The Girl In Room 417

Untitled Part 3

I don't have work for the next two days, and seeing as my sister is unwell, my social life is non-existent. I have no complaints, this makes it easier for me to see her.

We have always been close, we schemed, we played, we told scary stories and went on adventures. Even now, Emily knows all my darkest secrets. Alas, the adventures had to stop when she got sick the first time, and unfortunately our dad has a tendency to baby her.

I try and give her as much independence as possible.

I walk into the hospital and pass room 417, noting that the girl is awake and hooked up to a flashy machine. She glances up at the last moment, but I've already passed.

Emily is looking better today. It's been a rough week but she looks stronger and well rested. She is consuming jelly by the bucketful.

I chuck a few books onto her little table and she smiles wide. Green sticky jelly squeezes between her teeth and I grimace. That's disgusting.

"Thanks Ben, I'm getting so bored of day-time TV."

"No problem, how you feeling?"

"Fine. Pretty good actually, better than yesterday." She says with a yawn.

"Didn't you sleep well?" I ask, a little concerned.

"Yeah, it's just...someone coded last night."

"Coded?"

"Yeah, like, their heart stopped!" She says, tapping on her dormant looking heart monitor. There's a layer of dust coating it. I brush it off.

"Who was it?"

"I don't know, sounded serious though, not a lot of people up here even have monitors. I don't have to, cause I'm not high-risk." She says proudly. I smile at her.

"Must have caused a racket."

"Yeah, nurses were shouting and running around. They sorted it pretty quickly. It was scary though, it reminds you what kind of place you're in."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm in a room of death, Ben."

I go to answer but someone else speaks before I can.

"That's not the right kind of attitude, Em. You sound positively chilling, it doesn't suit." Her voice is amused and she speaks as though she's fallen out of the 1940's.

"Hey 417! I haven't seen you walking around recently, you ok?" Em looks concerned, and in turn that concerns me. All she should be concerned with is getting better.

417 waves off her concern dismissively, but she leans quite heavily against the door frame. She doesn't look as well, but hardly sick.

"You must be the famous Bennington!" She states cheerfully and I turn to glare at Emily.

"You told her my full name?"

I can't believe her.

"I'm in hospital 24/7! It gets dull!"

I have plenty more argument in me but I bite my tongue. Em is sick, let it go.

"It's Ben." I mutter and 417 chuckles but nods.

"Understandable, although I think Bennington is absolutely brilliant."

"It's a family name."

"Stop being so unpleasant! Sorry 417, he's not always this crabby." Emily says apologetically and I sigh, closing my eyes and praying for the strength to not throttle my beloved sister.

"It's alright, I am interrupting visitation time-..."

"YOU, young lady, know better than to be up and walking about. What are you thinking?" A large nurse cuts her off and gently settles her in a wheelchair. Completely unnecessary if you ask me. She wheels her off, but not before 417 rolls her eyes and waves us goodbye.

"How unnecessary." I mutter.

"Everyone gets carted around in wheelchairs up here. Helps to stop accidents and stuff." Emily says helpfully and I nod. My eyes narrow at her and she gulps.

"I really didn't think you'd mind so much Ben. 417 loves history and vintage stuff. She reads such old books and has the weirdest clothes, she thinks your name is wonderful. Honest."

I sigh in defeat. Who cares if one weird live-in girl in room 417 knows my full name.

I clasp my sisters hand in mine and laugh with her at the ridiculous name I have been given.

You gotta know when to laugh.

-

Shortly after my first meeting with 417, I was kicked out by an even larger scrub nurse who was not taking '5 more minutes' for an answer.

So here I am, bright and early, waiting for visiting hours to start. I'm 15 minutes early and I huff, drawing out a packet of cigarettes and wedging one between my lips. It's not a habit, so much as something to pass the time. It relaxes me and calms down my more anxious side. It's important to be calm for Em, she needs the support.

The smoke billows in the light wind and I tug my jacket closer, cursing my own bad judgement for not bringing a warmer coat. I check my watch for the 18th time in 10 minutes and stub out my cigarette. 5 minutes early won't kill anyone.

I meander my way into the paediatric ward slowly, trying to waste time. I shoot my most charming smile towards the nurses who, by now, recognise me and they laugh, waving me through. I smirk to myself, feeling pretty chuffed with my own ability.

"You shouldn't smoke, you know."

Her voice calls out into the corridor and I glance into her room. I hadn't even noticed I was passing until I had heard her call out.

I stop just outside her door, not particularly wanting to cross the threshold.

"What?"

"You shouldn't smoke. It causes cancer, don't you know." She says, very amused and I roll my eyes.

"Isn't that joke in very poor taste?"

"Yes, but if you can't get away with it now, when can you?" She flashes me a cheeky grin and I frown.

"Can you get away with it?"

She ponders my meaning for a moment and sighs.

"I know you don't like me. Do you have a good reason though?" She says, changing the subject, more sullenly this time.

I glance around her room, looking at the equipment surrounding her, the paintings hung up, rugs neatly folded and laid over her feet. All of it so much nicer, so much better than Emily's.

"Yeah, I think so."

I walk away from her door and down towards my little sister, who deserves so much better.