Draft One

Chapter six

CHAPTER 6
"Snacks and phone time, then showers. Lets go people, hurry it up.", the next night shift nurse shouts.
"Kaal, I think I am going to make that call tonight."
"Really? Briony, that's great, I'll call my people too. Then we can talk about it. How bout' I shower first while you call, then we switch?"
Briony nods and he heads to the showers.
"The line rings once, then twice, then three times. Til, she gives up and slams it down. "I'm done." She immediately starts crying.
"You sure sweety? You barely talked. I'll give you a couple more minutes if you would like."
"No, no!" She shouts getting up to grab her shower supplies.
By now she is weeping, her face is red and her eyes bloodshot. Heading up to the shower supply closet, the other night nurse turns around. "What's wrong with you?"
Briony stands quiet for a moment, not knowing how to respond.
"She is in a damned mental hospital, let her cry. You would too if you were her'', Kaal's voice says down the hall. Briony turns to see him walking up to her. He puts his arm around her shoulder and guides her to the seats.
"What happened?" He asks.
"Nothing, lemme just- just shower real quick", she says  hurriedly walking to the shower.
She looks in the mirror as she slowly takes off her shirt, then pants, then underwear. Looking down at the scars and current blemishes, she sighs. She lets out one more whimpered cry, before forcing herself to calm down.
She knows just the way to fix this. How she has always dealt with her problems. The thing that always distracts her, and makes her feel okay again, even just for a moment.
— — —
"Kaal, phone time. Wanna make a call?"
"Yes please."
"Alright, who are we calling?"
"Mom"
"Ok... mom" she searches. "Here we go. Okay, pick up the phone, it'll ring."
He picks up the phone and it starts to ring. His heart rate grows faster along with each ring. Finally, the mom answers.
"Kaal?" she questions.
"Uh yea... hi, mom."
"Why are you calling me? Are they charging for this too? You know it costs me one thousand dollars a night for you to stay there. Get out as soon as possible."
"Mom, I just wanted to talk to you."
"Better hurry up then, what is it you wanna say? Better yet, what do you wanna ask for?"
Kaal gets upset, "Nothing" and slams the phone down.
His breath is shaking and his anger is growing.
— — —
Briony in the shower, once again grabs her soap bar and fingers out the blade.
"Here we go," she softly whispers under her breath.
Taking the blade, she glides it slowly against her skin. She waits for the courage to push down. Slow strokes for smaller cuts, fast strokes for bigger. She takes the blade, pressing down hard on her chest. She pulls back quickly. Feeling her skin tear usually calms her, but this time something is different. Her skin has spread, spread too much. Looking down she begins to freak out. The cut is more like a gigantic gash now. She doesn't know what to do.
Tell no one and risk it healing horribly and a bad infection. Or, tell someone, get stitches, let it heal properly, but get a longer stay at the hospital.
The blood took a moment, but now it is flowing steadily. Nonstop. The blood is dripping everywhere. The shower water hitting the blood makes it look like a blood bath.
Blood seeps from the shower. Past the towel she carefully places in case of this, and into the hallway.
A nurse notices and screams into a badge on her shirt. "Blood, code 20. Room 413."
The nurse barges in the unlockable door and yanks open the curtain. Opening her mouth, she stops and sees Briony.
"Come on, put the towel over you. Let's go. An ambulance is on the way."
The nurse rushes Briony out into the hallway, through all the kids. Kaal sees Briony and gets shocked. Her white towel stained red all over. Brood dripping with each step .
"Briony!?" he yells, trying to get her attention. "What happened? Are you okay?"
Briony is too ashamed to look up at him.
"No, where are you taking her?" Kaal asks demandingly.
"Fucking hospital dumbass" one of the kids reply.
Kaal disregards them. The only thing he cares about right now is Briony. "Where are you talking to her? Take me with you." He demands.
"No, Mr.S hold him back please", the nurse replies.
That's when Briony collapses to the ground. "Help me" the nurse shouts.
Kaal takes his opportunity and sweeps Briony up in his arms. "Where is the ambulance? We need to hurry."
"Out front that way" the nurse points. "You aren't coming with us, only to the ambulance. You can help bring her there."
"Yeah right" he says, almost running down the hall. He kicks the door open and slides her onto the stretcher that is waiting for her.