The Doctor

Chapter 1: Saved

   I closed my eyes and listened to the world alive around me. The wind blew at a slight and the swing beneath me moaned over the weight of a teen to old to be riding it. These late night trips to the park came more and more frequently lately as my mom’s drinking habit grew and grew. Back before dad left we were picture perfect. A happy, loving mother who stayed home, dotting on her family, a father who went to work all day, everyday to put the food on the table but still came home and happily kissed his little girl on the head. Money was never tight, but not plentiful either like most families of our area, but we were still a family. 

   All that changed one chilly, north carolina, day after Ma had picked me up from 4th grade and we arrived home to find Pa in their bedroom with another woman. Ma and Pa fought and screamed at each other for hours that day and I crawled beneath the stair case shielding my ears and tears. I didn’t understand why it was happening, somehow I felt it was my fault, and in the end he left and never came back. He didn’t stop to say goodbye or even fight with Ma over custody of me, he just vanished. It left a scar on both our hearts. A scar that once bound us together through our mutual feelings of nobody wanting us but eventually drove us apart when we started to doubt each other’s love. He planted a seed of hate within us and emotional detachment that only blossomed throughout the years as I did. 

   Now, mom uses drinking as a crutch to get through the day and to enable herself to be numb without care and I... well I’m not sure what I am. Not the normal girl that is produced from a heathy family thats for sure. The sting of a slap is familiar to my cheeks and the heaviness of emptiness in my heart routine. On days when our differences are unreconcilable I have to steal away to the park for relief and peace. Still to this day she has never come looking for me, she just keeps drinking until the point she passes out with the bottle still dangled from her greasy hands and thats when its safe for me to return home.

   Now I sit at my familiar perch on the creaky swing, center to the playground, dangling bare feet into the sand and drawing random swirls with my big toe. I shivered from a chilly, fall, wind that ripped through my thin t-shirt. Despite all the time I spent out here I never remembered to bring a jacket. A hollow echo of a clock’s chime vibrated through the air bringing my attention to across the street. Outside the perimeter of the park, past a side walk, road then a small grassy lot was the town square in which sat a weathered clock tower. It rang eleven labored times, allowing the lateness of the hour to slowly dawn on me but more then the time of night, what shocked me most were the four dark shadows I saw dancing their way around the clock. They stumbled their way towards the park and climbed the fence, falling down the other side. They sang loudly without tune and laughed as they drunkenly walked falling against each other.

   I stiffened, my breath catching and attention on red alert. I rose from the swing as began to slowly inch away but the movement caught their attention. They came towards me and I saw the crooked smiles they wore within the illumination of a nearby street lamp. I ran to that beacon of shining hope and screamed at some nearby houses. Surely someone would come out? Plus how could these guys attack someone right by a light where anyone who pleased could see them? These were the main questions that ran through my head as I was grabbed roughly from behind. I was thrown up against the pole and found myself staring at grinning middle-aged man with Whiskey for colon. The three others flanked his sides wearing the same dark grin and intent that he did. I threw a desperate look at the houses and saw they were still dark and knew I was on my own. I started to kick and fight back against him, snaking my leg through his and kicking out the back of his knee, bringing him down but the other three had a hold of me after him. I was pulled to a tree that no light dared to touch and thrown, roughly against it too then slid to the ground with a grunt. They looked down at me evilly as they began to close in, my head was fuzzy from the hit and I found it hard to move. There was a silver glint in the hand of one man and my mind instantly went to knife. The first man straddled me, taking the lead and I knew if I didn’t do something quick it was all over for me but I was being held down and I was to weak. My eyes lulled into the back of my head and I felt nothing but chill from the fall air, I lost conciseness at some point and only awoke faintly when they finally got bored with their new play toy and left. My vision came and went but I saw a darker shadow moving about those of the tree. I froze, readying myself for round two but it never came. I felt something being wrapped around me, maybe a blanket or jacket, and I was lifted by someone. I moaned in pain,

   “Sorry...” They whispered, soothingly. Their voice and warm touch made me felt safe but I knew it wouldn’t last, I waiting for when they would leave me and dump me somewhere else but it never came. Instead my eyes felt heavy and sleep got to me first.

   When I woke I was laying on a cold table held down by my arms. Cool, soft silk clung to the length of my body, gently kissing my skin and I knew I was laying under a blanket.  I moaned and tried to move but I found it to be extremely hard, there were restrains on my wrists that frustrated me, I couldn’t comprehend why they were there. But thats when I realized the darkness I was seeing wasn’t the inside of my eyelids. Its not that I couldn’t open my eyes but that they were covered by another piece of cloth. I gasped as my mind recalled the night before and fear settled over me, I began to scream and struggle and thats when I heard a door burst open. 

   “Shh honey, its okay don’t struggle, your still healing.” I heard the voice of an older female coo in my ear. I stopped struggling as she said but my breathing remained heavy and portrayed my fright.

   “What’s happening? Why am I here?” I gasped in a shaky voice, that still managed to hold my southern accent to my surprise. The feeling in the room was peaceful and I felt like she was smile down at me warmly.

   “The doctor found you hurt and abandoned in a park, he brought you here to heal you.” She said. I nodded. “I know the blindfold and binds seem a little much but its part of a new theory we’re working on to help the healing process.” She explained.

   “Yeah well when someone has had the night I have and then they wake up strapped to a table its a little alarming.” I bit back. “Sorry..” I said after a moment. “I’m frustrated but shouldn’t be taking it out on you.”

   “Its quite alright, I’m used to it and I understand where your coming from, to be honest I think his idea is a little far fetched but hopefully after you he’ll see it doesn’t matter and doesn’t do it to anyone else.” I nodded again. “Get your rest now. The doctor will be in to see you shortly.