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Description
“Hello?” Ashlyn called out tipsily. The darkness of the hall sat still. The banister of the stairs cast a long shadow against the proud pennant on the wall: “Delta Delta Phi.”

“Couldn’t sleep without a nightcap either, eh?” she chuckled to herself as she stumbled her way up the stairs. One step, half step, trip, steady. Hmm, maybe the last vodka shot was a bad idea. She giggled drunkenly as she crawled up on her hands and knees towards the second floor. Took…ten seconds? Fifteen minutes? Time passed by differently in her drunken brain. At last, at the top! She stood like an Olympic gymnast at the end of her routine, arms raised. “Ta da!” She bowed to no one particular. Thank you, thank you.

“Oof!” A sudden push from a hidden shadow, flying, then…falling. Crack! Thump, thump. She lay at the bottom of the stairs, motionless and broken.

—

“Jesus, she’s got a real problem, doesn’t she?”
“Now’s not the time, she’s really not in a good way right now.”
“But we’re going to have to take care of her now! Well, more than we usually have to…she could never handle herself. What a shitshow.”
“Come on, what are sisters for? We can’t just- oh! Looks like she’s coming around.”
“Ashhh! Baby, how are you feeling?”

Ashlyn opened her eyes groggily to the bright florescent lights of her hospital room. “Heeeey laaaadies,” she mumbled with stupefied grin. Her mouth briefly shone with metal.

“God, I hope she doesn’t get hooked onto pain meds now,” Bella muttered to herself as Kate pulled up a chair next to the hospital bed.

Ashlyn lay propped up on the bed, both of her arms set into white fiberglass long arm thumb spicas on matching pillows. Her head and chin sat supported by a hard plastic brace, and her jaw appeared to be wired shut. Her blonde hair, usually picture perfect, now lay mussed around her head like an angel’s tangled halo.

Kate looked worriedly over her sorority sister. “What happened, honey?” she asked.

“Whadda mean? Uh’m-“
She tried to wave her arm but encountered resistance. For the first time since she woke, Ashlyn seemed in pain, a little distraught. What did happen? But just as quickly as it left, her empty smile returned. She settled back down into the pillows.
“Uh’m greaaaat…”

Bella rolled her eyes. “What a waste of space. Why did we even let her into DDP?” she hissed at Kate. Kate’s eyes flashed in response. She opened her mouth to retort but fell flat as the handle on the hospital room door turned.

A woman in a white coat swept in, all business. “Miss Lightman! Good to see you’re finally awake, and how are we feeling today?” Ashlyn lifted up her right arm cast in an attempt to give a thumbs up, but fell to fits of giggles as she realized her thumb was already casted in the up position.

“Glad to see you’re in good spirits. I’m Dr. Whitney Epstein, and I’ll be handling your case. Looks like you’ve fractured both of your scaphoids, radii, and ulnae. Hah, I don’t get to say those words often!” She chuckled to herself, eyes glued to her clipboard. “Fractured jaw, strained neck, and a concussion. We’ll be monitoring you for any complications related to your concussion today, but with any luck, we’ll have you out by the end of the day into the capable hands of your sisters.” She nodded to Kate and Bella, both still a little struck by the doctor’s entry.

“You were also found with a BAC of 0.18, which is concerning, considering you were found in the morning. You don’t have a substance abuse problem, do you?” She peered at the bedridden Ashlyn, who had metallic grin vapidly plastered on her face. “No, of course not, you’re DDP ladies. Cream of the crop! Well, I must get going, more patients to attend to. A nurse will be by later this afternoon to assist you home, barring any, uh, issues. Keep an eye on her, ladies.” And with that, she strode out of the room, leaving a sweep of wind as the door slammed quickly behind her. The curtains around Ashlyn’s bed settled.

“Uh…,” Kate started.
“Well, I guess I’m headed home then. Good luck with her,” Bella nodded towards Ashlyn, who had already fallen asleep.
“But—“
“She’s your Little. Your problem. I never wanted her in anyway,” said Bella. She flung open the door and left.

“What a mess,” muttered Kate, closing her eyes as she rested her head on Ashlyn’s casted elbow.

