Hospital bound

By the looks of his t-shirt the nurse decided it had never been folded neatly and stored in a tidy draw. By the looks of him he obviously avoided washing and his mother didn’t seem to care what state he left the house. Yet, after his bed bath the nurse was proud to say he scrubbed up quite well. She watched him as he lay there still unconscious from the anaesthetic. She felt sorry that he didn’t seem cared for. He was bound to come round soon. It hadn’t been major surgery just urgent. She checked his dressing on his hip. He’d be just fine.
“Ow!” he screamed, waking as she hurt his side. “What ya doing woman?” he spat at her.
Mickey came to with an agonising bang, He felt where the pain was emanating and feeling the dressing he started to panic.
“What’s this?” he asked as the tube in his arm stopped him from putting both hands to his side. “What’s this shit in my arm?”
The nurse had jumped back from the bed and at the recognition his anger was now a little too scared to approach the bed again.
She asked gently trying to calm him down, “Do you remember what happened? Do you remember how you got here?”
He scowled and tried to scratch his head, the tube getting caught up. He bit his lip in recollection. The nurse watching as the fear and confusion showed on his face.
He started talking slowly, almost to himself, “Yeah. I was out with my home boys at a party. Someone’s house party, I don’t know who’s house. We were messing around a bit we were having fun.”
The nurse looked a little quizzical. She asked bluntly, “So how did you come to be stabbed?”
Mickey squirmed around, “Yeah, well. Well you know, things sort of got a bit out of hand. We sort of had a bit of a fight. Yeah. It was in the kitchen.” Mickey pulled himself painfully into a better sitting position. “How are my homies? Are they ok?”
The nurse seemed quite happy about this, “Oh yes,” she said, “you were the only one hurt. Do you not remember? Look maybe the doctor can tell you more. He’ll be here sho0rtly after he has spoken to the police.”
Mickey became agitated spluttering, “The police are here?” Pretty much answering his own question he swung his legs out of bed and gently lowered himself to the floor. It wasn’t as painful standing he noticed.
“You can’t leave,” the nurse said, adding, “You’ve got a serious injury and an IV in your arm.”
Mickey cocked his head at her and while looking her in the eyes ripped the IV from his arm.
“Not any more I don’t. And I ain’t staying to meet up with no police.” He looked around the room, “Where’s my stuff?”
Mickey spied his t-shirt and walking slowly over to it he pulled it over his head. “Where’re my jeans?” He asked.
Apologetically the nurse explained that they were bloodied and needed to be cut off him. His face was distraught at this carnage. But instead of shouting he walked out of the room shaking his head. The nurse hit the panic button by his bed. Mickey meanwhile legged it down the corridor darting into a room and stealing a sleeping mans trousers and wallet. Ducking out of the doors to the stairs Mickey realized that his side actually hurt less now. Catching a glimpse of himself in a window he saw he had a big black eye too. Touching his face his marvelled at the strength of the drugs they had given him. Maybe he should have taken the IV with him. It was then that he realized he didn’t have any of his jewellery on, his earrings, his eyebrow ring and pinkie ring. Well he was damn sure he wasn’t going to leave them, so he found an orderly jacket and putting that on made his way back to his room.
Mickey made his way back to his room circuitously. Approaching his old room he thanked his good luck that it was empty. Of course it would be the last place they would look for him. He chuckled at the stupidity of the police. He found and pocketed his jewellery and unhooked the IV before making his way down the corridor again. Just as he did he saw two policemen walking toward him? He lifted up the IV in an effort to hide his face.
“You alright mate?” One of the officers asked him.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m just taking this vi to the doctor.” Mickey said.
“No mate.” The officer said as he blocked Mickey’s path, “I was wondering about your side.”
Mickey looked down and saw the blood seeping through the t-shirt and through the jacket. In a panic Mickey tried to push past them and run away but he was weak and blacked out all over again.

Kim Zanes