Oh, Dakota

31- It Ends Tonight

“No,” He laughed. “My brother did.”

“Your life is very messed up, Fred,” I informed him with a long sigh.

“Says the anorexic,” He snorted carelessly.

“I’m better now,” I assured him with a nod. “That’s why they’re letting me go home.”

“Right,” He nodded but he seemed very unconvinced, even though I was telling the truth and everything. “Have you ever fallen in love, Dakota?”

“Nope,” I sighed, adjusting myself on the uncomfortable metal bench.

“Really?” He questioned. “Aren’t teenagers supposed to fall in love all of the time?”

“Well, there was this one guy, and he made me think that I fell in love with him, but then it wasn’t.”

“That seems to happen a lot, yeah?” Fred grunted.

I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, probably.”

“Miss. Dakota,” I heard somebody chirp my name and when I looked up, I saw one of the nurses standing in front of Fred and I with a rolling cart full of drugs on it. “I have your afternoon pill here.”

“Great,” I chirped sarcastically. “I really love drugs so much.”

She smiled at me and handed me two small cups- one with two pills in it and one with some water in it. “Well, you’re almost done. Just a few more days.”

I sighed heavily and took the pills and the water, throwing them down my throat. “I still really don’t like the pills,” I whined. “They make me groggy and horny and it’s annoying,” I muttered.

“Have a good day, Dakota, and you too, Fred. Don’t forget your appointment with Dr. Baylen at three, okay?” She reminded me with a pointed look that a mother would give her child.

I nodded in agreement. “I honestly wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

The nurse laughed at my sarcasm and then she jumped a little bit as if she was just remembering something. “Oh, I almost forgot. You have a visitor waiting for you in your room.”

“A visitor?” I echoed in confusion. “I’m not allowed to have visitors though.”

She shrugged. “I guess Dr. Baylin is giving you a pass for today. Maybe she thinks it will be good for you to see somebody that you really know.”

“Do you know who it is?” I asked her.

She shook her head apologetically. “Sorry, Dakota, I don’t.”

“Okay, well thank you,” I chirped, standing up from the bench as she nodded and then started walking off with her cart to the next patient who was on her list for their afternoon dose. “Same time tomorrow, Fred?”

He nodded, still looking up into the tree at the birds. “Yep, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“How many birds have you counted?” I asked him curiously.

“I don’t count the birds,” He denied. “I just watch them.”

“Okay, Fred,” I laughed. “Goodbye.”

He muttered a farewell back and then I followed the sidewalk back up to the building and then I went back inside, being washed in the air conditioning, which was a high contrast from the Alabama spring outside. I waved at the reception lady, but she was on the phone so she didn’t notice me, and then I walked over to where the elevators were that led to the dorm-like rooms where the patients stayed.