Chapter 26: Scars

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Toby

I woke up in a weird bed. It was bright, very bright. I looked around and noticed something in my arm.

Where am I? What happened? Where's Mom and Papa?

I heard the door open and turned my head to see who entered. It was someone with a white coat on. They came up to me and stuck a needle in my arm.

It hurt so I cried. The person started apologizing and saying they needed to do this. Why? Was there something wrong with me?

I tried to talk but nothing came out. No noises. No words. Just silence. The person started unwrapping my mouth from something. Was that always there?

They then handed me a mirror. Ok. I held it up to look at myself and froze. On my mouth there were stitches holding, what seemed to be, cuts closed.

I dropped the mirror onto the floor and began to cry. The person picked up the now broken mirror and left without another word.

I hugged my knees and cried into them. I heard the door open but didn't look up. I felt arms wrap around me. I lifted my head and saw Mom and Papa, plus Viktor and Khristina.

Viktor looked at me with a terrified face, he probably saw the stitches. Mom was hugging me while Papa stayed close to Viktor. 

I tried speaking again but nothing came out. Why couldn't I talk? Was it because of the stitches? 

I tapped Mom's shoulder to get his attention. He looked up at me, I looked at his eyes and saw that he was trying not to look at the cuts.

I started thinking. I can't talk. Maybe I can use that language Mom and Papa taught us. Sign language, was it?

I started signing out what I wanted to say. No one said anything. Did I sign that wrong? I tried again. Papa looks confused.

"Do you mind signing that again?" Mom asked while sitting down in the chair next to me. I shook my head and sign it again.

"What's he saying? I don't understand American Sign Language." That would explain why Papa was confused. I tried thinking back to the lessons. He taught me something too. Let me see if this works.

I sign the same thing but in the way Papa taught me. He makes an "Oh" face and looks at Mom.

"Sweety," Mom held my shoulders while I looked at her. "You fell on your voice box and scrapped up your mouth. The doctors said you won't be able talk again."

My heart dropped. Never talk again? How was I supposed to communicate? With sign language?

Mom gets back up and leaves the room with Papa behind her. Khristina followed them out of curiosity I'm guessing. This left me and Viktor alone.

He walked up to me and leaned against the bed. "I'm sorry Toby. It was an accident. I never meant for this to happen."

"I'm not mad." I signed in RSL, since Viktor was better at that rather than ASL. Viktor looked shocked but then relieved.

"That's good to know. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew you were mad at me." He placed his hand on my shoulder and that's when I noticed it.

Blood on Viktor's arm.

I grab his wrist causing him to yelp in pain. I rolled up his sleeve and that's when I saw it. Cuts. Fresh cuts of all different sizes. I look at him with a horrified expression.

"P-please don't tell Mom o-or Papa." He stuttered and tried to pull his arm away from me, but I wouldn't budge.

I couldn't sign back because I didn't want to let go of his arm. Mom and Papa need to know. They just need to. Viktor can't do this to himself. I won't let him.

I heard the door open and Viktor pulled his arm away from me but it was too late. Mom and Papa already saw. Mom covered his mouth in shock and Papa looked very worried.

"V-Viktor...why would you do that?" Mom rushed over to him and held Viktor's arm. "W-was it my fault?"

"No! No..I felt so guilty about what happened and I was upset because you and Papa were mad at me."

"So it was our fault...I'm sorry Viktor." Papa looked away, tears threatening to fall. Mom looked very upset now.

"It's not your fault! It's my own fault!" Everyone looked at him, not expecting that outburst. "Can we just forget about this?"

"No, we can't just ignore this." I sign, Mom nods while Viktor looks upset.

"We're here to help if you need it, ok?" Papa stepped up to be beside Viktor. Vik nodded and hugged him. Now I wanted a hug.

I tap Mom's shoulder and hug him when he turns to me.

"Why is everyone hugging?" Khristina asked when she walked back in. Mom let go of me and Papa let go of Viktor.

"I'll be back." Papa left the room and closed the door behind him.

"Mom, when can I come home?" He shrugged and said it was up to the doctor. Was the doctor the person who stuck something in my arm?

Papa comes back with a person in a white coat, probably a doctor. The doctor looks at my mouth and takes notes. They then walk over to Viktor and look at his arm.

"Viktor just needs bandages and Toby should be ok to go home, he just shouldn't eat any solid food." The doctor showed Mom something and then bandaged up Viktor's arms.

Papa pulled a black mask out of his pocket and gave it to me. "I can tell you don't like people looking at you scars so cover them with this, ok?"

I nod and thank him. I put the mask on, it didn't hurt so that was good. The doctor said that I was recovering quickly so I should be able to get the stitches off soon.

We walk towards the exit after getting the ok from the doctor. I saw people looking at us. Especially this one woman, she was glaring at Mom. I memorized the face.

Green, white, and red, was all I could see before I was pulled away by Papa.

I wonder who that was?

~~~~~~~~

Hey guy!!

So first chapter with a kids POV

I hope you're happy with Toby's first chapter!

So whenever Toby talk it will be italicized so that you can tell the difference between his text and others.

Also don't be mad at me for Viktor

Well I'll just go now

~Gaylimeboi

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