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two ; the meeting

Two;

The Meeting

Many hours later, Penelope woke up. In the same room. The sun brightening on the horizon out the window. Penelope felt her cannula feeding oxygen into her body, and she sighed. Her eyes were still closed. She felt dried blood on her face and rubbed lazily on her chin.

"Oh good, you're awake." A voice came from beside Penelope. She was feeling drowsy, and numb. Like she was on a cloud. She turned her head to the right, where the voice was coming from, keeping her eyes closed. It took too much effort to open her eyes, frankly, she was comfortable staring at the darkness.

"How are you feeling?" Marlene said, getting up to grab a glass of water for the girl.

Penelope groaned, shaking her head. "That's what I thought. Here. It's water, drink up." Marlene told the girl, and she reluctantly opened her eyes drowsily. She sat up, groaning in pain. She reached for the glass, to feel her arm being restrained.

"You'll have to use your other hand." Marlene chuckled at the girl. Penelope took the glass of cool water with her left hand and gulped it down greedily. There was a metallic taste to her mouth, she coughed and sputtered it out into the glass. Marlene made a face, taking the red glass of water from her and setting it down on the table beside her.

"So. What's your name girl?" Marlene asked Penelope.

Penelope groaned saying, "'M Penelope," her words slurred together. "Did you drug me?" Penelope asked the woman in front of her.

Marlene laughed, throwing her head back. "No. You're just being affected by the lack of oxygen in your system, Pen. So what's the deal with the oxygen tank and cannula? You havin' some breathin' issues?"

Penelope nodded. "Somethin' like that."

Marlene sighed, taking out keys from her pocket, going to unlock Penelope's wrist. "I'm going to unlock your cuffs, 'kay?" Penelope nodded, holding out her wrist so Marlene could reach it easier.

Penelope felt her wrist come free, and she rubbed at the raw reddish skin. She sat there for a moment, unsure of what to do. Marlene broke the silence in the room, saying, "Uh, well, we might have some oxygen tanks for you to use. Ya know. If you run out of oxygen." Marlene trailed off as Penelope sighed, leaning back into the bed, her eyes closed again.

Penelope sighed, breathing in deeply, sucking in any air she could get. Her chest loosened and didn't feel as tight as before.

"Alright." Penelope mumbled. She fixed the cannula on her face as Marlene exited the room. The girl stayed in the room, unsure of what to do. Her body felt completely numb. Sometimes a jolt of pain would come from her left leg. It would surprise her. She remembers falling, but she didn't think that she was injured.

Once Marlene came back, another woman came into the room carrying two oxygen tanks. It was the woman from before, with brown hair and a stern face. Penelope sat up and tried to look presentable.

"Here you go," The woman–Halie said to Penelope. She set down the two oxygen tanks by her bedside table and stood up. "While you were unconscious, I took a look at you–"

Penelope's eyes widened. This random woman that she just met, took a look at her while she was unconscious.

"You wh–" Penelope started, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Relax, Penelope. Not like that." Marlene soothed the young girl. "We're not that bad of people." Haile nodded in agreement and continued on.

"I found that your right rib has a hairline fracture in it. This must be why you're constantly on oxygen, yes?" Haile motioned to the long-haired girl. Penelope shook her head.