[ Glow ] ~ Anthony Lockwood x OC

VII - Lungs Burn

Daniel's head rung, crackling of fires and a noise that resembled screams echoed through her eardrums. It was weird, uncomfortable, unidentifiable. Where was it coming from? Her eyes fluttered open, stinging and vision tinted grey. Why was she in a green room? Where was she and how did she get there? 

"Ms. Aiken?" A woman dressed in blue scrubs and a white hat walked in, a nurse. 

"Yes?" 

"How are you feeling, dear?" 

"Uhm. . .sore?" 

"That's expected, you've been out for about an hour and you fell from a second story balcony." The nurse walked over to the side of Daniel's bed, pulling up a notepad. "You didn't have any emergency contacts on record, is there anyone we should call for you?"

Daniel stared at the blue sheets for a moment, studying the way the fabric bent. "No, there's no one." She looked back up at the kind-looking nurse's face. "When can I leave? I am well enough to walk, I assure you."

"Well. . .We'd like to keep you until this oxygen tank is gone and this bag of saline is at least half in your system. You took a lot of smoke into your lungs, dear." 

"How long will that be? I have things to do, with all do respect." 

"Only about thirty minutes, dear." The nurse assured with a nod. "Would you like me to tell your friend you're here when she wakes up?"

"Friend?" Daniel couldn't help but let out a light chuckle. Who in the world was she talking about?

"Yes, Ms. Carlyle." The nurse nodded lightly

"Lucy's here?" 

"Just in the room next door." The nurse gave a smile.

"And. . .Lockwood?"

"I am afraid not, just a Ms. Lucy Carlyle." The nurse frowned before shaking her head.

Daniel's expression fell to a frown. Was he okay?  "Uhm. . .No. Don't tell her I'm here, please." Daniel shook her head. "Do you have my things?"

"Yes, of course. They're just on that chair over there." The nurse pointed at a grey chair in the corner of the room, a bag of belongings placed neatly on top.

"Great, thank you." Daniel closed her eyes as the nurse left, deciding to take the next thirty minutes or so that the fluids and oxygen would take in order to rest. She was exhausted. 

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Daniel walked up the steps of their house with the darkness engulfing the streets. She let out a heavy sigh, pulling the door open and walking up to her room. She was too tired to bother looking for Lockwood or to check on George. Lucy was at the hospital, Lockwood was. . .missing, and George was probably sleeping given the time, so going to bed seemed like the best option. She changed out of her soot covered clothes into sweats; a shirt that fell nearly to her knees and a pair of shorts that weren't even visible under the hem of it. The shirt had belonged to her father before her family passed, so wearing it reminded her of him in it's own way. It was yellow, an ugly neon yellow that no clothing should ever be colored, kind of resembling a highlighter, and it had her last name written in big black font on the back, a stupid looking Penguin on the front with a dad cap and a soccer ball under its flipper. Daniel let out a breathy grumble and brushed through her hair rather quickly. She flopped into the pillows that lined her bed, snuggling closer to a soft purple one that was about the size of her torso. With a muttered goodnight to her empty room, Daniel pulled a blanket over herself and cuddled into the soft material. She needed sleep, it felt like forever since she'd had any even though it had only been about two hours since she fell unconsciousness from the fall.