After the last chapter I feel like I have the write to make chapters shorter! But I won't. It's going to be the average 3,000 that I said it would in the beginning of the story. Sorry if this chapter seems a bit rushed, but it had to get out. Promise that next chapter will be more detailed once I figure out what's going to happen.
Read On!
Drip.
Beep.
Drip.
Beep
Drip.
Beep.
Struggling to open his eyes, TJ heard continuous drips and beeps coming from somewhere close. A pressure on his chest told him that breathing would take extra effort. When his eyes started to answer to his attempts of opening them, everything was blurry at first. There wasn't much color around, so he assumed that he was still in his room. But that would mean that he was still alive and that slitting his wrists didn't work. As his vision started to clear and he opened his eyes more, he saw that he was in fact not in his room. This room had light green walls, a wooden door, and a large window that moonlight was shining through. He wanted to stretch, but was too weak. Instead he settled for balling his fists as a start. Doing that he caused a sharp pain to shoot up his arms and through his shoulders and back; probably should have done that.
Looking around and moving his legs TJ realized he was in a hospital, and he was lying in a hospital bed. JoJo must've come back quick enough to see what he did and get help. Dammit.
Sighing, he closed his eyes and turned his head. He had a blistering headache that was splitting his skull and only wanted it to go away. Opening his eyes he saw a heart monitor next to his bed with wires leading to patches that we attached to his chest. A bag of blood hung close to it, leading to needle injecting it into his left wrist. Those two things explained the dripping and beeping he was hearing. There were also chairs next to bed, and Principal Prickly was sleeping in one of them.
He had expected his parents to be there; after all he just tried to kill himself. But he had given up on his parents a while ago, and knew they weren't going to come. Still, a part of him wanted to hope for the opposite. They didn't come when his eye was cut and he was left with five stitches and a blind eye.
Feeling his energy start to return, he looked down at his wrists and saw blood soaked bandages wrapped around them. He could also see that his ankle was handcuffed to the rail of the bed to keep him from escaping. The last time he was in the hospital for his eye the handcuffed his wrists, but now his wrists needed to be cared for, and his ankles were a replacement.
Taking a deep breath he could hear the sounds of doctors and nurses passing outside of his room. How long ago was he sent here? It felt like a few hours. A few LONG hours. And he needed a few more hours of sleeping to feel better. He closed his eyes, and started to work on getting those few hours.
"It's about time you woke up." TJ looked and saw his former principal was now awake.
"Mmm-hmm," TJ mumbled.
"You know you had me worried sick," The principal said. "What were you doing cutting your wrists trying to kill yourself? Suicide is never the answer"
"It's complicated, sir," He said. "I-I really need to sort through it myself before I can give you can answer. But right now I just feel like being quiet." So they sat in silence with the only sound coming from the heart monitor and the footsteps from outside the door.
TJ wanted to be happy that he was still alive. He wanted to, but couldn't. It wasn't so much that he wasn't happy it didn't work, but more that he hadn't been able to feel much lately when it came to emotions. He was tired when it came to that, and found it much easier to block them all out to give himself a break of the ups and downs. But he had wanted it to work because he didn't know how much more of juvie he could handle. It was already becoming too much, and this was just the beginning. He didn't know how he was going to make it or if he was at all. And it wasn't like people outside were rooting for him to get better any time soon. They wanted nothing to do with him. So why not do everyone a favor and stop living?
"Pitiful." Alex spat. "YOU CAN'T EVEN KILL YOURSELF RIGHT! Is there anything you can't fuck up?" No amount of talking ever worked in getting Alex to leave him alone, so TJ choose to stop answering him. It, like other things, wasn't worth it anymore.
While TJ contemplated his own mortality, his Prickly was wondering the same thing. If someone had told him four years ago that Detweiler would be sitting in hospital bed after he tried to end his life, they would've been swiftly dismissed as someone who has lost a few too many marbles. Now it's as if the worlds been turned upside down. He wanted to know what was going on in his former students head, but knew that TJ didn't know what was going on either.
And where the hell were this kids parents? He arrived over five hours ago and hasn't seen them anywhere. Then again, they weren't here the last time, so there was a good chance they wouldn't come this time.
"Principal Prickly?" TJ asked once he had enough energy to sit up. "You remember that one time when I was in kindergarten and I was sent to your office for the first time because I pushed another kid into the mud because he made fun of my dog who got hit by a car that weekend and instead of giving me a detention you did that whole helicopter thing when you lifted me up into the air and spun me around?"
"You actually remember that?"
"Yeah because after that I kept getting into trouble just to go to your office and you always did that helicopter thing until I was halfway through first grade."
