Finding Sophie

Chapter 17

Emptiness is a funny feeling. It sits there engulfing you at the times when you least expect it to. You can never quite know when it has taken you or whether you are imagining it, the time you know for certain is afterward when you're looking back on it. An overwhelming feeling of nothingness, so I guess you could say there isn't a feeling that can be associated with it. It takes us at the best of times, no matter our past. Sometimes it comes on stronger or quicker than others. One day, I am going to finally understand the times it drags me under, I realize it's usually the point where I have felt so much that I go numb. No more feeling. Just empty.

That's the thing that's taking over me at this exact minute. Nothing. Even though my senses are on overdrive. A loud beeping fills my ears while a strong smell of disinfectant fills my nostrils causing my eyes to water really badly. The harsh scent fuelling a headache that I didn't know I had. My eyelids feel like I couldn't possibly be able to open them. The fatigue in my body overwhelming. And the pain that shot through my head, like nothing that I have ever felt before. A small squeeze of my hand alerted me to the presence of another person. I tried desperately to talk to them, get them to know I could sense them and that I needed someone to pull me out. My mouth wouldn't cooperate with my brain.

I felt a wave of darkness come over me again and as I slipped out of consciousness I could feel the gentle squeeze of my heavy hand in another's.

The second time I roused I could sense much more, there was a large bustle around me and I felt much less fatigue. The instant I tried to open my eyes they worked with me. The fluorescents shone above me, partially blinding me for a second. I still felt that gentle hand in mine and opened my mouth to say something. "Hi," I managed to whisper through my scratchy throat.

"You're awake, I'm so glad. Do you know where you are?" Came the reply, her voice projecting a large amount of worry.

"I have a feeling this is a hospital, but I wouldn't be able to tell you why I'm here," I whisper still testing my throat, looking over at her now I recognize her. She was the girl I met at the party last night – or what I think was last night as I have no idea how long I have been here.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here with you, and not one of your family members as that would be the usual occurrence for a hospital trip if that's what you can even call this. Well for starters I don't know any of your family members contact details and I can't get into your phone to find them, I also never asked you for your surname so the hospital couldn't track down your next of kin so I stayed here with you instead as leaving you all alone was completely out of the question. The reason I am here with you is that I found you passed out on the floor of a café outside your dorms. I felt very uncomfortable leaving you with your housemate as she seemed extremely sketchy and you were very on edge when you called me asking to look for her. I followed her home which I know is probably very creepy stalker vibes but I am really glad that I did, and she let herself into your dorm and there was no sign of you. By that time I was shattered and really needed a coffee so I walked around for a bit and stumbled across the little café and found you knocked out on the floor."

I sat there staring at her and trying to wrap my head around everything, on one hand, I am so glad she came to check if I was okay because otherwise, I might be lying dead on the floor right now. On the other hand, I don't understand why Emilia wouldn't come to find me at all. There is something serious going on which I need and will get to the bottom of at some point. I realized I have been zoned out while thinking so I clear my throat to try and put together some sort of reply.

"I don't know what to say, thank you for helping me. I think I am going to need some time to figure everything out everything. Am I okay? How long have I been here?" I ask as I haven't been told one thing about the condition I am in.

"Yes, you are really lucky, you knocked your head very hard when you went down and you were knocked out. It's extremely unheard of for someone that was out that long but you have no brain damage at all. They did say however that you may have some temporary amnesia but it with pass within a few weeks. As for how long you've been here it's only been a couple of hours and you were only out because they dosed you up really high on pain meds."

"I have no idea why you stayed here with me but I am extremely grateful. I am actually really glad you had no access to call my family as it's just my mum and she would be so worried. Do you know when I can leave?"

"They said as soon as you wake up you can go but, you may need a prescription for some pain meds." She replies.

"If you could find whoever could prescribe me something and ask them to get it for me that would be great. I really want to get back to my dorm and have a nice hot shower." And talk to Emilia about what happened adds my annoying subconscious.