We Were Kids [MIKA Fanfiction]

Forty-Two: Escape

The hospital air was cold and I could feel the goosebumps rising all over my pale skin. Or maybe it was just from thinking about what had happened. Every time my mind wandered to the incident, my stomach twisted and I felt like puking again. Then the goosebumps would cover my skin, I would feel lightheaded, and have to sit down. I was surrounded by familiar faces but none of them were looking at me. They were all buried deep into other people's shoulders or their faces were covered by their own hands. We all wept over the same thing.

Paloma.

Much like me, Mika didn't have any tears left to shed. Instead he sat on the floor with his back against the wall, despite the fact that there were so many open chairs next to me. But I doubt he wanted my company. I didn't want his. I wanted to be left alone so I could scream as much as I pleased, hit and kick anything I wanted, and break whatever got into my hands. But I sat here, pretending to be somewhat content, staring at the empty air. Mika wasn't looking at anything in particular either.

Mrs. Penniman had her eyes closed and not a word escaped her lips. Her head was resting against the window of Paloma's hospital room. The blinds were drawn because they were operating on her. Zuleika kept pacing up and down the halls. Occasionally she'd do it silently, with a blank look on her face. Other times, tears would be streaming down her face and she'd be grabbing fistfuls of her own hair and yanking on it. She also looked like she wanted to destroy something out of anger and grief.

Yasmine was next to her mother, with her forehead pressed up against the window in the same fashion. She had her hands clasped and was whispering the same thing over and over again. "You'll be okay, Paloma."

A police officer walked towards us and cleared his throat. "I have a few questions for everyone who was at the scene of the accident." That meant me. And Mika. I sat on the cold metal chair, hugging my knees so they pressed against my chest. I slowly put my feet down and managed to find the strength to get up. I shoved my hands into my coat pockets and walked to the officer, looking at the floor. It took him longer, but Mika still got up and joined me. But we kept our distance. The officer led us down the hall until we came to 2 different doorways. The officer took Mika into one room and another female officer motioned for me to come into the other one. There was a table and a chair. The door closed behind me and she gestured for me to sit in the chair. I did.

"Hi honey, I'm just here to ask you a few questions about the incident. We're just collecting evidence to confirm that your friend wasn't pushed out the window." she said. I simply nodded. She flipped open a notepad and looked at me.

"Was there a reason that caused her to lose her balance?" she asked.

"She...She was sitting on the ledge and she spilled her tea. Her first instinct was to grab for it and she lost her balance." I surprised myself with how fast the words escaped my mouth. It felt like I would just never talk to anyone again.

The questions kept coming and I kept answering them honestly. The officer wrote notes about everything I said. The whole time I kept my gaze on the floor and my voice was monotone and emotionless. When she finished, she shoved her notebook into her pocket, thanked me, and left. I got up and exited.

Mika was back outside too, except this time he was sitting on one of the uncomfortable metal chairs. He was repeatedly banging his head on the arm of it, his eyes closed. I looked around and saw the rest of his family, still with a dead look in their eyes. But what about me? I caught my reflection in the window.

My black makeup was running down my face. My eyes were red and puffy, bloodshot. My skin was blotchy. I sighed and took the chair next to Mika. When he saw me sit beside him, he looked at me with so much pain in his eyes. A few words escaped his lips.