"You were too heavy to pick up then," Said Principal Prickly. "That's when I started giving you detentions."
"Yep…I wasn't even mad or anything. I was kind of too focused on playing with my old friends to really notice."
"I can't believe you actually remember that," Said the Principal. "That was so long ago…" Before the conversation could continue, the door was knocked on and a doctor came through.
"Hello," The doctor said. "You gave us quite the scare there. You lost a lot of blood but we have your blood type in-stock and gave you that transfusion in your arm right now. You're lucky you're still alive."
"How long was I out?" TJ asked him.
"A little over seven hours," Said the doctor. "Are you hungry? The nurses are coming by with food from the cafeteria. Just relax, and focus on getting your strength back. We've already called your parents for you."
"You don't need to call my parents," TJ told him. "My dad is already here sitting next to me." Nodding, the doctor left, leaving the two of them alone.
"You didn't have to say that," Principal Prickly said.
"I think I did," Said TJ. "I mean if you visited me more than my parents, and you were here with me in the hospital both times, I think you're more of a parent to me than they are. I already told you I felt that way before I went to juvie. This only proves it. Besides, it's been what, six months since I came here and they've seen me once? What kind of parents visits their kid once in six months? They won't even pick up the phone when I call. And now I'm in the hospital from trying to kill myself. If that's not reason enough to come and see me then I don't know what is. You are my father, and I don't care what anyone else thinks about that."
"You know most principals wouldn't continue talking to their students after they're gone," Said Prickly.
"I know, and I'm thankful that you do," TJ said. "'Cause I'd be thinking of another way to kill myself when I get out of here instead of reconsidering the whole thing."
"Why would you even do it in the first place? You could've died!"
"It's terrible in there," He said. "Guards make you fight other inmates, they'll beat the crap out of you if you don't, I wouldn't have even thought about it if it wasn't for the white rooms; they drug you, put you in a straitjacket, drug you some more, leave you to wallow in your own filth. I've seen kids kill themselves on a regular basis, just to get out. And I don't blame them for doing it!"
"So what's it going to take for you to never try this again?"
"I dunno," He said. "I just need to know someone out there gives a damn about me. If I call you, you'll pick up right?"
"If I'm there," Said the Principal.
"Thanks."
Ten minutes later the nurse came by with a tray of food which TJ thought was a huge step up from the food in Duval. He wasted no time eating it like he hasn't eaten in a long time. It wasn't the most delicious food, but at least it had favor. He rather it that then the food blocks they fed him in juvie.
"There's something I've been wondering about since fourth grade but I never asked 'cause I thought it would be rude," TJ said after swallowing a mouth full of food.
"And what would that be?"
"How old are you?" He asked.
"…old."
"But you can't be THAT old," TJ said. "I always guessed that it was somewhere between your mid to late 40's. Maybe early 50's, but no older than that 'cause you wanted to be promoted to the middle school principal and if you were that old then there would be no point in getting promoted because your career would already almost be over."
"Why are you considered about my age?" said the principal.
"I'm just curious."
"Well don't be. It's none of your concern."
"Fine…..one more question though."
"One more."
"What were you like when you were a kid?"
"….you just had to ask that one," Prickly said. "A little like you were when you were ten. Playing pranks, causing trouble, getting on the principals last nerve. I remember filling his car with jell-o for making us sit through a presentation on oral health; he deserved it. But I grew out of that."
"I bet your whole experience with me has been one long episode of de-ja-vu."
"You have no idea."
After two more days in the hospital, TJ was cleared to be released back to Duval. He left the hospital with three stitches on each wrist. It was awkward having stitches there since bending his wrist were a part of daily life, but he thought he would get used to it soon enough. Why they would send him back to the place that made him want to kill himself was a question he did not feel like answering. He just wanted to figure out how not to get sent back into the white rooms ever again. Maybe this was time to do was JoJo told him to do; that whole thing about becoming someone else. But he was still a little weak from losing a lot of blood. Stepping back into the dorms was surreal. It didn't feel like the place he had been living in for the last six months, it felt different, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Not wanting to focus on why it felt that way, TJ quickly spotted the guys at their usual table and walked over.
"Look who's still alive," Said Bandit.
"Freckles, how the fuck are you gonna try and go out like that?" JoJo said. "You don't think we wanna get outta 'ere? But you know what? We don'tbe tryin' to kill ourselves! That's the pussy way of goin' out, 'specially how you was tryin' to. You ain't even really wanna die. If you wanted to die, that knife woulda went across your neck, not your wrists. Grab a gun and shot yourself, or let a bunch of dogs tear you apart, don't slit your wrist like some melodramatic emo pussy living in the suburbs who parents make $100,000 a year; go out like a man. I am thoroughly disgusted. Sit down Freckles and grab some cards before I smack the blonde out of your hair and the freckle off your cheeks." Taken back by what JoJo said, TJ sat down and picked up the cards that were dealt to him. "Thoroughly Disgusted…." JoJo Mumbled under his breath.
