Page 96
“Jude, this is Doctor Hallward,” Micah introduced him.
“Hello, Jude.” The doctor took Micah’s abandoned seat.
I stared at his face, feeling as if it were blurry, like my eyes wouldn’t focus. That was strange. Micah’s face was clear enough. He was young, Asian, with kind brown eyes. The doctor…
I blinked a few times. “My head is a little fuzzy.”
“That’s understandable,” the doctor said. “You’ve had a rough few days.”
“I don’t remember,” I said instinctively.
“You don’t remember hurting yourself?”
Again, I felt like that was not only a lie, but an obvious one.
“What about Jason Sanchez?”
“Who?” I asked, blinking as the shadows seemed to swell again. I tipped my head toward the movement, wondering if my fuzziness was making my vision go wonky.
“He’s a boy from your school.”
He was? I tried to recall if the name brought a memory and got nothing. I shook my head. “Can I call my grandma?”
The doctor tilted his head as if I’d said something odd. “Not your parents?”
“No.”
“Why’s that?”
I didn’t know how to explain. “Grandma, please. Or Grandpa.”
“Your father is the one who admitted you,” the doctor said.
“He’s sixteen,” Micah pointed out. “Legal age to choose.”
“Not if he’s unstable,” the doctor corrected.
Micah narrowed his eyes at the doctor.
“I think I want to sleep a little while,” I said, my heart in my throat. What was this strange rising sense of fear? I was in a mental hospital, that much was obvious. I should have been safe. But the doctor…
“I can order some sleep meds for you,” he offered.
“No. I’m okay.” I glanced at Micah as I carefully laid down.
“Sure,” Micah agreed. “I’m sure you’ll feel less fuzzy in the morning.”
The doctor lingered another long minute, then got up and made his way out.
Micah tugged the thin blanket up over me, glanced at the corner where the shadow lingered, then at the door. “I’ll put a message in to call your grandparents in the morning.”
The anxiety rushed out of me. I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“Is it okay if I leave the door open?”
I nodded, thinking maybe it would keep the shadows at bay. But not long after he left, they crept along the wall closer to the bed, and I stiffened.
Was it odd that the shadow terrified me less than the idea of my father?
