"What were you two talking about," I asked while following her, Mary-Sue, down the well-lit hall with Anna cautiously following close by.

I've been told that I can be rather annoying and usually it gets to me, but this time I didn't care one bit. I needed answers.

She groaned loudly, cocking her head back for added emphasis to her clearly aggravated state. She turns around like a hurricane and faces me. Well, towers over me kind of. I stand right below her eyes, so the bridge of her nose.

We watch as the orderlies bring the adult patients back inside. Their faces seem to have lit up from whatever they did out there. Austin and Bobby are too much.

I smile at them as they pass by us, making their way to the recreation room with Bobby at the back of the line and Austin in the front to guide them.

"What we were talking about," Mary-Sue snapped me back to reality, "Is none of your business. Why don't you focus more on half-pint over here," she motioned towards Anna with her right thumb, keeping her eyes locked on mine, "Instead of what I have going on in my life. Just because I spoke up for her, doesn't make us friends."

With that being said, she walked off. Where she was headed is unknown. I don't know, I guess she needed space to think.

***

While Annabelle played with a few dolls in front of the sofa by the window, where I sat cross-legged, I read "The Adventures of Mickey Mouse." I've always loved comic books and developed somewhat of a passion for sketching as well as writing. Every year, around Christmas time, I'd create a few comic strips for my loved ones. A lot of them that I made went untouched because my aunts and uncles would be belly up in booze. Too giggled out to even notice me.

I let out a soft, amused chuckle as I sped through the last page. Not only am I a novice comic creator, but I'm also a pretty fast reader with a wild imagination.

"I'm bored." Annabelle groaned out while putting the dolls down.

I shut the book and as if I'd also developed super powers, the wind blew through the window, pushing my hair back into a flowing mess.

I giggled, shook it off, then got up from the sofa to put the new arrival away. "What do you wanna do," I asked her with a smile still plastered on my face.

She sighed heavily. "I don't know."

I'm the same way. I always wanna do something but never know what until it's time for bed and by then it's too late.

"Maybe we could go see what Austin and Bobby are doing." I offered. "They're probably playing cards again."

She paused as if she were contemplating whether or not she wanted to, then eventually gave me her sweetest smile. "Okay."

I waited for her to get up before walking to the door leading to the rooms. Once I swung the doors open, I had to tightly shut my eyes immediately. It was as bright as the inside of the Sun, which ironically shone in through the window and brightened up the reading area.

"Whoa," Anna exclaimed. I assumed that she was in shock at how bright it was, same as I, but something else grasped her attention.

I watch as she bolts down the hall, clueless to what she sees. I chase after her in case she gets in trouble and the deeper we go down the hall, the colder it feels. I embrace my body and tremble at the same tempo as the chattering of my teeth.

Once the back door is in plain sight I let out a soft chuckle.

She's really bringing me down this hall, away from everyone, because she sees a door?

"Alright, look. I don't ha--" I stop speaking when I realize that she's not trying to escape and that I don't have to inform her that I lost the key.

She ran down this hall because she saw a puddle of blood flowing from underneath the crack of the supply room door.

"Is that blood," Anna asked while pointing to it and looking up at me with those big, innocent eyes.

"Go get help, okay?" I break my attention from the crimson red puddle long enough to look at her while I speak.

She reluctantly runs back down the hall in the direction in which we came, leaving me to gawk at the mess that I'm sure they'll make us clean.

Once I'm sure that she's gone, I force the door open by tugging it, and with a loud crackle, it opens. The room is dark, but I can see a silver handle swinging from the ceiling, so I step in to tug it. The light flickers on and I can see shelves of boxes sitting in rows, towering over me.

I bring my eyes down to the cluttered floor where Mary-Sue lie in her own pool of blood with her eyes shut, her mouth agape, her left wrist slashed near the vein, surrounded by more boxes and papers. I didn't gasp or scream, because for some reason I didn't feel surprised or afraid. I mean I'd never pegged her as suicidal, but nothing in me treated it more than a bump on the head.

***

We all crowded around the door to the office, making two lines, so Bobby could carry Mary-Sue in between. He had his left arm under her legs and his right arm he used to support her limp torso. Without any support, her head practically dangled over his right bicep until Austin swiftly came up behind him to hold it up.

After Anna brought back help, Bobby checked Mary-Sue's pulse along with John while Austin went to dial for help using the rotary phone in the office.

It took ages for the doctors to arrive with the gurney, which Austin refused to use, and if Bobby hadn't used his shirt to tie around her wrist, then she would've bled out by the time they did come.

Watching them carry her out felt odd to me, unfair even. It's like "No one leaves unless they're in a body bag."

Anna started whining as she rested her head on my side for comfort. I hesitantly rubbed the top of her head, unaware of what to do to provide her with solace, "I hope she's gonna be okay," she spoke in a small voice.