(I own only plot.)
A/N:Well, since I have some more free time (you lucky things), here's your next chapter. Enjoy. (P.S. Everything in brackets and italics (italics) are Amber's thoughts.)
Trigger warning: Self-harm, attempts at suicide, some eating disorders. This is T for a reason.
Beeeeep. Beeeeeep. The steady, monotone beeping was the first thing Amber heard as she managed to open her eyes. It was weird, because she didn't remember how she'd even got into this sterile white place. A quiet voice said "You should be lay down, she landed pretty hard on you."
"I don't care, I can function. Amber can't. Doctor, do you know what's wrong with her?" A softer, more familiar voice brought Amber back to her senses.
"She's been starving herself, cutting herself and she clearly has psychological issues." The quiet voice replied distractedly, not even giving the softer one half of the attention he was directing somewhere else.
"Oh, for the love of the Lord above, I could have told you that! I live with the girl! I meant, is she injured? Will she need a cast? Is she going to be okay?" The softer voice had sharpened now and Amber began to recognise it. (It's Trudy, she's here, she's okay! But wait, if she's here and she's not crying or thinking I'm dead... Then I think I must have lived! Oh, way to go, Amber, you can't even kill yourself without surviving it! You need to do it when that kind hearted angel/demon/thing isn't around.)
"Yes, Ms Millington will be okay. She'll come around properly soon, but try not to-"
"To interrogate her, yes, yes, I know. I do know how to deal with injured teenagers, Doctor, I'm not a total idiot." The maternal housekeeper cut the doctor off irritably.
He laughed lightly and said "Well, since you're so capable, I'll leave her with you. And if you're free any time after nine tonight...?"
Trudy made a noise in her throat, then said "I'll think about it." Amber's doctor left, chuckling. Trudy gave a soft noise of disgust. "What a know-it-all! He shouldn't be talking to me like that unless he was Hermione Granger, the no-good little smart mouth. Who does he think he is, completely ignoring what I'm asking, then telling me the stuff I told all of his colleagues who had the nerve to ask!" Trudy's furious muttering was interrupted by the doctor.
"Ms Rehman, there's a group of eight children here to see Miss Millington. They claim to be in her house."
"They are. Send them in." Trudy ordered, letting her other students see the injured blonde. Nina was in tears and she pounced on Trudy, sobbing. The kind woman rubbed her back and said "Oh, lovie, what's wrong?"
"How come nobody else knew she was hurting herself? I thought she had extra curriculars!" Nina wailed into Trudy's shoulder. "Trudy, I'm such a useless friend!"
"Hey, now, less of that. You're not a useless friend, love, you're a fantastic friend. You just had no excuse not to believe what she said. It's okay to believe people. It shows that you trust them." Trudy tried to comfort Nina.
Fabian said "She's right, Trudy. We were terrible friends to her. We were all too busy in our own lives to pay any attention to her and we made her feel rejected."
"Yes, but you can have lives with other people, too. You don't know that it was you kids who upset her like this. It could be her home life, it could be something that happened in her life that's affecting her now, something could have happened to her. We don't know these things, kids. Don't blame yourselves until we know whether or not it's anything to do with us."
Mara said "But Trudy, you're the only one who gives her the time of day when we're all off doing our own things. We can't just assume that we haven't hurt her, at least in part."
Jerome added "We're not entirely sensitive. I mean, she tried to be in there with everyone, cracking jokes and saying stupid random things and all we'd do is call her a ditzy blonde and tell her to grow a brain cell."
Eddie said "We weren't entirely the best of friends to her. Just the other day, Jerry, Alfie and I replaced her coconut conditioner with whipped cream and her face cream with foot scrub."
Patricia laughed, despite the seriousness of the situation. "And what about that time we dyed her hair grey while she slept?" She sputtered, trying to hold in her laughter.
Joy added "I accidentally shredded that pretty pink faux snakeskin skirt she lent me and told her it had been stolen."
Alfie whispered "What about the cockroaches I put in her bed and that dead bird I found that I put in her robe?"
Trudy said "Okay, first of all, stop doing awful things to each other, you are going to get each other killed. Secondly, even though you all have had lives outside of your friendship with her, you can't blame yourselves until we know more about what's actually going on. Thirdly, Eddie, Jerome, Alfie, Patricia, you all have detention for a week. Fourth, Joy, you need to buy her a new skirt. Fifth, you need to look after yourselves as well as her. Listen, when she gets out of here, you're to be nice to her. Not overly nice, she'll think it's pity. Be her friends again and don't take her for granted. She took you all for granted and look at this. Be good, my lovelies, I have to get a drink."
As soon as she left, the others crowded around Amber, nobody taking the spot that was occupied by the housekeeper, knowing she'd be five minutes getting a drink. Nina whispered "Amber, I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you when you needed me most. You're my BBFF."
Fabian hugged his girlfriend and said "You're awesome, Amber. And you'll always have us."
The sentiments flowed and overlapped to her. Amber lay half conscious, hearing her friends saying nice things until Patricia asked, quite loudly and harshly "Do you reckon that Sweetie, Victor and Trudy will have her put in a mental home?"
Mara said "You shouldn't say that, Patricia! She could hear you!"
"She's unconscious, Mara, she can't hear us! But seriously, what do you think?" Patricia asked of the group.
A collective "Yes, definitely, they will" went around and filled Amber's head.
(They're going to get me locked up.)
And that's this chapter. I hope that this was what you were expecting. And if anyone wants more of this story, let me know. I can't promise every day updates, but at least twice to four times a week will be the least I can promise. Some times will give almost daily, though, so keep your eyes peeled. I will try to update quickly. Until next time, hugs for everyone! C. xx
