The moment Sydney walked into the cafeteria a man with the word Police written across the back of his shirt and a silver badge hanging from his neck trailed close behind. Saw her sit with a frown on her face and fear in her eyes. Saw him laugh at her discomfort and her loss of control. Saw nurses and doctors gawking at the confrontation brewing at their table as voices raised. I’m sure if I were close enough to hear, I would’ve heard a lot of consonants and very few vowels. There was such ferocity in the way she backed out of her chair and moved toward the door, she nearly snapped my leg in half. “You okay?” She dusts off her ego. Looks at me briefly, then looks back at the table she was just sitting at. The officer nods on his way out. Again, I check to see if she’s okay. “This. Is. Too. Much.” She rubs her hands back and forth on the sides of her neck. I pull out a chair for her to sit in. She shakes her head. “I’m tired of sitting.” “Need to run, huh?” She sighs.
