Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…

What the fuck?

Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…

Where am I?

Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…

And what the hell keeps beeping like that?

One dark eye struggled open, followed by the second. She was in a small curtained off room in a hospital emergency room, which was an all too familiar sight for Marie. The dull yellow walls were riddled with strange inputs and outputs with equally strange acronyms as labels. An IV pole stood at the head of the hospital bed where she laid covered in thick white blankets and sheets. An oxygen mask covered her mouth and nose while a clear plastic hose extended from it to one of the outputs in the wall. Another hose connected her left wrist to a baggie filled with clear fluids that hung from the IV pole while wires from beneath the blanket linked her to the beeping machine, which monitored her heartbeat.

Shit, I'm back here again…

Noisy doctors and nurses hurried past outside the curtain, seeing to other patients in other make-shit rooms. She shifted her shoulders, trying to position her head to block the noise, but instead produced a low moan from within. Her entire body aced with an unexplainable soreness, as if she had just spent the last six hours in the weight room. Her vision was blurry, but she could make out her surroundings quite easily by memory. She had spent far too much time here in the past to easily forget this place.

"Look who's awake," came a familiar voice from the curtain.

Marie's eyes shifted from her surroundings to the man walking into her nook in the wall. He wasn't very tall for a guy, and his unruly sandy hair that fell across his forehead made him look younger than he was. His small smile gave him a laid back look, but his dark worried eyes spoke of the worry he felt that his lips never would.

Erik… I'm gonna kick your ass for this.

He walked towards the bed and squatted down next to her. "How you feeling?" he asked softly.

Marie rolled her eyes. I just tried to kill myself, you moron. How do you THINK I feel?

He gave a little laugh and smiled. "That's good. At least recovery hasn't been too rough on you."

She said nothing as she pulled one hand from beneath the blankets. She lifted it up and extended her pinky, thumb, and middle finger. I love you, but I hate you, she recalled.

"I love you, but I hate you, too. Geeze, woman, you gave me a heart attack back there!"

You'll get over it.

"Don't give me that look. You can't speak right now, but I can hear your expression little girl… Yes, I did call you 'little girl.' What are you gonna do? Shove a rectal thermometer up my anus?"

At that, Marie gave a small smile. Stupid boy. Always trying to do for the "better-fuckin'-good." I think he's trying to replace Mother Teresa or something. Mother Erik… Hehehe…

Erik leaned over and mussed her hair. "I gotta get back home. Mom's having puppies over this and wants me to get home before the snow gets any worse…"

At least someone cares about you, Marie though bitterly. My old man probably doesn't even know I'm here… Or care, for that matter.

"…so you be good, okay? Don't bite anyone, and for goodness sakes, don't do like last time and hold the nurse hostage again, all right? That was kinda embarrassing to explain when people asked me about it."

Again, Marie smiled. Hey, when I want chocolate, damnit, I want chocolate. Screw the whole "low calorie/sodium/taste diet.

Rising to his feet, Erik regarded her for a moment, looking at her in a way that made Marie squirm nervously. Then quietly, he leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead. "I mean it," he whispered, "You be good." Then just as quietly, he turned and left her there in the hospital bed, bewildered and alone.

A/N: Gads, I'm sorry that was so short but I've been so super busy lately. Classes are friggin' insane with the semester coming to a close and all, plus Thanksgiving break is next week… sighs Ah well.

Also, please over-look the language. Marie has a very big "potty mouth" since she's got the whole angsty thing going on and she's more or less mad at the world. Plus she wasn't exactly raised in the best environment, so you know… But she'll tone it down eventually. Figured I'd clear that up in case it was getting too excessive for you guys.

Hope you guys like this story so far!

T~H