oh no, another disclaimer. wtf happened now?  this goes for this chapter as well, i have never been in a hospital (with exception to my birth) or know even in the slightest. none of this is probably accurate, but as time goes on, maybe it might, i'm not too sure.                                           

            PRESTON

I woke up, and I was in a building that wasn't the one I had been in the past few days.

"W-where am I?" 

"He's awake." A nurse said. They flickered their eyes toward someone I couldn't see. 

"Alright. I'm going to set my priorities straight. Do you remember your name?" Someone said to me. 

"Y-yeah um, it's Preston." I said, sitting up. 

"Okay, Preston. I'm Dr. Chapman. I've been the doctor taking care of you the last couple of days."

"Days- w-what do you mean days? Was I seriously asleep that long? It didn't feel like it."

"We medically induced you into a coma. Now how you feeling?" The doctor asked.

"U-um fine I guess. My ribcage hurts a bit though."

"That'll pass as time goes by. I'm going to head out now, if you need anything, let the nurse know." 

"Okay. Hey um nurse?" I said.

"What's up?" 

"Where are my friends?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"My friends, I uh, I think I came with them to the hospital. Jacob and Rachel. Maybe Kat and Holly too, I'm not sure."

 "Oh, that's their names. They're in the general part of the hospital."

"But where am I?"

"The I.C.U."

"Can I go see them?"

"No. They can see you though. During visiting hours at least." 

"O-oh okay."

                                   KAT

I started kind of panicking. I knew where Jacob and Rachel were, but after the ambulance ride, I hadn't seen him since. I'm getting worried. Yes, I knew, I should've be worried in general, but I've known the kid since I was in 5th grade.

How could I not have be worried? 

"Holly, do you know what room Preston is in? " I finally asked Holly after an awkward moment of silence.

"No, all I know is that he's in the I.C.U." She said.

"Holy crap, what now?"

"Yeah, from passing out from his trauma. Just ask a doctor okay? I've got to go find Rachel and Jacob." I forgot only I was told and not her.

"Got it." 

The two of us separated ways and after asking the receptionist, I finally found him.

I sighed and anxiously opened the door.

First thing I saw was a miserable looking 16 year old boy. "Preston, you okay?"

"I-I think so." He harshfully managed to reply. His voice was all croaky and shit.

I hated it.

"But seriously, do you even know what the hell even happened?"

"D-don't remind me about it, okay? Let's just leave it at me passing out." He said.

Wow was I a fucking idiot.

Reminding a trauma patient of everything they went through.

Wasn't I stupid?

"A-alright."

...

             PRESTON

What was the point of all this? Was it necessary to kill us and leave the rest of us with guilt? What did this person, or, hell, people want from us?

"I was told you've had a handful of traumatizing experiences." Dr. Chapman snapped me out of my thoughts. 

"Y-yes, that's true." I said.

"And you've never got help?" 

"Hate to say it, but no."

"Well, I'm recommending to you to get some therapy. I'm no psychiatrist, but I'll try to push it to them."

I sighed. "Alright."

"Since we couldn't identify you until right now, could you call your parents? I'm very sure they're worried sick." 

I stuttered, and looked down. "My parents passed away in 2013."

"I- um. I'm sorry. Who's your legal guardian?"

"My aunt."

"Okay. Could you please give us her phone number so we can let her know you're okay?"

"Yeah."

I gave the doctor her number and I laid on my side. Bad idea, I know, but what else could I have done? 

I stared at the wall of the hospital room and just everything went blank. I wasn't thinking. I was starting to feel dizzy. 

I sat up, assuming that I just needed a bit of breather. It somewhat worked, but whatever feeling I had deep inside was still in my heart, growing stronger with every breath I took.

It was a twang of pain, coming out of nowhere. 

The emotions I'd been hiding the past couple of the days were finally starting to kick in.

And every sad feeling 7 year old me had about my parents swirled up too.