Chapter 18
<Jasper Coven>
The first thing I notice when I open my eyes is that I have no idea where I am. The lights are bright and there's a low, mechanic hum being emitted from a machine next to my bed, an occasional beep breaking the eerie silence of the room I'm in. I look down at my arm and find an IV in amongst a constellation of pinpricks, a slow drip of some medicine entering my bloodstream every few seconds.
My eyes travel from the IV down to my hand where a gleaming pair of silver handcuffs is attached to the side of the bed. I try to move my other hand and find it restrained as well. My heart begins to beat fast, air barely reaching my lungs, and that's when I realize that my lips are taped to a tube. I begin to bang my hands on the sides of the bed, unable to scream. A woman in blue scrubs walks into the room, checking things off on a clipboard. I continue banging on the railings until the woman looks up in surprise.
"You're up," She says, her eyes wide. "Let me get that tube out."
I stop banging, allowing her to carefully peel off the tape, so I can breathe on my own. I take in a few deep breaths, my ribs heaving.
"Where the hell am I?" I heave, my eyes narrowed.
"You're at the hospital, Jasper, do you not remember?" The woman says as she adjusts my IV.
"Why am I restrained?" I ask, my breathing finally calming down.
"I just got on my shift. I have no idea what happened before I got here." The woman, whose nametag reads 'Amy,' says as she tucks the clipboard under her arm. "There's a man waiting outside to see you. Should I send him in?"
"Does he have more answers than you?" I ask sarcastically.
"I'll send him in." Amy sighs and walks out. A few seconds later, Isaac, all worry lines and dark purple bags, makes his way into the room. He takes one look at me and almost bursts into tears. He leans his forehead on the wall and draws in a deep breath as he runs his hand through his gelled hair. After a minute or so, he turns around and makes his way over to my bed.
"Damn it, Jasper," He exhales, his voice cracking at the end.
"Isaac, why am I restrained? What happened?" I ask, my eyebrows knitting together in concern.
"Jasper, you could've died." Isaac whispers, his eyes welling up with tears. "Damn it, I can't believe this happened."
"What happened?" I ask again.
"I should've been there for you. I knew you were in a bad place and I just left you all alone and then you almost died." Isaac wipes his eyes under his glasses, the worry and lack of sleep showing in every crevice of his face.
"Isaac, I need to know what happened. The last thing I remember was being in Arlo's den." I sit up on my pillows, the handcuffs digging into my wrists. Isaac looks at me and lets out a sigh as he sinks into the chair next to my bed. He runs his hand through his hair and unbuttons the sleeves of his dress shirt. He takes another long, hard look at me before beginning his story.
"Aleia called the police. You had injected yourself with four syringes of heroin and you were dangerously close to unconscious. You kept screaming about seeing your dad and your breathing was very shallow. By the time the paramedics arrived you had passed out. They gave you Narcan twice and that barely revived you. They got your pulse back in the ambulance and you began to wake up. You were still hallucinating that your dad was coming for you and you got violent. They had to sedate you and restrain you just so they could treat you, and then they had to induce a coma. They said if Aleia had waited any longer, you might've died before the paramedics got there."
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A Girl Named Callie
Spiritual*sequel to A Boy Named Jasper* ~~~~~ When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6) ~~~~~~ Jasper has been in L.A. for almost five years. Not a day w...
