“Shit...shit...f’n shit..” AJ moaned as he groggily came out of the drug induced sleep. He
slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. “God, I want to get out of here but
they won’t let me go!”
As he looked around the stark hospital room, his eyes fell onto the newspaper that laid on
the bed stand. AJ thought of people he wanted to contact. The ones he thought of the
most - his mother, Brian, Howie, Nick and Kevin, were all dead. Gone. Just memories. He
squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the reality of his situation, not even hearing
the noise of his door being unlocked.
“Excuse me, I-I-I have your breakfast,” a young girl timidly stated as she inched her way
closer to AJ’s bed.
“Stay here, talk to me,” AJ asked after he opened his eyes and saw that the young girl was
preparing to leave his room.
“I, um, well I really shouldn’t be staying in here,” she squeaked.
AJ sighed. “Why not? I’m bored, lonely and I just want to talk to someone besides those
stupid freakin doctors, can’t you just stay with me for a bit?”
The girl looked nervously back at the door. “Well, I suppose I could for a few minutes.”
AJ patted the foot of his bed. “Good, have a seat right here.”
The young girl noticed that his spirits seemed to improve with her staying with him. In her
head she decided that her staying in his room while he ate breakfast was a justifiable
therapy.
As he lifted the cover off the hot plate, AJ decided to break into some friendly
conversation. “So, what’s your name?”
“It’s Tiffany,” she smiled.
“That’s cool, so you still in high school?”
Tiffany shook her head no. “Nope, actually I’m home schooled.”
“You like it?”
“Yes and no. I guess I like it because I’m done with my school work for the day in less than
three hours, but then again I miss out on things like sports and cheer leading and things
like that. I guess the social interaction pretty much sucks for me.”
“I kinda know where you’re coming from. I never really got to do the high-school thing so I
think I missed out on a lot, and my friend Nick...” AJ stopped for a moment, trying to
regain his composure after saying Nick’s name. “Well, he um never did high-school at all.”
Tiffany didn’t reply, she watched as AJ started poking at his breakfast, not eating with
the enthusiasm he had previously. “Something wrong with your eggs?”
AJ shoved the tray back. “No, I suddenly am not hungry anymore.”
“I’m sorry.”
She could see the sadness in AJ’s eyes. This was killing him inside.
“Why am I being kept in here like a hostage? Do you know why they have my doors
locked?” AJ drilled the questions towards her, hoping she would be able to give him the
answers he desperately needed.
“I’ve stayed too long, I really need to go or I’m going to get into trouble,” Tiffany replied
quickly.
AJ grabbed her wrist. “No, please you have to answer me!”
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!”
Tiffany pulled her arm away from AJ’s grasp and pushed her way past the doctor that
stood between them and the doorway.