~*~DUVAL~*~
Having come back early in the day, TJ still had to go to school and eat the putrid lunch bestowed upon the inmates. But that also meant he would be going outside twice a day, and he needed that even though he wouldn't be doing anything much different than inside. Instead of sitting at a table outside the group sat on the ground against the wall of Duval, talking to pass the time.
"I'm so mad right now!" Bandit said pacing back and forth in front of everyone.
"….why are you SO MAD RIGHT NOW?" JoJo teased. "Stop pacin'. You makin' me dizzy."
""Cause Daft Punk just released their new album 16 hours ago and I'm not the first in line!" HE yelled. "I'm tired of listening to the same music over and over again."
"All their music IS the same thing OVER and OVER again," Specs said. "Your argument is invalid."
"Don't you ever argue like those two," JoJo told TJ. ""Cause if you do, you've run out of stuff to do."
"Who's Daft Punk?" Asked TJ, not paying attention to JoJo.
"Jesus tap dancing Christ where the fuck have you been, kid?" Bandit said. "JoJo, handle your boy before I hold him down and force him to listen to Homework for a week."
"Not everyone's a music buff," JoJo said. "Chill the fuck out. Specs, Freckles, stand up so we can do this thing. We would've done this sooner Freckles but your dumbass decided to cut your wrists. You own me for having to clean up your blood." Reaching into his pocket, JoJo pulled out the same knife TJ used a few days ago, now clean. "I swear to God if any of you are gonna back out halfway through this, back out now." Taking the knife JoJo gave himself a small cut on his index finger and passed it to Specs, who did the same thing. The knife continued to be passed around until it reached TJ who didn't know what was going on.
"Would anyone mind telling me what's going on?" TJ asked, holding the knife in his hand.
"Listen, do you wanna have someone to have your back?" JoJo asked him.
"I guess so."
"And do you want someone to lookout for you?"
"Yeah."
"Then cut your finger and stop bitching!"
"First you tell me I'm a coward for cutting my wrist then you tell me to cut my finger," TJ said as he used the blade to make a small cut. "Tell me how that makes sense…"
"Okay, since Box was only in here for a year and he's gone, and since the rest of us is in here until we reach our various ages, all of which are over 18, I'm making a pact."
"This must be really important," Specs mumbled. "He's using proper grammar."
"For how long we're in here, all of us have got to have each other's backs," JoJo told them. "Someone comes along and fucks with one of us, then we all go out and fuck with them. Gotta have each other backs," He said, picking up a rock off the ground. "That's what blood brothers do. Now drop your blood on the rock." As he held out the rock, each of the boys stuck out their finger and let a single drop of blood land on it. Once JoJo let his fall last, he tossed it over the fence. "Don't none of you back out; we're family now. You don't back out on your brothers. Got it?"
"Got it."
I know I ask you all questions but I have another! Um, out of all the kids at Third Street, who do you think would end up in juvie? Not for years; just a few weeks or a month for something minor.
Donna Nnov: Hehe, sorry about the extra-long chapter. I didn't originally plan it to be 8,000 words, but once I wrote down everything I wanted to happen it just became that big. I thought it was going to be like, 10,000 once I wrote everything I wanted but I'm glad it didn't! ;P Don't worry, I'm not going to write a chapter THAT big ever again. It was just necessary to put everything in there. As for the white room and what happens in there, it's not unheard of. There are juvenile detention centers that have guards who abuse the inmates. Most don't, but the few that do are the ones that make juvie seem like a horrible place to go to. I actually based Duval off of a juvenile center I seen in a documentary. A quote from it was that 'rehabilitation doesn't always work, so we are only here to punish the inmate for the crime they commit.'
RandallXSpinelli: ….I feel a little bad for having them not forgive him. :) I mean, ugh! It's like you want them to forgive him, but you don't at the same time which is really confusing, but it's an important part of the story so there's that. I was trying to make the letter….meaner. I didn't want to have it so that the guess seemed mean for what they said but I think they didn't sound mean, at least a little bit. But can you blame them? This whole story is just one series of unfortunate event after another….Oh well. I'm glad you liked the way I gave information about Specs without being to overbearing about it. I don't want to spend too much time on each of them and I think I have a method of not doing that anymore. :)
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