Dreaming of Cheers (Standing Up to Life Book 3)

Chapter 31:

FRIDAY MORNING, I woke up feeling really groggy. I rubbed my face unconsciously and felt the stitches standing out of my skin. My face felt puffier and I winced as I touched it. As I stood up my head pounded like I was being hit with a sledgehammer. I could also feel that my whole body felt sore, especially my stomach. I gently leaned down and pulled my shirt up and noticed that my stomach was really bruised. 'I'm alive,' I told myself, 'that's all that matters right?'

I got off of my bed and navigated around the trundle bed that was still out and walked out of my room. I found both my mom and Amy in the kitchen and saw it was already ten o'clock.

"How are you feeling Sweetie?" Mom asked as she stood up and came over to give me a hug.

"I hurt," I answered honestly.

"Well, it's time for some more medicine, that should help," she told me. "Why don't you sit down and I'll go get them for you and then we'll get you something to eat?"

I sat down in my normal chair next to Amy at our table. "So, what hurts?" Amy asked tentatively.

"What doesn't?" I replied.

"I'm so sorry Tiff," she told me before she leaned over and gave me a hug too. Everyone seemed to think I needed a higher number of hugs since the incident... and they were right.

"S'okay," I told her in a quavering voice while barely holding back the sobs.

Mom came back into the room with a pill and poured me a glass of water to take it with. "What do you want to eat?" she asked.

I stared for a second at the table cloth trying to make up my mind before saying, "Eggs?"

"Okay, give me a little bit," she immediately went to the sink and began working on scrambling some eggs for me. It didn't take long and I was eating and again finding that my mouth hurt to chew. At least the eggs were softer.

"We could try something like baby food if it stays sore," Mom suggested. I made a disgusted face, "just a suggestion sweetie."

"I'm sure it'll get better Tiff," Amy said next to me.

"Sweetie Doctor Reynolds wants to see you as soon as we can get in there..."

"Do I have to?" I asked her. Doctor Reynolds was the last person I wanted to see right now. I just wanted to try and forget everything!

"I think you need to," she responded. There was a worried look in her eyes that I knew I could at least help with if I went, so I agreed. I went to find something to wear in my room with Amy and decided to just forget my appearance and put sweats on. Amy ended up helping me pull the sweatshirt over my head, my arms hurt really badly as I tried to lift them up high enough. I didn't bother with a bra; my sweatshirt was loose enough it covered up what was there. Since they were still as small as they were, I could get away with that. I also felt the pressure of a bra would probably hurt more than it would help anything else today.

Amy did my hair for me after that, and I started to look like a normal girl, instead of the poster child for abused and neglected children. "Ready?" Mom asked me as we walked out of my room a while later.

I shrugged, or at least tried to before my shoulders screamed at me. As I winced Mom gave me a really concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"No, but let's get this over with." I told her trying not to sound irritated. Of course, I wasn't okay, I'd been beaten to within an inch of my life yesterday!

Amy opened the outside door of our house for me and then opened my car door for me before going to the other side and getting in. Mom handed her my seatbelt and Amy buckled it for me. I was beginning to feel like I was a three-year-old...