I was surprised I'd made it to the waiting room, and checked myself in. My mum had dropped me off, but money was tight and she desperately had to work.
My head was pounding. The lights burnt my eyes. My chest couldn't keep up with what my body wanted, causing me to sit far forward and grip my knees. All my joints were hurting, I'd been sick and a rash was spread across my body.
Yet I'd rather be anywhere than here.
Although I was put on an emergency list, I was yet to be called. I knew I should've got an ambulance, but that meant seeing a doctor for longer.
Nurses were rushing past, my body feeling heavier and heavier by the second.
As soon as I felt a strong pair of arms on me, I found the strength to sit up and push them away.
I was greeted by a pair of dark brown eyes, looking up at me worriedly.
"I'm a doctor, don't worry," he said calmly, "I'm Calum, what's your name?"
"Val,"
"Well, Val, I don't want to panic you but I really need you to sit in this wheelchair and come with me. It's quite urgent."
"No," I snapped, "who are you?"
"Calum,"
"Sick," I mumbled, feeling my stomach twist. I couldn't bring myself to speak in large sentences, nevermind think about them beforehand.
"Not yet, my friend Michael is here now. We are gonna take you to a room where our team is gonna look after you,"
"Where?"
"Just in this hospital sweetheart, you've gotta trust me. You're voice is slurring, and I'm a bit panicked ok?"
My neck wasn't wanting to budge, so he led me to the wheelchair and started moving me across the hospital.
It was a weird hospital, the walls twisting and spinning which made me more and more scared.
A team of doctors looking after me was my worst nightmare.
"Okay, this is Val. I need blood pressure and her temperature taken, maybe a blood test- someone get her on oxygen and antibiotics,"
It was a brief introduction, and one that I didn't like the sound of.
So I opened my eyes, just to be sure they didn't do anything I didn't want.
"I'm Luke," someone said, "you need to take big breaths out of this mask for me,"
I obliged, letting his slip it over my head and onto my nose. He noticed I had a few tears and dabbed my cheeks before moving out the way for Michael- I think.
"A sharp prick, that's it. Perhaps you could tell me why you've not been to a doctor since you were six,"
"Because I don't like you,"
"Well we've never met before," the other one pointed out, "I'm Ashton, by the way,"
"Well, you've missed out on a lot of important jabs which is probably one of the reasons you're here today," Michael sighed, Calum coming back into the room and giving me the best smile he could muster.
"Her blood pressure is really low," Luke mumbled, Ashton plastering the needle I didn't even know was in my hand.
"Alright, I'm gonna place a couple of cooling rags under your shirt, would that be ok with you?" Luke asked, slipping them under them I nodded.
It was soothing against my hot skin, and the dizziness was gradually clearing up.
For a couple of minutes, I laid there while they makes sure everything was fixed up and ok.
I could hear my heart rate on the machine and it wasn't slowing down; neither were the butterflies in my stomach.
"Perhaps you could have a little chat with me?" Calum asked, Ashton preparing a needle in the corner.
"Don't bring that near me,"
"Look that way sweetheart," Michael said, turning my head towards Calum.
"I don't want it ," I begged, "Please,"
"I'm afraid you've missed so much that we are gonna have to see you again at some point. This is gonna make you feel all relaxed as well as helping you get better,"
I hit my head back and started crying, kicking the cover off my legs because I was overheating again.
Luke carefully tied my hair into a bun, while Michael neatened my cover.
"Why are you so scared of us love?"
"You can hurt me, you have hurt me,"
"Only a very small amount, which stops a very large amount of pain. Val, I know you're still a kid, but you're old enough to know the importance of our role,"
"Am I supposed to have a good reason for being scared? Because I just am,"
"You're allows to be scared, it's just hard when you stop us doing our job,"
"Can you be super brave for me?" Ashton asked, gently taking hold of my arm.
"I don't think so,"
"I think you can be," he smiled, Michael holding my hand. I closed my eyes as a small sting buzzed round my arm, but then it was over.
"All done," they praised.
"Am I stupid?"
"No,"
I hummed and shuffled down so I was laying down a bit more, trying my hardest to come up with a response. Whatever they'd given me had kicked in, and my mind felt foggy.
I yawned a little, speaking despite my butterflies starting to disappear.
"But I'm still terrified of you guys,"
"I think we will have to cope with that. Most people are,"
****
I hope these are okay, ew I'm so nervous lol.
Goodnight I'm tired, but anyone can send me an idea :)