The Fall

Chapter 14

Sage, 3 days later

Beep. Beep. Beep. My eyes feel heavy as I open them and I groan as the light hits my eyes. Where... Where am I? I slowly turn my head and see I'm hooked up to machines, but why? Am I in the hospital? I follow the tube from the fluid bag all the way down to my hand... a hand that is being held by...

"D-d-daddy?" I rasp, my throat sore and dry. His head shoots up from the edge of my bed, his baby blue eyes widen and tears fall down his scruffy cheeks. "Sweetheart? You're awake! My baby girl I thought I'd lost you." He presses a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Let me get the doctor. How are you feeling?"

My head feels a bit fuzzy, and I'm confused as to why he's so worried. I'm sure I had a bad trip or something, right? "I.. water," I cough just as a red headed woman comes into the room, a bright smile on her face. "We were all wondering when you were gonna wake up. I'm Katie, one of Dr. Stone's nurse's that's been taking care of you. How are you feeling, Sage?"

I'm overwhelmed by her enthusiasm and my gaze shifts to my father, who's on the phone, probably dealing with whatever work issues I've pulled him away from. Katie hands me a cup of water and nods reassuringly. "Small sips. It might hurt since you've been intubated and haven't had use of your vocal cords for some time." I nod and wince when the water hits my sore throat. She checks my vitals before she makes a phone call.

Before I could respond, my door burst open and in waltz my brother and...Kaden. "You're awake." Kyle whispers, his eyes red and watery. "How... how are you feeling, Sage?" He takes the seat my dad vacated while Kade takes the other next to me.

"Dr. Stone will be in shortly to see you, Sage. He'll do a cognitive assessment just to make sure there hasn't been any long lasting damage from the overdose. He'll also want to talk to you about treatment options for Sage. You're a lucky girl, Sage. If you need anything just call" She gives a small smile before slipping out the door.

"How.. how did I get here?" My head's a bit scrambled, like I'm still trying to catch up to everything around me. Dad stands at the foot of my bed and pats my foot, much like he used to when I was a child. "Sweetheart, you overdosed..." His gaze shifts between my brother and Kaden. Both have expressions of anger on their faces.

"Overdosed?" I repeated slowly, my brows furrowed. Kaden holds my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. My eyes drop down to my hand captured in his and fire stirs in my body. "I... I don't understand. I've...never been that..." I couldn't form the words when I'm not even entirely sure what happened to me.

"That's not important right now, Sage." Kade says drawing my attention to his ice blue eyes. I gaze at him mesmerized and something tugs at my heart. Firefly. He called me Firefly. He hasn't called me that since my sixteenth birthday, the night everything changed. Tears sting my eyes and he frowns, his brows furrowed, "hey what's wrong, Sage?"

My eyes shift to my brother and father, knowing the disappointment they must feel. The guilt is overwhelming, then this self hatred grows within me. "I... I fuck up everything. Everything I touch, I ruin." I pull my hand out of Kaden's, instantly missing his warmth. "What's wrong with me?"

"Shhh. Nothing is wrong with you, Sage. You just woke up out of a coma. Things are mixed up right now and you're just overwhelmed." Kyle reassures me and tucks my hair behind my hair behind my ears. "Right now the important thing is that you're here. With us, the people who love and care about you."

The roar of my blood in my ears is impossible to ignore as I look around the room. Anger fills my veins. Of course she isn't here. That would be too much for mommy dearest. "Sage, I spoke with your mother. She's picking up your grandparents from the inn to see you." Dad chimes in, his face unreadable. I clear my throat as the door opens.

"I heard you're awake." A man, I'm assuming is my doctor smiles at me. "Nice to meet you finally, Sage. I'm doctor Stone and we've been taking care while you've been asleep."

Why is he talking to me like I'm a child. Irritation builds inside of me and my fist curls. "How are you feeling, Sage? Irritable? Anxious? Tired? Confused?" My brows furrow as I try to pinpoint what emotion I'm feeling so I pick anger. "Angry and irritated. Is that normal?" I ask as he begins making notes.

"It's normal to feel agitated and confused after a coma and you're a rare case having been in one for a few months." Months? I've been asleep for months. "I'm going to ask you a few questions and the nurse's tell me you've responded well to physical stimulation, but I've ordered physical therapy to get your motor skills back to normal."

"What kind of questions?" I clench my teeth and Kyle squeezes my hand.