Description
“Hello?” Ashlyn called out tipsily. The darkness of the hall sat still. The banister of the stairs cast a long shadow against the proud pennant on the wall: “Delta Delta Phi.”

“Couldn’t sleep without a nightcap either, eh?” she chuckled to herself as she stumbled her way up the stairs. One step, half step, trip, steady. Hmm, maybe the last vodka shot was a bad idea. She giggled drunkenly as she crawled up on her hands and knees towards the second floor. Took…ten seconds? Fifteen minutes? Time passed by differently in her drunken brain. At last, at the top! She stood like an Olympic gymnast at the end of her routine, arms raised. “Ta da!” She bowed to no one particular. Thank you, thank you.

“Oof!” A sudden push from a hidden shadow, flying, then…falling. Crack! Thump, thump. She lay at the bottom of the stairs, motionless and broken.

—

“Jesus, she’s got a real problem, doesn’t she?”
“Now’s not the time, she’s really not in a good way right now.”
“But we’re going to have to take care of her now! Well, more than we usually have to…she could never handle herself. What a shitshow.”
“Come on, what are sisters for? We can’t just- oh! Looks like she’s coming around.”
“Ashhh! Baby, how are you feeling?”

Ashlyn opened her eyes groggily to the bright florescent lights of her hospital room. “Heeeey laaaadies,” she mumbled with stupefied grin. Her mouth briefly shone with metal.

“God, I hope she doesn’t get hooked onto pain meds now,” Bella muttered to herself as Kate pulled up a chair next to the hospital bed.

Ashlyn lay propped up on the bed, both of her arms set into white fiberglass long arm thumb spicas on matching pillows. Her head and chin sat supported by a hard plastic brace, and her jaw appeared to be wired shut. Her blonde hair, usually picture perfect, now lay mussed around her head like an angel’s tangled halo.

Kate looked worriedly over her sorority sister. “What happened, honey?” she asked.

“Whadda mean? Uh’m-“
She tried to wave her arm but encountered resistance. For the first time since she woke, Ashlyn seemed in pain, a little distraught. What did happen? But just as quickly as it left, her empty smile returned. She settled back down into the pillows.
“Uh’m greaaaat…”

Bella rolled her eyes. “What a waste of space. Why did we even let her into DDP?” she hissed at Kate. Kate’s eyes flashed in response. She opened her mouth to retort but fell flat as the handle on the hospital room door turned.

A woman in a white coat swept in, all business. “Miss Lightman! Good to see you’re finally awake, and how are we feeling today?” Ashlyn lifted up her right arm cast in an attempt to give a thumbs up, but fell to fits of giggles as she realized her thumb was already casted in the up position.

“Glad to see you’re in good spirits. I’m Dr. Whitney Epstein, and I’ll be handling your case. Looks like you’ve fractured both of your scaphoids, radii, and ulnae. Hah, I don’t get to say those words often!” She chuckled to herself, eyes glued to her clipboard. “Fractured jaw, strained neck, and a concussion. We’ll be monitoring you for any complications related to your concussion today, but with any luck, we’ll have you out by the end of the day into the capable hands of your sisters.” She nodded to Kate and Bella, both still a little struck by the doctor’s entry.

“You were also found with a BAC of 0.18, which is concerning, considering you were found in the morning. You don’t have a substance abuse problem, do you?” She peered at the bedridden Ashlyn, who had metallic grin vapidly plastered on her face. “No, of course not, you’re DDP ladies. Cream of the crop! Well, I must get going, more patients to attend to. A nurse will be by later this afternoon to assist you home, barring any, uh, issues. Keep an eye on her, ladies.” And with that, she strode out of the room, leaving a sweep of wind as the door slammed quickly behind her. The curtains around Ashlyn’s bed settled.

“Uh…,” Kate started.
“Well, I guess I’m headed home then. Good luck with her,” Bella nodded towards Ashlyn, who had already fallen asleep.
“But—“
“She’s your Little. Your problem. I never wanted her in anyway,” said Bella. She flung open the door and left.

“What a mess,” muttered Kate, closing her eyes as she rested her head on Ashlyn’s casted elbow.