Chapter 3
This time, I was aware of someone else in the room. I stayed as still as humanly possible, only breathing and keeping my body in exactly the spot it was. I didn’t dare move, didn’t dare make a sound. The second part was easy.
The shoes squeaked against the floor as they walked towards me. Whoever it was stood there for maybe half a minute before backing away.
Was it the lady again dressed in purple? The doctor that was said to come check on me? Someone else? Master, even?
I didn’t believe for a second that it was anyone who owned me. The steps were too light for that.
Still, I didn’t risk moving. I wasn’t mentally ready to be taken somewhere else so soon. I knew it was only a matter of time.
“Poor thing.” The whispered words weren’t meant for me to hear, surely. The steps led away from me once more, closer towards the door. I had to strain to hear the voices. Even then, with the quiet of the room, I could pick up most of what was spoken.
“Can you get me a copy of his chart? I’ll have to add it to the file since it’s currently a case I’m working on.”
“Of course, Officer.”
“Put it under his name. Koda Honiton.”
My eyes flashed opened as I heard my name. I hadn’t heard it for a very long time. Few cared, and those that did lost interest soon enough.
The meds must have still been in my system, or there had been yet another dose given to me without me being aware, as my heart beat stayed level and steady. My thoughts on the other hand, bounced around like a ping pong ball in my head. All that did was cause a headache.
Too lost in my own thoughts, I missed whatever was spoken before the door shut once more, leaving me alone. I gave it another minute or so before I dared to move. When I did, my bladder demanded attention, threatening to release without my say.
Glancing at my lap as I pushed myself to sit, I willed my body to wait. It didn’t help that my head swam at the movement.
How long have I been laying here? How long had been here in this room, was a better question.
A quick glance around the room, I spotted the open door to what I assumed was a bathroom, and found no one else to be in here. Since there was no chain holding me to the bed, I slowly slipped my feet to the floor. Instantly, the cold seeped into my skin, causing me to shiver. At the movements, the tube that was connected to my hand was the only thing holding me to where I was. That plastic thing pulled against my arm, but was light enough I could move.
Looking at where it connected me to a pole, pulled on, surprised that it moved so easily.Maybe I wasn’t forced to stay in bed, then.
Not having much longer to think about the fact I may be in trouble for leaving the bed without permission, I dragged the rolling poll with me towards the bathroom. There, I shut the door tightly after turning on the flickering light.
It took a moment to figure out how to hold my backless gown out of the way, feeling the chilled air over my uncovered skin. But once I got my bladder to start releasing, it didn’t seem like it wanted to stop.
I think there was enough pee to fill a river.
I snorted to myself. At least my thoughts found myself funny, even if I was stupid.
After my bladder released everything it possibly could, I took a quick look at the open shower. Oh, how it would be to feel clean again. I wasn’t dirty, exactly. Just sweaty mostly. The last place I got to call home had a shower that I was required to use every single day. And I certainly did, since the place before that I had been filthy from head to toe and sometimes covered in my own piss because I wasn’t allowed to use the bathroom more than once a day.
Shaking the thoughts away, I washed my hands and slowly made my way back towards the bed. But once I left the bathroom, I stopped short. Someone was in here.
I didn’t need to see a person, I just knew. It was that feeling I was very well in tune with. A gut feeling, one would say.
Swallowing, I ducked my head and slowly finished making my way to the bed. One foot in front of the other. Only then did I lift my eyes enough to find someone sitting in the blue chair in the corner. Whoever it was had dressed in blue, a gold badge of some sort pinned on one side of their chest.
Crawling back onto the bed, I shakily got the blanket over my lap. It was the tiniest bit of comfort I could get right now, since my back side was aired out for all to see, basically.
I didn’t dare lift my eyes towards the corner. Maybe it was just my imagination. There had been a time or two I’d see someone in places that they really weren’t in. That was when I knew I hadn’t slept in more than three days.
Breathing in deep, I tried to push away the unrest. I didn’t want to remember how crazy I was sometimes. I swear, my owners like to push me to my limits just to get me to talk. It never worked, but that didn’t stop them. And it seemed now wasn’t going to be any different.
Pulling my legs up to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them tightly. I rested my cheek against the top of them, facing the covered window and blinked slowly.
Waiting was something I was great at. I always had to wait. Wait for food. Wait for the next man to use me. Wait to be allowed to do something I didn’t want. Wait…wait…wait.
I wasn’t surprised when the person spoke. “I’m Officer Hullen. But you can call me Sarah, if you’d like.”
No thanks , I thought with a blink. It wasn’t the first time a police officer had been in my presence, and I highly doubted it’d be the last.
When I didn’t say a thing, she went on. “You’re Koda.”
Although I hadn’t planned to, I tipped my head her way, not impressed one bit. Who else was I? She already knew, so why was there a point in saying my name again and again. I was just…well whatever the heck I was.
Whatever she saw in my expression caused her to let a sad smile slip on her face. “You’re safe now. I promise.”
I wanted to scoff, but instead turned my gaze back to the window.
“I’ll tell you what I know?” She paused long enough to give me time to answer. All I did was breathe. “You were dropped off at the ER in the late hours where no one else was around by a man who a mask on, so no one could tell who he was. I’m going to say he may be your saving angel, but you aren’t the first boy to be dropped off like that at this hospital.”
I turned to face her, sort of. Sarah was on the edge of the seat, notepad in her hands, pen ready to write notes down.
“Early this morning,” she went on, her voice soft, “An anonymous report came in to me about a boy named Koda needing extra help here in the hospital. Along with it, a picture of your face. It didn’t take me too long to connect the dots once I sat my eyes on you.”
I was lost. I had no clue what she was going on about. I was…just waiting for my next owner to command my body. Or for death to find me.
“Your nurse warned me that you wouldn’t talk, but I was hoping she was wrong.” She went on after a few seconds. “She also went over your charts and all that boring stuff.”
I glared at her shoes, willing her to get whatever she wanted done and over with.
“You’re fairly clean, considering what you’ve been through.” That time, I just shrugged. “And you can hear, so that’s a plus. Some boys I’ve seen have had permanent hearing damage, among other things.
“Would you be able to answer some questions for me? They’d be yes and no ones. Just so I can figure out the next steps from here?”
I shrugged again. I wasn’t sure if there was a point.
“I guess that’s as good as I can expect from you right now.” She shifted again, writing in her notebook. “Do you have parents we can track down?”
I shook my head. That one was easy.
“I figured as much, but I had to ask. A sister or another family member?”
I shrugged.
“Okay, I’ll run some info back at the office and see if we can find anyone. Until then, you’ll be staying here for a few more days. I’ve heard you aren’t handling much of anything well.”
I didn’t handle life well, but each to their own. All I did was turn away from her. Nothing would help.
Maybe if I could, I’d figure out a way to walk out of this building and disappear from the world like I truly wanted.
“You know what makes me so great at what I do?” Sarah spoke after a few minutes. I ignored her, just hoping she’d leave me alone. “ I have kids of my own. I can tell when they are plotting to do something that is utterly stupid.”
I felt my face pale. Was I that readable? Okay, that was a given. I couldn’t lie to save my life. Never have, nor would I ever be.
Instantly, tears blurred my vision, and I did nothing to try to stop them, knowing it’d be a lost cause.
“I’m here to help you, Koda. I want to help. Running off at the first chance you get will only end with you back at the hands of the people you were with before. Or in a body bag.”
I’d take the bag, happily.
“Please,” she paused, shifting closer. “When I come back to visit you tomorrow, I’ll have some clothes for you. And hopefully some place in the works for you to stay.”
Guess I didn’t have all that much of a choice.