"Bruised && Broken Chapter Four: Lucky isn’t quite the word” | Teen Ink

"Bruised && Broken Chapter Four: Lucky isn’t quite the word”

August 20, 2010
By Katiexox GOLD, Portville, New York
Katiexox GOLD, Portville, New York
10 articles 12 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Each Days A Gift And Not A Given Right"-Nickelback


Have you ever felt the sensation of floating? Just floating in mid air. Well, that’s how I felt at that very second. I wasen’t sure if I was crazy, or If I was dreaming. My eyes slowly opened, after a long rest. After fully opening my eyes I realized I wasent on the side walk, covered in my own blood. I’m not sure exactly where I was. It must have just been my own world. It was beautiful. It was purple and blue all around me, misty clouds circled around me; stars twinkled dimly through the misty sky. It was so calming. I felt like I was in heaven.
I drifted around for a bit, enjoying this. Even if it wasent real, I was away from my own world, the real world. Anything was better than that. I danced, twirled, and tumbled through the air. I felt like I was sky diving in place, but more beautifully. I suddenly stopped, realizing I something was wrong. I just had this feeling erupting in my chest, it was a horrible feeling. I looked down, to reveal I wasent alone. A misty view of what seemed to be a hospital room swayed below my feet. I lowered and was now right above it. Nurses scrambled around while a doctor was trying to save a patient.

“Clear!” He yells, hoping for a heart beat, anything.

“Clear!” He yells again. No sign of movement.

I can’t clearly see who it was. It looked like a girl, however, Red hair, fair skin. She was thin, and was very pretty. My stomach felt like it dropped out of my body when I realized who it was; me.

Was I dead? How am I here, and there? Am I in heaven? I wasen’t sure of anything. So many thoughts raced through my brain, it felt as if it would explode. I felt sick to my stomach, but I felt numb. I shook terribly. I was confused, lost, and scared. I closed my eyes, and fell asleep suddenly.

“Clear!” The doctor yelled one last time. No sign of a heartbeat, no life was sensed through the body of Aubrey Griffith. He sighed a dreadful sigh, and whipped his gloves off.

“Nurse, Call it.” He commands of one of the nurses.

“Time of Death, Ten Fift-Wait, doctor, look.” The nurse points out

A slow, but apparent beeping sound filled the newly silent room. A slight heartbeat slowly showed itself on the screen. I was alive. Barely, But I was alive. After I was stabilized, I was left in the room. A couple of days later, I finally awoke.
My eyes crept open, revealing a very bright hospital light, which made me squint. I wasen’t completely there, and was a tad faint. I tried to turn my head, and pain shot through my neck into my head, letting out a grunt. I stopped, and fully opened my eyes. All I saw was tile, a curtain dividing the room, and a bright light. I couldn’t remember why I was there. I then remembered about what happened with my father, and the memory of purple haze filled my brain. It was odd, remembering seeing yourself dead. An out of body experience, they call it. I wonder how long I had been out. I slowly reach for the assistance button and pressed it. A nurse walked into the room.
“Hello dear, what do you need?”
“How long have I been here? Where exactly am I?” I said softly.
“You’re at St.Peters Hospital Aubrey, That’s your name right?”

“Yes” Obviously, it’s only on my clipboard, bracelet and gown.
“Well, you’ve been here for 2 days. An ambulance rushed you here after
a freak accident down on Main Street out side of a club. Head injury with some minor scratches and bruises; your lucky you’re alive, it was quite a blow to your head.”
“Lucky isn’t quite the word.” I mumbled under my breathe
“Excuse me?” She said.
“Oh nothing.” I said with a fake laugh.
After that, I stayed in the hospital for about a week. I played cards with some kids, entertained the little ones, and talked to the old ones. It was nice, a vacation from the hell I should call home. My dad picked me up after discharging me. My head was healed, but I needed to take an easy. The silence was scary. I really hope im not punished for causing a scene.
“How’s your head, kid?” he mumbles from under his breathe.
“Uhm, ok I guess.” I was scared to answer wrong.

“So you’ll be ok to pick me up tonight?”

“Sure.”

The rest of the car ride was silence. I was particularly worried about tonight. The last pick up obviously didn’t go very smooth. The rest of the drive home was silence, awkward, at that. When we pulled up to the house, a blue neon was parked in our paved, worn down drive way.

“What the hell did you do?”

I shuttered, and had a good idea about who it was. We pulled into the drive way behind the neon. My dad turned the car off, and as I went to reach for the seat belt, his hand sprang out of nowhere at my face. He grabbed my chin with his dirty hand and stuck his face in front of mine.

