Short story Friday has been moved to Sunday for the next few weeks due to Tech week and the upcoming show. So, please enjoy the first ever short story sunday!
“And how are you feeling today, Lizzie?” The nurse’s eyes
are warm and sympathetic. It makes the blue fabric of my clothes feel itchy.
Behind the nurse Ian rolls his eyes and does an exaggerated
yawn.
“I’m okay,” I say, clenching the sheets of the hospital bed.
Ian has begun to wave his arms about wildly and give the nurse bunny ears.
Of course, she doesn’t see him.
Only I can.
“Is Ian still there?” the nurse says. I can tell by her
voice that she’s just humoring the crazy person with her hallucinated dead
brother.
“Yes, he’s here,” I say.
Ian narrows his eyes. “If you ever want to get out of here
you should stop telling them about me. Just lie and say I’m magically gone,” he
says.
The nurse is staring at me expectantly and I realize that
she must have said something while Ian was talking. “I’m sorry,” I say, “Can
you repeat what you just said?”
“I said-“ the nurse begins but her words are cut off once
again by Ian loudly singing, “I CAME IN LIKE A WREEEEEEECKING BALL!!!!”
This time I just shrug and nod my head instead of asking the
nurse to repeat herself a third time. It’s easier this way, especially
when Ian is in one of his more disruptive moods.
The nurse smiles. “All right. I’ll bring something up for you
to eat later.”
She must have asked me if I was hungry. I wasn’t. Food just
didn’t taste the same since Ian died. And then came back. More or less.
The nurse leaves, presumably to get me some food.
“I’m bored,” Ian says.
“Just leave me alone, Ian,” I say.
“Too bad.”
“Leave me alone!” I yell. I must sound like a crazy person,
talking to nothing.
Ian’s eyebrows draw together. “I would if you’d let me.”
I look away.
“I can’t.”
