A/N: the picture is a pretty good idea of what her hair looks like, after it's cut.

"My name is Lillian Reese Hemmings. I am 16 years old, and I have a very full family. I have three siblings, Ben, Jack, and Luke. I live with both my mom and my dad. Oh yeah, and Luke and I are twins."

It only took me thirty minutes to fully process and understand my life and what my future would be like. I decided that meant that it was time to ask to fix my appearance. I pressed the nurse call button, and within five minutes there was a nurse at the door.

She speaks up as soon as she's at the door frame. "Yes? What can I help you with?"

I try to ask her without stuttering, "Is there anyway I can take a shower and wash my hair and cut it or something? It's been t-too many years without those things a-and I really wanna look better for my family."

"Aw sweetheart, of course we can make that happen for you. I'll bring some soap by, and I'll see what I can do about the haircut." She was so kind about it all.

A few minutes later she was back with the soap. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the water and put the soap down. "I will be around, so if you need any help or anything happens, either yell or hit the nurse call button."

I nodded and went in to the bathroom area and took my IV stand with me because they wouldn't let me take it out. I showered without many problems, although turning it off was, but I figured it out eventually. I got out and put back on my hospital gown, feeling the cleanest I could ever remember. It was beautiful, even though it was long and gross hair that was sopping wet, it felt so clean.

I hit the nurse call button once again, feeling very needy. The same nurse as earlier walks in. "Wow, you look so clean, sweetie. How do you feel?"

"I-I uh feel a-a lot better."

The nurse smiles kindly and acts as if I didn't just stutter through my sentence. "That's great. I'm happy for you, and about the haircut. I was able to find a nurse who knows how to cut hair. It wouldn't be anything professional, just a straight cut across your hair."

"Oh m-my word! Thank you so much."

"Of course, every nurse assigned to this unit cares about you, Lillian. I'll go get here and be right back."

I nod and she leaves having promised to be back within a minute. I couldn't be any happier.

Like the nurse said, she was back very quickly and with a nurse that I had seen walking around the floor earlier today.

"Lillian, this is Marcus. Oh wait, did I even tell you mine?" She laughs. "My name is Ariana, and this is a friend that I know through working here. Luckily, he's on break right now."

I smile and watch as Marcus pulls out some scissors and a comb.

"Hey, so first I'm going to comb through it, as gently as I can. I imagine they'll be some knots though and that might hurt. After that, I'm going to cut it. I just need to know where you want me to cut it."

"M-maybe to like uh- my shoulders?" I motion to my shoulders and collarbone area.

"That sounds great," I turn around and he starts combing through my hair and within a few minutes he was cutting it all off.

It was like a new beginning for me. Cutting most of it off, not denying what happened, but being ready for new growth, for a new life. I know it's going to be so hard trying to live a normal life, but I can't wait to try. I can't wait to live.

I looked at myself in the mirror when he was done and I love it. I love it so much. I feel so clean, clean of all the nastiness that my kidnapper put me through. This feels like a clean slate, and I'm so ready.

I turn around to Marcus, and say "Thank you so so much. My hair looks great and just thank you so much." I smile and notice he's smiling too.

"I'm happy that I could help, really. I hope you get all the happiness you deserve. Which is a lot by the way." He is so kind, a truly genuinely nice person.

Ariana, the original nurse, speaks after him. "Honey, your family will be here soon. We told them they should bring clothes, and so what we're gonna do, is have them wait in the lobby while you change into them. Once you're changed, I'm going to have them in an unoccupied conference room, and you'll meet them there. How does that sound?"

I smile as she's talking, I don't think it has actually hit me that I'm going to see my family again. I've been on my own for so long. "That sounds great, but it'll be a nerve racking f-few minutes knowing they're so close."   I sit back on my hospital bed. "How long before they're here?" I look down at my feet, swinging off the side of the hospital bed.

She sits beside me as Marcus decides to take this as his queue to leave. "They should be here within the next half hour."
She lightly sets her hand on my shoulder, "But I'll let you know as soon as they're here."

She smiles and gets up. She pauses on her way out to say. "I should probably do some more rounds, but I'll see you soon." And I was all alone in the room again. I swung my legs back onto the bed, and I knew sleep would make the time pass faster, without as many rabid butterflies in my stomach. So I reclined the bed back, and fell asleep, probably because I was only running on adrenaline and fear at this point.