“Listen, we are a loving, happy family; A loving old dad with his little girl. Don’t you turn this crap around on me Aubrey, you will greatly regret it.”

All I smelled was alcohol as he spit words in my face.

“You know damn well if you weren’t such a brat I wouldn’t be the way I am. It’s all your fault, so don’t you dare make me the bad guy; Your fine, Ok?”

“Yeah” I said.

He threw back my chin and got out of the car. I unbuckled my seat belt and opened the rusty old door. My head now ached greatly, what a wonderful way to start off the day. I followed my dad up to the front step where women stood with a clip board. She was very pretty. Long blonde hair, fair skin; a red suit and pearl earrings. She looked up at us with a pearly white smile.

“Well hello! How are you two this fine morning?” the woman said while reaching out her hand to my dad.

“Just great, im so happy to have my little girl home. How about you?” He said with a warm smile and a returning hand. They shook hands warmly and my dad actually seemed human

“Good, Thank You. I’m just here to talk to you two about what happened last week. Don’t worry, just a couple of questions.” She said with a smile and a wink. She was so nice; I wish she knew the truth. My dad fumbled with his keys and finally unlocked the front door. We all walked in and my dad switched on the light. My dad and I sat down on the couch while the women sat on the couch. She pulled out her pen and clicked the top and flipped up the front page of her clip board.

“I’m sorry, im being rude. My name is Sherry McCormick. You can just call me Sherry. I’m from Child Protection Services. You must be Robert Griffith, right?”

“Yes, I am. Very nice to meet you, Sherry.”

“Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?” He said with a nudge.

“Uh, my name is Aubrey Griffith, very nice to meet you, M’am.” I said with a smile.

“Very nice to meet you too. I just have a few questions…”

After that, I kind of spaced out. I sort of remember what all went on. She just asked some questions about what happened that night. My dad just denied all the claims of him chucking a bar stool at me, and throwing me down the stairs, and said I tripped and fell.

“Right, Aubrey?” He said, nudging my arm.

“Yeah, im such a klutz.” I said with a smile and a giggle.

“Oh. Well thank you for correcting me. I guess it was just a big misunderstanding. Thank you for your time and have a nice day.”

“You too.” My dad said as he stood up in sync with Sherry and walked her to the door. They shook hands and she left. I sighed, and stood up from the couch. I went to go upstairs, but nothing is that easy.

“Where do you think your going?” my dad said sternly

“I was going to go lay down, my head hurts.”

“Oh stop playing the victim role, Aubrey. Your fine. Go make me some lunch.” He ordered. It wasent even worth fighting for. I turned around and walked into the kitchen and turned on the stove. I got a pot and filled it with water ad placed it on the burner. I sat down, waiting for the water to boil. I dazed off however, because my head was still killing me and I hadn’t really gotten a good night sleep since before the whole hospital incident. One fact you should know: Hospital beds are not comfortable. I awoke after my chair was pulled out from under me and I fell onto the hard kitchen tile. I rubbed my back from the fall and look up to see my dad, holding a dripping wet pot. I felt steaming hot droplets hit my face. He slowly tipped the pot sideways until a waterfall of boiling water came raining on top of me. I moved, only for it to hit my right leg. A cry fled from my throat when I felt the water hit my leg. I crawled to the wall and used it to help me up. I looked down; my leg was fire red. I looked up only to see huge metal pot flying at my face. I ducked, thankfully, just in time to miss it. I got back up to see my dad’s angry, angry face.

“Aubrey, what the hell are you doing?”

“I was making pasta.”

“Is that why there’s water all over my stove? NO! It’s because your dumba** fell asleep with water on the burner and let it boil over.”

“I’m sorry; I just dozed off, it wont happen again.”

“Damn right it wont happen again, because if it does, your gonna get your a** beat.”

My dad walked to the fridge, grabbed a beer and stormed out. I fell to the floor, clutching my throbbing, burnt calf. I sighed, as a tear rolled down my face, slipped off my chin and fell to the ground. I sat there for a little while, and then got up. I limped to the counter to get a rag and dry up the floor. I picked up the pot, dried it off, and put it back in the cabinet. I went into the freezer, grabbed a frozen pork chop, and cooked that. He ate it, and then passed out. I sighed with relief, and went up stairs, after getting a bag of ice to put on my leg. I lay on my bed, not really even thinking about anything. I just stared up at the ceiling fan, watching it spin round and round. The rotation of the fan made me sleepy, almost like it was hypnotizing me. My eyes lids felt heavy, and after a while, the finally closed. In the back of my head, I was thankful to be able to sleep another night.



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