The Girl In Room 417

Untitled Part 11

A few days pass uneventfully. I go to work, struggle to upkeep failing relationships with my friends and my father, and visit the hospital. It's like a routine for me now, I like the familiarity of a routine.

I don't see 417, just glimpses here and there. She seems like an extraordinarily busy person for someone who never leaves the wing of a hospital. After these past few days, my curiosity has become frustration. I want to know more.

I sidle up to the nurse's station and lean my elbow against it. A very tan woman peers up over her glasses and looks thrilled to see me.

"Hello! You're the young man who comes to visit Emily, aren't you? Such a nice lad for seeing her so regular, she's real fond of you." I wince slightly at her grammar but swallow the nagging urge to correct her. She sounds chatty and I use it to my advantage.

"Yes, my sister. She's lovely isn't she. Already made such good friends with that girl in 417." I say with a smile which I hope is charming.

It seems it is, as the nurse throws herself into conversation. I glance down at her security lanyard, which states her name is Jill.

"Oh yes! That girl is both a godsend and a nightmare, but such a lovely girl, don't you agree?"

I nod my head enthusiastically, which seems to be enough input for Jill to continue.

"Such an unfortunate child, ever so lonely and so unlucky. She really does deserve better, but I can't say that we aren't used to it. We've all seen her in here far too many times." She says sadly and I swallow harshly.

"Yes, yes such a shame. How many times now, 3?" I say, attempting to sound as though I know what I'm talking about. I'm hoping that Jill will correct me but she doesn't.

"No, no, she's been in at least 4 times since I've been here, more before that." Jill looks genuinely heartbroken and I can't help but mirror her facial expression.

"I better get back to it, Lad. Been talking for far too long already!" She laughs and I squint at her incredulously.

I turn around and spot 417, watching me with a very sad look. She turns around and shuts her door firmly and I flinch. I'm busted.

_

Visiting Emily the next day is more troublesome than I had anticipated.

"What did you do?" She demands as soon as I enter.

"What?"

"What did you do? 417 won't even look at me." Her voice is distraught but her face is angry, very angry.

"I didn't do anything." I say, my voice breaking slightly and I cringe at my own expense.

"Don't you lie to me, Ben! Why wont my own friend talk to me? Or even look at me?" She says, glaring viciously and I sigh.

I get up and close the door gently before putting my hands up in surrender.

"I was curious and I know I shouldn't have, but the nurse was so eager to talk and..."

Emily cuts me off by holding up her palm to me. Her eyes are furious slits, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Isn't that the quote? It seems fitting.

"You snooped? You asked the nurses for private information about a girl in a hospital?!" Her voice is disbelieving and I rub the back of my neck. Well it sounds pretty bad when she puts it like that.

"I didn't snoop! We were talking, I mentioned 417 being a friend of yours and she talked!"

Emily rolls her eyes.

"So, it was a complete accident? Talking to her and mentioning 417, that was all an accident and she just forced the information on you?" Her sarcasm is cutting through the room and I sigh.

"No." I mumble and Emily goes to rake her hands through her hair before pausing and placing them back onto her lap. Her small fists are tight, her knuckles are white with the strain.

"Fix it! Go and fix it! Right now!" She screams, pushing me back and towards the door.

"Alright, okay!" I say, defeated and open the door with a little more force than necessary. I walk slowly down the hall, trying to ignore the curious glances coming my way. Emily was right, no one is afforded any privacy, and I am one of the worst ones in here.

I heave another sigh and knock on her door.

There's a prolonged silence and I crack open the door a smidge. 417 is lying in her bed, IV attached to her arm and heart monitor beeping quietly in the background.

Her face is peaceful but a small frown lingers. Her slim fingers are curled around the sheets. For the first time, she isn't wearing long sleeves and I wince at the sight of her arms. They're slim, too slim and her skin is mottled and stretched across her bones.

I linger for a moment too long it seems. Her big eyes open slightly and focus lazily on me.

"What do you want, Ben?" Her voice is tired and for the first time since I have met her, she doesn't look happy. She looks very far away, distant and isolated.

"I uh, came to apologise." I wipe my hands on my grubby jeans, glancing around anxiously.

"If you have questions then the logical thing to do is ask me!" Her voice is fierce and she looks angry. I feel very uncomfortable seeing this emotion in her for the first time and being the cause of it.

I nod, my head hanging lower than usual.

"I get the curiosity, really I do. But did you ever think that maybe my medical history is none of your business?"

My temper flares for just a moment, but it's a moment too long.

"Did you ever think that you come across as a pompous, upper-class twat who deserves better than everyone else? Even your name is too valuable information for the common folk, so you come up with a ridiculous nickname just to show everyone that you're the most important patient in here."

My arms are waving around and my breathing is shallow as she just stares at me disbelievingly.

She laughs at me and I suddenly realise what I've just blurted out in my momentary haze of irritation.

"You think I believe that I'm better than everyone else in this godforsaken hospital?"

Her heartbeat is erratic and I only now notice the irregular beeps of the unnecessary looking equipment behind her. A nurse pushes me past and begins to furiously fiddle with her heart-monitor, injecting something into her IV and whispering something into her ear.

She doesn't once break her furious glare, but nods once and waves her nurse off. The nurse in question then sets her gaze on me and frowns wrathfully.

"What do you think you're doing? We could hear you yelling from down the hall and it is completely out of the question. She's frail enough as it is, really it's unforgivable." She mutters scoldingly, grabbing my shoulders and steering me out of the room.

"Oh, Ben?" I hear 417's voice call out and I glance over my shoulder. Her entire facial expression is different now, calm and collected. Her voice is stony and hard, so different from the version of her I once knew.

"My name is Abby. All you had to do was ask."

And with that, her door is shut firmly behind me.