Project Coffee

iii

I'd spent an hour in the hospital already.The time on my watch read ten thirteen.Emily was working on the other side of the hospital while I was on the right side on the eleventh floor.I spent my first hour checking patients in and out at the front desk with Linda- a middle aged lady who had far more gray hairs then most her age.She had dark skin and smiled at everyone.

"You should get going Katie."She informs me once I realize I was supposed to be visiting the children's side.During Saturday's the volunteers get to spend their day with children and try to bring them back to normal state.Which means that I basically walk into a random hospital room and talk and try to break the shell of whoever is lying on the hospital bed.Most of the patients have more of a mental disorder or are traumatized.

It's a tad depressing walking into each room.I have their whole story written down on the file in my hand but yet I don't know a single thing about them.

"Dakota Flonase."I read the name out loud as I flip through his files.I was on the elevator heading toward the thirteenth floor where Dakota room was.

My hands flipping through the pages as my eyes scanned the papers.

His blood type,his hair color,his eye color,ethnicity,time and place of birth,his home address,basically all the information I would need to know about him if I were a crazy stalker.

He was in a car crash.An accident that left him comatose for the past few months.He'd woken up a few days ago which was the good news.But his family was currently unreachable.He hasn't received his discharged papers yet.And for the time being I would be his 'friend' if you wanna call it that.

"Hi."I breath out my hands clutching his files tighter.He was sitting on his bed his head looking straight ahead at the wall.His back resting against the pillow.The look of lost and dazed shining in his aura.

I wait for him to respond.Maybe even give a small smile or any soft gesture of a welcome.But no.Instead he continues staring at the wall as if it were the only thing that pleases his interests.I let out a breath of air trying to make it as soft as possible.I step into the room making my way towards the chair placed near the bed.

"My names Katie."I introduce."I'm a Saturday volunteer."I continue on unsure if he was listening to me or completely ignoring me.

"I'm not a charity case."He grumbles softly more to himself his gaze not moving from the wall.

"Why do you keep looking at that wall?"I ask there are so many other interesting things in this room and yet the brown haired fourteen year old continues to stair at the damn wall.

"Why do you care?"He retorts.My senses bring on the feeling of uneasiness telling me maybe there might still be time to switch my files with another.But I won't.

"Just curious."I grumble out.

"You don't have to be hear."He informs me.

"I know that."I tell him.My voice sounding almost as dead and serious as his.Something about the way my voice was or maybe it was him finally realizing I to was a human and wanted his attention.But he turned and looked at me.

He looks at me.His eyes reminding me of a deer stuck in headlights.Which he kinda was.The look of fear and unsure.

"Do you not have better things to do?"He asks squinting his eyes to harden the look he was giving me.

"I could have been on a date."I tell him shrugging.

"Then why didn't you go?"

"I wasn't in the mood."I tell him shrugging yet again."But enough of that."I say quickly changing the subject."The records say you've been super uncooperative so the others throughout your time here."I say my mind tracing back to the papers in my hand.