All The Small Things

116

[Luca POV]

When we got to Meadows, it didn't take as long as it could've. The other places I've been to have taken up to 7 hours to get me onto the unit. I only know because every time the staff checked on me, I asked what time it was. This one probably only took 2 hours, and I think it's cause I already had everything filled out from the hospital.
"Before you go back, we have to check you," a tech told me, so I stood up and followed him to the hallway. They gave me a guy foor when they do a strip search. I set my stuff down next to me, against the wall, and let him wand me down. He said we'd do the body check for scars and marks when we got there, so it was in a closed room. They do that so when you leave, you can't say a new scar appeared while you were there because the staff or whoever did a horrible thing. He carried my stuff to the unit so that if I did have something in there, I couldn't pull it out all of a sudden and hurt someone. Or myself. I just wish I could hold Oliver.

"Alright, strip down. Shirt, then pants, then underwear, then socks," He instructed. I know it's just protocol, but it's embarrassing to strip naked in front of some random dude. I reluctantly complied and let him mark whatever he needed to as we went on.
"Kay, put these on," He instructed me, handing me new clothes. They were probably from donations, but it's so you're less likely to bring in lice or bed bugs or anything. They wash all your stuff before you can have anything back. What he gave me were black sweatpants that were a size or so too big, brand new boxer-briefs, socks, and a maroon short sleeve t-shirt.

I threw them on, fixing the seams of my socks as he made me step on a scale for my height/weight. It had gone down a few pounds, but not anything big. Other than that, it's stayed mostly the same these past few months. He still felt the desire to comment on it.
"Goddamn, you're tiny," He exclaimed. I figured agreeing would make me sound conceited and disagreeing would make me sound like a bitch. So i just shrugged. We walked to my room, and I noticed I had a roommate asleep in the bed a couple feet away from the one I assumed to be mine.. I obviously couldn't get a good look at him since it was 2 am. and pitch black in there.
"We'll wash your stuff, and everything will be put outside your door in a paper bag once it's dry. I'd suggest sleeping since we wake you guys up at 7:30," He told me. I nodded a little and half waddled to my mattress, slid under the thin blankets, and dozed off to sleep relatively quickly. I was really tired from making myself stay up the whole time in the intake room.

I was woken up at 7:30, just like the staff last night told me. I still wasn't a morning person, so I didn't wanna talk. But that didn't stop people from wanting to talk to me. We woke up and instantly got in line for breakfast, me in the very back because I didn't know if there was a specific order and definitely didn't wanna make someone upset my first day. The rules are that you're silent on your way there, and you're silent on the way back. Other than that, they don't care when you talk.
"What's your name?" The girl in front of me asked in the line.
"Luca," I answered quietly, slowly taking steps as everyone else did.
"I love your hair," She complimented me, flashing me a smile.
"Thanks, my boyfriend did it last week," I said, grabbing whatever we were having today. It says biscuits and gravy, and it looks like it, so I took it for what it was. I also got orange juice and milk, but I didn't think I'd eat it. I can't read the calories on anything other than the milk, so I'd have to assume. And that throws me off really badly. I got through line, and a guy, fairly close to my age, called me over to sit with him and his friend.
"You came in last night, right?" He asked. He has dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, and tan skin.

"Mhm..." I mumbled, setting down my tray and sitting in the chair across from him.
"I'm Charlie, and this is Phoenix," He introduced me, chugging his orange juice.
"Are you in here for those?" Pheonix asked, turning my attention to him. He was loosely pointing at my left arm, so I nodded a little.
"Shit, can I see?" He asked. I brushed it off as just morbid curiosity and gently pulled the tape away from the gauze and showed him the six, newly-glued lacerations.
"I wish I could get mine that deep. Shit," He said, starting to take bites of his breakfast. I turned around the carton of milk and juice box to try and see the calories. I don't even know why. I don't normally count calories.
"You shouldn't do that. Besides, you're already a twig," Pheonix told me, turning them back around. I thought to myself, 'Who the hell cares what I do?' But I didn't say it.

The whole day, I stuck with them. I didn't want to meet anyone new, other than my roommate. And that's mostly because I won't remember names if I learn them all at once. I didn't leave their side until it was time for phone calls, and then me and Charlie had one at the same time since there's 4 landline phones. When I got called for mine, I borderline ran to the front desk for it.
"Who are we calling?" The nurse asked.
"Jacob," I quickly answered, suddenly in a million times better mood than all the rest of today. She dialed, told him who it was, and then transferred the call.
"Hello?" I softly asked.
"Hi, baby. You miss me?" He asked, making me smile.
"I do. They do visits here every Tuesday, just so you know. In case you wanna see me or something," I said, leaning against the wall and covering my other ear so I could hear him better.
"If I can get off, I'll come see you. I'll call you the night before to say if I can, okay?" He said, making me smile.
"Okay," I agreed. "What was work like?" I asked. I don't even care what we talk about, I just wanna hear his voice.

"Are you listening to me?" He asked after I had zoned out at one point. I was just trying to listen better, and I ended up overthinking and zoning out.
"Yes and no," I said, giggling a little.
"What do you mean yes and no?" He asked, pretending to be hurt.
"I was listening to your voice, but not what you were saying," I explained, looking at my time. I've still got 4 minutes.
"Yeah? What were you imagining?" He asked. I could hear the implication of something dirty.
"I don't know," I mumbled, shrugging even though he couldn't see me.
"Sure. You weren't thinking 'bout me shoving your face into the bed and calling you my bitch?" He asked, making my cheeks go a little red.

"Not 'til now," I mumbled, suddenly very thankful I'm in baggy sweatpants.
"Well, you are. I don't even have to stick my dick in you for you to be willing to do anything for me," He gruffly told me.
"Stopp," I whined a little, not entirely meaning it, "People are next to me,"
"You don't me to show them how much of a little slut you are?" He asked rhetorically.
"Not right now," I told him, playing with my toes since I didn't know what else to do.
"Oh, okay," He said before moving on to talking about how he's going to buy that truck from his uncle or whoever tomorrow.

On Tuesday, he did show up even though he didn't call on Monday night. So when I got brought down to the cafeteria with the other 3/4 of the group, I was crazy excited. He was standing next to the table, so I pulled him into a tight hug.
"You're here!" I quietly exclaimed, stimming a little.
"I know! Drove here and everything," He said, smiling a little. I stood up on my tiptoes and leaned in to kiss his lips hard, but not for long since they're very against PDA. I sat down across from him and swung my legs under the table the entire visit.
"The doctor says I'm supposed to leave Thursday cause I'm doing good," I told him. Last night, I said I'd keep him up to date on what the doctor said that my release date was since his family wanted to see me again.
"For the cookout thing we're doing. It literally is Thursday cause that's the only day most my family could get off. And I could get off too," He told me. The rest of the visit, I was giggly and happy. I wanted to hold him, but I resisted.
"I got a late shift tonight instead, so I gotta go, baby," He told me, looking at the clock. It was only 15 minutes before visiting was over anyway, so I didn't complain too much.
"I love you," I told him, standing up on my tiptoes again to kiss his lips.
"Don't miss me too much," He said, pulling away and telling me he loved me before leaving. I'm ready to go home already.