctor as I glare at him. My shoulder hurts to much to cross it over my chest.

Alvaro squats in front of me "Elias, I understand you don't want to go inside but you need to. The doctor and nurses need to check you over and make sure you're okay. We can come back outside tomorrow after they've checked on you and you get some sleep."

I just glare at him and ignore him. I hate that room. The whispers get louder in there, the shadows turn into people and I can't sleep. Not when they get so annoying and persistent.

Alvaro just huffs and glares at me.

We get into a staring contest until he speaks.

"You either come inside conscious or unconscious. Either way you are going inside. It's your choice."

I glare at him. I don't want to go inside. I feel fine. Yeah my stomach is on fire and my shoulder hurts like a bitch but all they will do is drug me. Can't they do it outside.

"Hermanito, you need to go inside. It's to cold and I know your stomach and shoulder hurt. The IV was giving you pain meds. I know they're wearing off now." Alvaro tells me gently

"I don't want to go inside. I've been inside for over a week, stuck in that fucking bed. I feel fine. So go get me a blanket if you're worried about me being cold."

"I told you your options. I understand you don't like them but you need to go inside. I'll stay with you in your room if that will make you more comfortable." Alvaro told me.

I sat there. Yeah my stomach and shoulder hurt but it's fine.

I looked at the nurses. They were whispering to each other. I saw a needle in the doctors coat. I didn't want to be unconscious. I woke up groggy and it fucking sucks.

"fine. I'll go inside. I don't want to be fucking drugged."

Alvaro stands up and goes to grab my bad arm. I shrug out of his hold. I hiss at the pain shoots through my arm and shoulder.

"I can do it." I tell him angrily.

The doctor goes to argue but with one look from Alvaro and he keeps his mouth shut.

I use my other arm to stand. Fuck that hurts. I feel tears spring to my eyes but I refuse to let them fall. They don't get to see me cry.

I shakily stand and almost fall as the pain gets worse. Alvaro catches me before my knees could buckle.

"shhh Hermanito you're okay. I know it hurts that's why we're going up to your room." He tells me softly.

He lowers me into the wheelchair and I sit there stiffly. I see the shadow people forming. Most of them are smiling at me. Some look angry. My eyes dart all over the place trying to see where they are. The whispers get louder and we get closer into my room. I look and see Alvaro staring at me intensely. He's looking at me like he's trying to figure me out.

We're about to enter my room but before we could I start hyperventilating. The whispers are now yelling at me, the shadow people look more human. Fuck I'm going crazy. They're not real They're not real They're not fucking real I chant to myself. I don't want them to send me to the fucking looney bin, drug me up so much I don't know what's right or left.

I feel a hand on my good shoulder pull me out of my head. Immediately all the whispers and shadow people vanish. Alvaro is looking at me. He looks at me like I'm the most valuable thing in the world. He squats in front of me and starts talking to me.

"Do you want me to stay with you in your room or ]give you space Hermanito?"

I think about it. He stops all the whispers and he tells the doctor to leave me alone. Almost like a protector. I don't need fucking protector. But the whispers stop. I need them to stop if I'm going to sleep tonight. I need my head screwed on straight if I'm going to be leaving tomorrow.

"...you can stay..." I tell him quietly.

Alvaro nods his head and they walk me back into my room. The nurses and doctor help me change and get ready for bed. They attach all the wires, put the IV back in my arm and put all the braces and shit back on me. I hate those damn things. They're stiff, uncomfortable to sleep with, and itchy. The doctor checks everything and cleared me. The only issue was my shoulder. It was swelling up again and he thought I maybe tore a muscle in it. Not like I could feel it, not with all the pain meds they gave me.

"Elias would you like me to give you something to help you sleep?" the doctor asks me.

I look at him. What would he give me? How strong would it be? Would I actually be able to sleep?

I think for a few minutes. I need sleep. My head needs to be clear tomorrow if I'm going to go home with my brothers. I don't want anymore medicine but it I'll be a worth while sacrifice. I've barely slept while I've been here.

"Yes" I tell him. He starts talking to the nurses and writing in my chart.

I look back over to Alvaro. Part of me is scared that he will leave while I'm sleeping but who cares. It's not like I need him.

I feel the drug they gave me enter my system. Everything gets fuzzy and my eyes get super heavy.

I look back at Alvaro. He stares at me. I get scared he's going to leave and my eyes tear up.

"Hermanito why are you crying? Go to sleep you need it." He tells me gently.

Nobodies talked to me like that. I really like it. I like how gentle he is, he looks scary but he's nice. Nobodies been that nice to me. Never

"...you're not gonna leave right? Everything is scary but you make it go 'way when you're here..." I tell him quietly.

"Sleep Hermanito. I won't be going anywhere. I'll be here when you wake up." He tell me softly. I feel and hand in my hair scratching at my scalp. It feels so good I can't help but fall asleep.

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Another chapter down. I think this one is my favorite so far. Elias is already connecting with Alvaro but what will happen when he wakes up? He's not backing down that easily.

Sorry it took so long, I've been busy. I hate Algebra 2. It's kicking my butt.

Give me your opinions but be nice.

2508- words