My Therapy Sessions (Wattys2016)

Chapter Thirteen

I held my head in between my knees and breathed the metallic odor as we waited for the doctor. I could hear the disheveled sobbing of Linda in the background, I pulled my gaze away from the floor to her; she looked distraught, even after all she put Noah through she obviously didn't want to lose him. Nor did I. I insisted for my dad to take me to the hospital, my mother didn't want me to go as it would be intrusive but like I said I insisted. When I got there, the person I first met was Jessica who instantly hugged me and thanked me for coming, she was consoling her mother as the rest of us waited in silence. Derek, oldest son, was there too, his dark eyes held so much concern for his little brother that I couldn't help but remember the look Noah gave me when I fainted. That made me wonder whether Jessica or Derek knew of Noah being their half-brother, knowing Linda most likely not. I don't think it'd change anything though. My eyes switched to the double doors when I heard them open, the doctor came out, he took off his mask.
"Surgery is over and he's awake. You can go see him now." I got up to go but was stopped when he said. "Family only." Jessica looked apologetically at me.
"I'll tell him you're here." She promised.
"Thank you." I sat down on the metallic chair and looked up at the circular lighting. I let out a breath of relief. "He's okay." I smiled.
"Keira?" I cocked my head to find Linda's puffy eyes staring at me. "Noah wants to see you."
"Oh okay." I got up and rushed to his room. When I opened the door, I saw him. He was wearing a leg cast and a neck brace with scratches on his face, but despite all that he was still Noah. He grinned his goofy smile when he saw it was me. He spread his arms, I dropped on his bed and hugged him.
"Thank you for being here." He wrapped his arms around me as I tightened my hold, I couldn't help but tear up causing my shoulders to shake. "No, don't cry." He cooed.
"I thought I'd never hear your voice again." I sobbed, letting my emotions run wild for once.
"You can't get rid of me that easily, Wilson." He joked, still holding me tight. When I finally got some sort of control over my rampant emotions, I let go of him and wiped my face only to punch him in the shoulder. "Ouch! What the hell was that for?!" He exclaimed, holding his shoulder.
"You should've been more careful on that thing." I said, punching him again and again.
"Ow. Okay, okay." He grabbed my hand, chuckling. "I'll be more careful next time. Geez, what's up with you? You're never like this."
"I don't know lets see," I feigned being in thought. "Oh yeah, you got in  fucking car crash!" I punched him in the other shoulder making him grunt in pain.
"Technically, it was a motorcycle crash and you should've seen the other guy."
"Noah, the other guy was a parked truck." I looked at him flatly.
"Still a tru-" He paused as his face scrunched in concentration.
"What? Is there something on my face?" I said, feeling kinda self-conscious.
"Are you sick?" He asked, making me frown.
"No, why? Do I look sick? Because that's not very flattering, I'll have you know."
"Keira, when was the last time you slept?" I didn't really expect the question, Noah was more perspective than I gave him credit for.
"Three days ago." I sighed.
"Why haven't you slept?" He inquired, suddenly concerned, he tried to sit up only to grunt in pain.
"Just didn't feel like it." I shrugged, making him furrow his brows.
"Keira, please don't push me away." He said, surprising me.
"I'm not..." I trailed off before sighing; until he said that I wasn't even aware that I was distancing myself from him. "I'm..." the words didn't seem to be able to escape my mouth, like something was weighing me down. It didn't take long for me to figure it out as at that moment it decided to make it's presence known.
"Don't tell him, Keira, you know he won't understand. No one does." It's lipless mouth and cracking voice made me cringe.
"What's wrong?" Noah inquired, following my gaze to behind his bed. "What are you looking at?"
"Don't tell him-"
"I'm seeing things." I blurted out.
"What?" He looked at me, eyes-widened as he tried to figure out what I meant.
"I'm seeing things." I repeated, more calmly. "And hearing things." Noah looked back to where I was staring before returning his concerned gaze my way.
"You're hallucinating?"
"Yeah." I looked down, suddenly ashamed.
"When... when did it start?"
"A few weeks ago." I sighed. "I had a nightmare and then it started appearing every time I have a panic attack."
"A few weeks?! Oh god, Keira why didn't you tell me?" I sat there in silence, not knowing how to respond. "You didn't want to tell me? Is that it?"
"No, it's that... it's that I didn't know how." I admitted, finally looking at him again, his face was still riddled with concern. "I don't know how to talk about someone about all this because, well, that was never an option for me."
Noah placed his hand on my own, before smiling. "You do now and I'm willing to help in any way I can. So these hallucinations, what are they of?"
"A monster-like thing that looks like a corpse and follows me around, it strangled me twice." I was reluctantly to admit the last past.
"Strangled you?! Keira, this is serious, you should tell your parents immediately!" Noah was now on full alert, his eyes blazing.
"I can barely tell you any of this, do you really think I could tell them?"
"Do you want me to tell them for you?Because as much as your father despises me, I am willing to face the bull head-on."
"No." I sighed. "I can't let them know, they'll either not believe me or send me to the psych ward."
"Is that really a bad idea?"
"What? You can't be serious?!" I stood up. "You think I need to be in a mental facility, don't you?"
"Keira," he began softly, trying to calm down. "You're not sleeping, hallucinating, and most likely have an alter."
"Alter? What the hell's that?!"
"You said that this hallucination of yours strangled you, right?" I nodded slowly, confused. "Well, considering that it's in your head, you probably strangled yourself but wasn't aware of it, meaning that it's another part of you and has control over your body." My eyes fell on it, it was still sitting in the same place as before.
"Is that what you are?" I asked, causing Noah to furrow his eyebrows. "That's what happened today, isn't it? You took over, didn't you?!"
"Figure it out for yourself." It stood up and began walking away.
"You've been harassing me this past few days, the least you can do is tell me why." It stopped and turned.
"Why? You want to know why?" It stalked over to me, grabbing me by the neck. "It's because you can't handle it anymore and need my help. I didn't choose this, you did. And he can't help." It nodded Noah's way. "You know why." It let go of me and left, disappearing out of my sight. I looked back on Noah, who wore a strange expression. He was somewhere between confused and thoughtful.
"You were talking to it just now, weren't you?"
"Oh yeah, sorry it must've been kinda weird to watch." I apologized.
"No need. But you looked... afraid. What did it say to you?"
"Not much, just that I am a self-inflicted schizo." I ran a hand through my hair. "Sorry, everything's so messed, can we please talk about something else?" He sat there in thoughtful silence, the wait killing me, before shrugging.
"But this isn't the last time we talk about this, right?"
"Knowing me, I'll probably have another psychotic break." I sighed. "But when it happens, I'll tell you straight away." I said, forcing a smile.
"Well, I'll be waiting." He teased, making my farce smile genuine. One thing about Noah is he knows how to lighten the mood. I guess he had a lot of practice considering who he keeps for company.
"You know, when I came here I didn't expect to talk to you."
"Why not? You thought I would die that easily, didn't you? Nice to know how much faith you have in me, Kay, really hits home." He placed a hand over his heart, feigning hurt.
"First of all, shut up and it's because after the surgery that doctor said that it was family only. Second of all, Kay?" I raised an eyebrow, that was the first time he called him that.
"I thought you could use a new nickname." He shrugged. "And Keira, despite our odd and unlikely friendship, you are my family or at least more so than the people who claim they are. Also, the doctor's a jackass, even if he potentially saved my life." I couldn't help but smile.
"Family, I guess I do have one that cares." I mumbled to myself.
"What was that?" Noah asked, having not heard me.
"You're right. That Doctor is a jackass."
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