Chapter 4: Hospitalized

I awake in a hospital bed. ..The entire right side of my body. ..I can briefly see it with my left eye, but it's all covered in bandages. ..I-It hurts so much... Where are my parents? Where's my dog? There's no way they died. ..Please...

I try to lift my right arm and squeal in pain. It goes all the way down my right side of my body. ...There's a cure for this, right? They can fix it, right?

I-I don't want to live like this. Not at all.

I look around my hospital room. The smell of burned, rotten flesh reeks through the air. ..Am I in the burned section of the hospital? I must be.

A doctor walks in, turning to me. He flashes me a smile.

"Hello, Mrs. Hanako. ..I'm afraid we have some bad news."

I stay silent, staring at him.

"..First of all, your parent's bodies were found dead. ..Your mother was found on top of you, burnt to a crisp. ..Everything in that house minus you died, Mrs. Hanako."

My eye opens wide and I'm shocked, staring at him. ..T-They can't be dead. They AREN'T DEAD!

I break down into tears from what eye I can see out of, beginning to scream.

The doctor looks like he has no idea what to do or what to say.

"..Ma'am. Look at me."

I don't hear anything. I'm getting so many flashbacks.. ..M-My dad. My mom... My dog.

They were all.. .. H-How... How far..

I cry harder, slamming my left fist on the side of the bed. Why? Why couldn't it just have been me?

"Ma'am!' He gently grabs my fist, holding it. "Look at me."

Although reluctantly, I look at him, tears still running down my face.

"..Someone is here to see you. I'll break the rest of the news to you later."

He lets go of my fist and walks out. ..Why can't my parents walk in that door? Why can't they come in, hug me, and take me home?

Suddenly, the door opens and Adrian walks in, carrying the present. He sees me and frowns, walking over and sitting in a chair to the left side of my body.

"..I'm sorry, Hanako. I'm so, so sorry."

I stay quiet, thinking about my parents.

"..I-If I had just come with you, and if I had just got in that car with you... I'm so, so so sorry."

"..D-Don't be, Adrian," I say it faintly.

He looks at me and smiles very slightly.

"..I guess I should give you your present."

..Present... A present.

That computer.. that cooking set...

T-That was the last thing they gave to me. Their last gift before they're death.

..D-Did it make it out? Did they find it?

Adrian takes a box out of a bag and opens it, taking out a diamond necklace.

He blushes slightly and puts it around my neck, keeping a brief smile on. I take my left hand and raise it in front of my eye to look at it.

"..Do you like it?"

"..Y-Yeah. It's r-really pretty, Adrian."

I look at him and smile and drop it back onto my chest.

"I'm going to stay here for a while with you, Okay Hanako?" His voice is so... shaky. Why is he so nervous around me?

I nod. The door is heard opening again and a few of my friends come in. ..They're also close. It's Alan, Rachel, and Mark.

All three of them come over to my bed and sit down in chairs to the right side of me. ..I can't see them. Ugh.

..I still can't get the thought of my parents out of my h-head.

"Hey, g-guys."

"Hey, Hanako," Alan replies the other two stay quiet.

"You doing okay?"

"Y-Yeah. I'll b-be okay.."

I start shaking slightly, going through those thoughts again and again and again.. It's like hell, over and over. Their screams... My dad falling down the steps... M-My mother shielding me...

"..D-Did you guys come by for any o-other reason t-than to see me?"

A few of them hand me get well cards and Mark walks out and comes back with a few balloons. ..I-I always s-saw this on TV. ..N-Now I'm actually here. I must be dreaming. I-It's okay.

They hand them to my right side, and I try to raise my arm but yelp in pain. ..Adrian looks angered. He takes the cards and places them on my desk.

Mark ties the balloons to the end of the bed, and Rachel sits there, looking at me. My hand is briefly showing out of the bandages, I can feel it. .. B-But. I can't see it. What does it look like? Is she staring at it? All I can see is her head looking at me from the corner of my eye, but that's it.

The door opens and the doctor walks in, flashing all five of us a smile.

"Hello. Could I speak with Mrs. Hanako alone for a moment? I have something I need to discuss with her."

Adrian looks annoyed but agrees, grabbing his backpack and walking out. The other 3 do as well.

The doctor looks at me and walks over, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"I don't mean to burst your bubble in anyway shape performance, but you must know this urgently. I apologize if this may be a bit hard to wrap your head around, okay?"

I nod slightly. He fiddles with his papers and pulls one out, looking at it.

"..I apologize for this, but from what we've seen and tested, you will have severe scars on the entire right side of your body for the rest of your life. They go from your knees to your face on the entire right side of your body, and I'm afraid you'll be stuck with these until you die."

He looks at me, obviously feeling bad.

...S-Scars... All the way up the right side of my body. ..U-Until I die.

H-How will I live like this? How? How can I go in public? ..T-They probably look worse than what I imagine... O-Oh god. Oh god. T-There's...

I start shaking and crying. The doctor sighs, adjusting his glasses.

"..Your ETA to take off at least a small portion of the bandages will be two weeks. ..Until then, you'll be left like this."

I-I... Oh god. W-Why? Why? Why did it have to be them? Why couldn't they survive? ..P-People are just going to see me as a monster. A damn monster, and that's it.

The doctor walks out, holding the door open as Adrian comes in, sitting down next to me again. He looks at my tears and reaches over, gently placing his hand on my face and wiping one off.

"It's okay. I'm going to help you through this. ...I promise, Hanako."

I nod very slightly, still being unable to get the image of my dad burning out of my h-head. ..O-Or my mother crying while she's on fire. ..W-Why did they have to die? I have nothing. Noone. Absolutely n-nothing.

Adrian reaches in and hugs just the left side of my body, avoiding touching my burned side. He sits back down and holds my hand. ..I rest my head up and slowly start to fall asleep.