His Safety Net

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

       I wasn't sure about joining the program once I got the tour of the unit where it took place. Not because it didn't seem like a good program. In fact, it seemed exactly like what I needed to get through all of this. Dr. Bahar wasn't lying when she said the unit didn't look like a hospital at all.

       There reason why I was so hesitant about joining was because it meant being away from my family for two, maybe four, weeks. Yes, there were visiting hours so I would probably see them every day, and there were also going to be counselling sessions that they would be included in, but it wasn't going to be the same.

       But... I took one look at the bandages and, on an impulse, agreed to the program. I hated looking at my bandages, at my scars. I wanted to get better. More than anything. I wanted to stop harming myself and I wanted to stop feeling like this. I didn't want to go through another attempt.

       But I didn't know how to fix all of that by myself. I knew I needed professional help.

       Dr. Bahar talked to me about the program a bit more. She could sense my hesitance and gave me more information that might help me make my decision. One of them was that we still had access to our cell phones, with a few rules that had to be followed but for the most part, we could still have them. Meaning I could call or text my family and Jerome whenever I missed them.

       So I enrolled into the program.

       I had to stay in the hospital room until I was well enough to not be monitored by doctors. However, I was getting transferred to the psychiatric unit right away, so my parents had to go home to pack up my belongings that I would need while staying in the unit for two weeks.

       Unfortunately, it was during school hours so it was only going to be my parents coming to see me and help me get settled into the psychiatric unit.

       At least, that was what I thought.

       Shortly after my parents arrived into my hospital room, and as I was getting ready to leave, there was a soft knock on the door. I looked over to see Jerome there, giving me a small smile. "Hey," he said.

       "What are you doing here?" I asked. "Don't you have school?"

       "I skipped," Jerome said.

       "You shouldn't be skipping."

       Jerome shrugged. "I've done it before. Another time won't really make a difference."

       "Still..."

       "I can leave."

       "No, don't..."

       "I'm kidding," Jerome said, walking over to me and giving me a hug. "I'm proud of you for doing this."

       I hugged him back and as I did, I hated to admit that part of me was wanting to drop out of the program. If I just stayed home, I could see Jerome whenever I wanted. I didn't have to wait for visitation hours. He could even spend the night with me if I wasn't doing too well.

       But I knew I had to do this if I wanted to take a step towards getting better.

       I finished getting ready to leave the hospital room and head to the psychiatric unit. I wasn't going to lie, I had a lot of anxiety just thinking about going there. My heart wouldn't stop beating rapidly at the idea of being somewhere unfamiliar without anyone I knew.

       My anxiety got even worse when we got to the unit because everything just got a lot more real. This was it. This was where I was going to be staying for the next two weeks.