Chapter 1:
"Good Morning, Louis." A beautiful girl walked in, wearing a pair of light-pink scrub pants with a white shirt. "Welcome to Medical Meadow Institute." She said, her voice being a bit obnoxious.
I sent her a glance, sighing. I already knew where I was. I had spent the entire past hour looking around the room and reading all the little flyers and brochures and posters that decorated the room. I took in the room around me one more time.
The walls were a light yellow, not the cheery kind but it was still bright enough to make the room not too bad. The floor was a really soft carpet, that felt good on my socked feet. There were two beds, mine and then the sleeping kid next to me. His side of the room had a small chest of drawers beside the bed and had pictures of what I assumed was his home town on the wall. He had a green blanket and he had been sleeping pretty well all night.
My side of the room was the opposite. I had a hanging closet with a shelf instead of drawers. The wall was blank, but there was tape for me to hang up pictures if I chose to. My blanket was white, but I knew that it was only temporary. I had heard of this place before. I had spent some time looking up my illness, trying to see if there were other people who heard voices like me. I hoped I would meet some, but I never had. Maybe I would while I was here.
"I'm Eleanor, I'm the nurse for this floor. Sorry, but you have some medicine you have to take." She handed my a small plastic container that had one pill inside. I watched as she carefully walked over to the sleeping boy, him groggily sitting up.
'Morning beautiful" he said, yawning and blinking a few times. It looked as if he were a morning person. "Well, hello to you too." I joked, knowing he meant it to Eleanor. "Oh! New Roommate! You're my new bestfriend! I'm Niall!" He said, and I gave a small smile. I wondered if he had ADHD, and that was why he was here.
"That's Louis. Be nice to him." Niall looked over, and I could see the sympathy in his eyes once his gaze drifted across the bandage around my wrist.
"Don't worry." I said, and that perked him up instantly.
'Alright. I won't. If you say you're fine. I believe you. But the doctors here don't think the same way I do." He chuckled, and I was curious why he was being so nice. He didn't know me. most people judged me by my clothes....Oh. I realized I was wearing a white hospital gown.
"Here." He said, standing up once Eleanor watched us swallow our pills. I noticed Niall had a lot more pills than I, but I shrugged it off.
Niall tossed me a white shirt and some cargo pants. "They might be a bit big.." He mumbled, messing with his fingers for a bit before shrugging and smiling.
"They'll be fine, thanks. " I looked around, sighing when I realized we shared a bathroom. I heard some mental institutes had one communal bathroom, so I was relieved.
"I'm going to go change." Niall said, quickly rushing to the bathroom to change. He must be shy or something.
I put on the clothing, smiling that I was still wearing the dirty boxers I had thrown on yesterday because I couldn't find anything else. I borrowed a pair of Niall's, sneaking them before he came back. When he did, he was wearing a loose-fitting flannel shirt with tight cargo pants.
"Okay, well. I'll walk you to the cafeteria. I eat in a different one so..." He trailed off, but shook off the awkwardness and smiled.
As we walked, he told me a bit about his home town. "I'm Irish. In case my accent and completely green room wasn't enough of a hint for you. I come from mullingar. I have a brother, but none of my famiyl is really close. Most Irish families are really close but I guess we just don't get along well enough." I knew I should say something about my family, but I wasn't ready to yet.
"Oh, well. here." He gestured to the large cafeteria where there was a buffet-style breakfast. Niall's eyes glanced downwards. "You can sit next to Zayn. " Zayn sounded like a weird name, but I followed as he led me over to a lonely boy sitting in the corner. He was weairng a black pair of scrubs with a white shirt and black cardigan. I would have been too intiimidated to talk to him myself.
'Zayn. This is Louis, my new room-mate! Be nice to him, alright?" The way Niall smiled at him, I wondered if they were really close or something. Zayn's eyes had black bags under them, and his eyes were bloodshot.
"O-o-o-okay...b-b-ut h-h-he-he won't h-h-h-urt me right?" Zayn stuttered, before stomping his foot. That brought a smile to my face. People laughed when I stomped my foot, but now I realized it was actually a cute thing to do.
"I won't hurt you. i never hurt anyone." It was a bit of a lie. I had hurt people in minor ways, but only when the voices were so loud. I have been able to ignore them since I got here since my mind has had so much else to focus on.
"Okay, I'm Zayn. I'm here for Insomnia and my irrational fears." When I gave him a strange look, he just continued. "New people here always ask why everyone is here, so. It's easier to say it then to waste time trying to let you figure it out on your own."
I liked open people. "Well....Um....I don't know why I'm here...I've never been diagnosed with anything I just..." I started, but Niall cut me off.
"Don't worry, Doctor Liam will help you. He is the best therapist and physcologist I know. He is really sweet. He's more of a friend then a doctor. he's probably around here eating with one of the patients. But I have to go before I get into trouble." Niall waved to me, and shyly waved to Zayn before leaving.
"So, are you okay?" He asked, gesturing to my arm. I nodded quickly.
"I don't have depression...or I don't think I do...I just. I don't think I'm ready to tell you yet." He nodded sympathetically.
"I understand. I have been here for almost a year now and Niall and Liam are the only ones who know about all my issues. Niall is truly a great person." I noticed he was smiling as he looked down at his food.
"You should go get food. Actually, here. Have mine. I'll go get another plate." When he pushed his plate to me, I smiled and clapped. 'Thanks Zayn!" I said, enthusiastically as I started to eat the cheesy eggs.
After another 40 minutes or so, the cafeteria had emptied out. "What are we supposed to do all day?" I asked, and he gave me a evil little smile.
"Niall and I like to pull pranks. You in?" My eyebrows narrowed, and I nodded my head, ready for this.
Maybe you should just go make-out with that Niall fag instead.
"Shut up Niall isn't gay!" I yelled, but apparently I had yelled it out loud.
Zayn blinked. "Oh." I realized he probably knew I heard voices now and would be freaked out. "I wish he was...." Zayn said, and a smirk spread across my face. I knew what my first prank I pulled would be now.