Battle Scars

Unwell

"But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell

I know right now you can't tell

But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see

A different side of me

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired

I know right now you don't care

But soon enough you're gonna think of me

And how I used to be, me"

Unwell by Matchbox 20

~~~☆~~~  

I must have fallen asleep in the car, because the next thing I knew my eyes were fluttering open to the sounds of car doors. I sat back to an upright position and looked around. My grandmother was marching her way to the hospital entrance while my grandfather was opening my door, "C'mon Jaylyn, your grandmother is checking you in," he grunted. 

I nodded my head and climbed out of the car, careful not to irritate my bad hand. Together we walked up to the entrance, when my grandfather opened the door the cold air rushed over me. I instantly got goosebumps. Couldn't I just stay outside? My grandfather pushed me inside almost like he read my mind. I rubbed my arms trying to feel some warmth. We quickly picked a spot in the far corner of the waiting room. My grandfather picked up one of those magazines that the receptionists leave out for patients to read. My grandmother joined us shortly after, sitting to my right. 

"Do we need to get your jaw looked at as well?" She said in a cold tone. 

I winced, "Probably..." I hung my head down and sighed. Of course... I wish Malcolm wouldn't grab me in spots that are visible. Normally, they wouldn't have asked or say anything about them, but it does make doctors visit uncomfortable. The doctor does notice, and will ask then when I don't want to respond, they immediately look to the family. 

After what seemed like forever, a nurse came into the waiting room and looked around, "Kramer, Jaylyn?" she inquired.

I stood up and started making my way to the nurse. My grandmother got up after me and followed. The nurse just smiled at us and then pointed down the hall, "Exam room four, to the right. I'll be in there shortly." I nodded and let my grandmother take the lead to the exam room. She sat in the chair in the corner beside the door and I climbed up into the exam bench. 

"Are you going to tell us what happened to your jaw?" My grandmother said coldly.

I brought my hand up to my cheek and lightly traced the bruise along my jaw line. "I-..." raking my brain for an answer, "I honestly don't remember." I let my head fall down, trying to withhold the tears that threatened to come forward. 

"The nurse and doctor isn't going to believe that," She scoffed, shaking her head. I bit my lip, still holding back and trying to blink away the tears before they would fall.

After three long minutes of torturous silence, there was a knock on the door. "Coming in Ms. Kramer," the nurse from earlier stated as the door swung open. "My name is Jenny, and I'm the CNA that'll be taking your vitals." 

I waved shyly with my good hand. I could feel Jenny eyeing my injuries as the door shut behind her.

"So while I get everything set up, sugar, why don't you tell me what brought you in?" She gave me a soft smile opening up my file. She kept her gaze locked on me, I wanted to look at my grandmother but I knew way better than that.

"I'm not sure how I got the bruises on my face... I must have fallen or something at school..." I managed to come up with a decent enough lie, "Otherwise, I slammed my hand in my locker door and my school nurse seems to think I might have a broken metacarpal." 

Jenny just slowly nodded at me, shot a quick glance at my grandmother who sat in silence with her arms crossed, then asked, "Are you sure that's what happened, sugar?"

I winced, "Yea.. I'm sure." I lied, again. 

Jenny eyed me, questioning what I had told her, but dropped the subject. She just scribbled away in my folder before closing it and setting it down on the counter. "Alright lets get your blood pressure and O2 stat then."  She attached the blood pressure cuff with ease around my bicep, and on the ring finger of my good hand she had the pulse oximeter. 

I sat as still as I could, and focused on my breathing. Breathe in, one, two, three, breathe out, one, two, three... Soon enough the cuff let go of it's death grip on my bicep and the pulse oximeter beeped. 

Jenny grabbed my file and started jotting down the numbers. "Sweetie, can you remind me how much you weigh and how tall you are?"

I nodded and gladly told her. She jotted those numbers down too. 

"Alright Ms. Kramer, the doctor will be in shortly. Mrs. Kramer," Jenny bowed her head to us and left the room.

After the door had been shut for a minute or two, my grandmother locked eyes with me and said, "Are you eating enough food at school?"

I could feel my face twisting up in a look of confusion. Her question had caught me completely off guard. "I get a sandwich and a milk."

"But is that enough?"

"I... I guess?" I stumbled over my words.

My grandmother didn't push any further as the knob of the door started to turn. "Ms. Kramer, I'm Doctor Greene, I hear you might need an x-ray." The doctor stepped into the room and shut the door in one smooth transition. His face was buried in my folder. 

"Yes sir..." I mumbled. 

Dr. Greene shut the folder and placed it on the counter. He approached me in three large steps and brought his face down to mine. "You want to explain this?" he asked pointing to my jaw line. 

"I'm not sure how I got it." 

Dr. Greene's eyes burned into mine. "Let's try that again." He glances over at my grandmother, "Do you think we can have the room alone?"

My grandmother doesn't object, she just stands and nods. "I'll be in the waiting room."

After the door shut behind my grandmother, Dr. Greene whips his focus back onto me. "Now, Ms. Kramer. How did you get that bruise on your jaw?"

"I'm not sure, I must have fell at school. I'm pretty klutzy."

Dr. Greene's eyes narrowed, "Abuse is no laughing matter. Considering the bruise looks like a hand." His tone was harsh. I looked away in shame. "If it was the adults who are with you, we can call someone."

"No!" I gasped, "It wasn't my grandparents! Please don't call CPS!" 

"Then who?"

I wanted to cry. "I can't say..."

Dr. Greene sighed, "I won't push no further now. Let's get your hand looked at."

~☆~  

After a painful poking and prodding, Dr. Greene finally took me back to get an x-ray. 

He bandaged my hand up in a temporary cast, just in case. "With it being as tender as it is, I don't want to risk it being broken and not being bandaged properly," Dr. Greene explained, "So if the x-ray comes back and it is broken then we'll schedule you for a regular cast."

"Thank you, Dr. Greene, when will I know if it's broken or not?"

"After you're done talking to Dr. Mallory."

"Dr. Mallory?'

"She's the psychologist on staff... Your grandparents have already been notified."