I slowly opened my eyes as the ray of sunshine dashed at my face. I moved back. I yawned, stretching my hands in the air. I pushed over the blanket covering me and hopped down the seat, itching my eyelids.
"Good morning, lovely", Linda said. I snapped my eyes open scared.
Linda was seated on the bed, a glass of milk in her hand and a tray of mini cookies, with a warm smile on her face. "Come", she tilted her head.
I stood still for a few moments, then walked forward. I gently got up on my bed, looking down.
"So are you going to tell me what your name is now or?" Linda brought her face close to mine smiling. I replied to her with silence.
She moved back and exhaled softly.
"So dear", she started, "I decided to get you a little something different from our usual breakfast, and feed you with it", she looked at me picking up a cookie coated with cream.
"Since you decided to starve yourself yesterday, I'll be spoon-feeding you from now on". She smiled thrusting the cookie to my face. I stared at the cookie then back at her, then down at the floor, leaving her stranded.
She exhaled, rolling her eyes. "Okay, so this is what's gonna happen", she dropped the tray on the small table in front of us, turning her whole body to me.
"Now dear, if you don't eat, you'll be hungry, and if you're hungry, you'll faint. If you faint, you'll be put on more medications and drip. And you don't want a drip in your skinny wrist do you?"
I stared at her wondering what she meant by 'drip'. She could see the confusion in my eyes. "Okay. So..." she turned to the metal long stand behind us. "A drip is a bag of um... 'Body water', which they give to people who are too weak to eat. "Sooo", She grabbed my wrist.
"So they'll put the body water into a rubber bag, which is connected to a tube that has a needle at the end, and then, they'll do this".
She pushed out her pinky finger, placing it at the centre of my wrist. She gently and slowly dragged her finger over my skin from my wrist to almost my elbow.
"They'll stick the very long metal needle up your arm, all the way here, then open the tube so the body water can enter", she pulled her hands away.
"And do you want to know how that feels?", She moved closer. I stared at her with curiosity in my eyes.
"Well, it is very, very, very painful, because they will leave the drip in your arm for the whole day or even more, depending on how long you plan not to eat of course, and trust me, it is way more painful when you take your remaining medications with other small needles from these injections of course", she pointed at the tray of newly packed syringes.
I locked my eyes on the needles.
I turned back at her. "So, dearie, do you want to eat now? Or will you rather have a long needle stuck in your arm all day and three other small needles in your body?" She smiled softly like she didn't mind my answer. I stared at her not blinking, unable to say something. She exhaled.
"Well, I see you've given your answer, I'll tell the doctor to prepare your drip and injections", she stretched for the tray, slowly getting up. I grabbed her gown. She looked over her shoulder.
With my head down, I slowly stretched my other hand to her, bringing up my head. She looked at my palm then at me, grinning.
"Very well... I see you've changed your mind", she sat back down, pulling the tray to her lap as she turned to me.
"Let's begin shall we?" She said picking up a cookie. She slowly pushed her hand to my shut lips. I looked at her calm expression than at the cookie.
I opened my mouth, as she gently placed the cookie into my mouth. I shut my lips, chewing slowly with my stare locked down at the tray.
After a few more cookies, she brought the glass of milk to my lips. I slowly received it, gulping it down. Linda's face lid up brighter than the midnight security lights. She pulled the glass away, bringing in another cookie.
....
The next day, I began to feed myself, but still didn't speak a word. I sat on my bed with my legs dangling down. I gently kicked my legs repeatedly in the air as I played with my fingers.
The clock beeped as 12:00 AM blinked repeatedly on the screen.
Linda pushed the door with her back, walking. She switched on the light bulbs, completely lightening the room. I shut my eyes.
I rose my head up, pinching my eyes together to adjust to the light. Linda stood in front of me with a box in her arms. I stared at the box with a cloth on it, then back at her, questioning her with my eyes.
"So?" she went down on her knees, placing the box between her and the bed. I jumped down, straightening my gown.
"I knew you'd be awake and lonely, so... I took the midnight shift so we can hang out!" She smiled.
"And, I brought you these", she pulls off the cloth covering it. "Toys!" She squealed.
I slowly went down on my knees, placing my hands on the box. "Do you like them??" She nodded her head excitedly at me, waiting for a response.
"Sweetheart?" She tilted her head staring into my eyes. I looked up at her, nodding my head.
"Aww!" She giggled, wrapping her arms gently around my neck as she pulled me in for a hug. She trapped me in her arms with a surprised expression on my face. My face slowly melted to a grin as I exhaled.
She released me smiling widely. "So which do you want to play with?" she tapped the box joyfully. I looked at the box filled with toys I never knew existed, then back at the darling angel who bought them for me, with her eyes sparkling with joy and happiness.
"Lola", I whispered in a dry voice. Her eyes widened with shock that I finally spoke.
"W- What?"
My lips slowly stretched as I lowered my head, responding again, "Lola... That's my name".
I shut my eyes still staring down, wondering her expression above me, till I felt her hand on my shoulder. I slowly raised my head, "Nice to meet you, Lola". I smiled.