Kia Zi Shiru

Chapter 20 I walk into the yard of the hospital, glad to be outside for the first time in weeks. They gave me the okay to go outside late yesterday afternoon but I’ve always liked the mornings best. The sun is still rising and it’s not too hot outside yet. The yard is very quiet as most other people are still having breakfast. I walk around and touch trees, flowers, everything within touch. After a while I sit down against an tree and play with the grass next to me, the green leaves bending

Chapter 19 As soon as Kevin is asleep in his room we cuddle up in bed, exhausted. The dinner with everybody was amazing and I loved the surprise Dad had. They looked so happy. Their happiness reminds me of something that has been bugging me for a few days now. “Steve?” I whisper. “Hmm?” “Steve?” The silence holds on until I can’t take it any longer. “Would you…” The words slip from my mouth but I swallow to keep the rest in. “Would I what?” Steve mumbles, almost asleep, but alarmed by

Chapter 18 I check my phone for the hundredth time that day. Adam will hear if he is allowed to go out of his room and the hospital for the first time since the operation today. I’m hoping he will text me or send me a picture if he is allowed to but he might be too excited and busy and just forget about it. He promised me that he would visit again as soon as possible, it would be nice to have him around. Some of the others can be so gloomy when they are around and it is spoiling my mood. So

Chapter 17 “I’m surprised he let us alone together.” Vic laughs as his dad leaves the house, giving us some privacy. I smile. “Yeah, two people who can fall over and have a fit at any moment. Great people to leave alone together.” I sit on the side of Vic’s bed, pulling my legs under me as I lean back against the foot board. “So how have they been going lately?” “Not too bad. They haven’t gotten more frequent, which I’m glad about. It’s just really annoying when they happen and honestly, d

Chapter 16 I try to roll onto my side, used to the drugged feeling I get after an attack, but find that someone stops me. I open my eyes and stare into worried faces of more than one person. What was going on? “How are you?” Dad lets go of me and then I realise why he held me. I’m connected to all sorts of machines, checking all my stats. “Drowsy, like usual. Why?” I try to sit up but Dad stops me again. From the corner of my eye I saw Adam for a second. I turn my head and see him sitting

Chapter 15 It wasn’t easy to get better, or to get anywhere at all. The doctors wanted me to eat a lot of food and the therapy sessions were hard, really hard. They asked a lot of people around me what and why I might not have been eating, they didn’t know. The bad part was, I didn’t know either. So they started to test what kinds of food I would or would not eat and apart from my aversion to bland or colourless food they couldn’t find anything interesting. So they tested my blood, nothing

Chapter 14 Vic sits on his bed and looks up from his book as I walk into the room. He smiles, his eyes shining. “Hey, I didn’t know you’d be here already.” He puts down his book and points at the chair next to the bed. “Take a seat. I thought you wouldn’t be here for another hour or so. The check up is not for another two hours.” “Yeah, we arrived early.” I walk around the bed and see a wheelchair in a corner, since when does he need one of those? I look Vic over, he seems tired but no mor

Chapter 13 Tom sits in the chair next to the bed and opens his mouth but I hold up my hand. “I’m still angry at you all. I don’t want to talk to you, I want you to leave.” I glare at him. “But I don’t.” Tom sighs. “There is something that you probably don’t know yet.” “Are you sure I want to hear it?” “Yes, very sure.” Toms voice is grave, a tone I don’t often hear in his voice. “Okay then, spill it.” “Vic’s dad has found a house not far from here, just for rent for as long as Vic need

Chapter 12 As soon as I walk through the door I know I'm in trouble. “Damn Vic, why didn't you call me?” Adams face is flustered with anger. “Why did your father have to tell me?” “I'm sorry.” The answer comes automatically as I slump in the chair next to the bed. “No, you're not and that is what makes me so angry. I might be hospitalised but I'm not stupid. What the fuck, Vic? You used to tell me everything.” The anger in his voice and eyes hurt. It has been a long time since he was this

Chapter 11 I close the laptop and turn my head, looking out the window. The calm hills in stark contrast with how I feel after my conversation with Chris. Apparently Dad is back in town and he seems keen on staying. I’m not sure what I think of it, but I also don’t know if I want him to leave again with everything going on. I think it might be good for us if Dad is around. He might be able to actually get through to Vic, maybe some more man to man time with Dad might help him. Might, maybe, no

Chapter 10 A soft knock on the door makes me look up from my drawing. A large figure enters my room, his head down, his face covered by long dark grey hair. In his hand he holds a plastic bag. He sits down in a chair, looking over me, his eyes sad, eyes that look so much like my own. “How is your art coming along?” His voice is soft, careful. “It’s okay, not a lot of inspiration these days. What are you doing here, Dad?” “You used to always have inspiration, no matter where we were.” His ey

Chapter 9 I stare out the back of the house, the vast fields and hills in front of me, the dark sky, empty of the lights that the city brings. I wrap the blanket closer around me as I step out onto the porch. From the corner of my eyes I see Steve lying in a hammock, his face away from me, to the rolling hills. I step towards him as he moves and faces me. “Hey.” I keep my voice low, my grandparents are only a few metres away, asleep in bed inside the small house. “Hey, I thought you were alr

Chapter 8 I know I asked Tom to leave me alone but sitting here looking at the screen of my laptop makes me regret my words. It’s already been a few days and all my anger is gone. I’m tired now, tired and lonely. Tom has been here every visiting hour and sat at my side quietly. No words have been spoken since my last harsh ones. And also my computer has been quiet. No messages that pop up, no banter during the times I’m not allowed visitors, nothing. It’s a very lonely feeling. I click on the c

Chapter 7 “Did you tell her?” I look up as Dr West walks into the garden. He shakes his head and sits next to me. “She left for France this morning.” I nod. “To our grandparents on dads side.” “Yeah. Your mum said she didn’t know when Anne would be back. By the way, you didn’t show up at our session.” I look at the drawing in front of me, a drawing of Jack and myself. “I was thinking about a few things and lost track of time. I’m sorry.” “What were you thinking about?” “I’m never going t

I try to wrap my head around the work in front of me, the piles and piles of paper. The day had started off weird with Jacks funeral but now I have to actually work I can’t seem to concentrate. I set myself to finishing at least half of the papers when my phone vibrates. I look up from the papers. The caller-id tells me it’s Steve. I frown and pick up. “Hi Steve, what’s up?” “Can I come over for a bit?” Steve’s voice is quiet. “Sure, but I am doing paperwork and I’m really getting behind on i