Liar

22

This is the worst headache I've ever experienced in my entire life. Without a doubt. I haven't even opened my eyes yet and I 100% regret drinking- I didn't drink that much last night. I must have done because I don't remember coming home. Or changing. I don't normally get wasted on champagne; it doesn't normally affect me really. Not like this. I don't get drunk on it. Not easily.

The beeping around me got a little faster as I started to panic, brain completely wiped of anything aft- Asher.

Wait.

No. No. No. NO.

My eyes snapped open, taking in the hospital room quickly then down at me, tubes in the back of my hand and nowhere else, heart rate monitors everywhere. That explains the beeping. What the fuck happened?

"Victoria? Dad, she's awake." Emmett shook my dad awake from where they were both sat in purple leather chairs. "Easy Tori. Don't move too much. You're okay." He looked up at my monitor and back to Dad, face going a little pale.

"Tori, darling, you need to calm down."

"What the fuck happened?"

"You fainted. No one knows why, we're waiting on the tests." Fucking tests? What the fuck? Dad stood up, sitting on the edge of the bed and grabbing my hand tight.

"Slow breathes Tori. You're heart rate is way too high." I tried but felt like something was sat on my chest. "Emmett go get the doctor. Easy Tori. One at a time."

"Where's mum?"

"She's with everyone outside. They only let 2 of us in. Keep breathing honey."

"Everyone?" He nodded, not speaking until I had control of my breathing again.

"What happened Tori?"

"I don't know. I was talking to Leon and then I bumped into Asher-"

"Caswell?" I nodded. "You know him from working with his dad?"

"Yes."

"He's refusing to leave." That doesn't surprise me. "You were very close with them all weren't you?"

"You could say that." He looked up at my monitor as the doctor came in, she promptly kicked him and Emmett out of the room and proceeded to ask me all of the questions you'd expect. Has it happened before, did I take any drugs, how did I feel right before and could I be pregnant.

"I fucking hope not. I get my injection every 3 months so I don't need to think about it and I haven't missed a single appointment since I was 17. I also hadn't had sex since my last period." She chuckled.

"I'll run a HCG test on your bloods anyway. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I was arguing with my brother's friend and he said something I wasn't expecting. I turned around and there was someone there I really wasn't expecting to see. I've been avoiding them for 3 weeks and- I don't know. I spilled champagne on him."

"Had you been feeling okay in the lead up to it?"

"I mean I guess? I was pissed off before I left the room with Leon a little shaky but more anxiety and anger kind of thing."

"Do you get that a lot?"

"What shaky?"

"Anxiety." I rolled my eyes.

"Look doc, I'm fine. I'm a 25-year-old COO working 3 jobs. I don't get anxiety. I'm not anxious. I don't need pills or whatever else. I'm sure it was just the champagne and the shock and anger just all combining into one. I feel fine now."

"Your brother said your heart rate was up."

"I just woke up in a hospital bed after blacking out around 2 men, neither of whom like me very much right now."

"You think they'd do that?"

"I don't. Leon's my brother's best friend. Emmett would probably murder him and Asher's dad loves me too much. He values his dad too highly to disappoint him like that." She nodded slowly. "I'm fine."

"I'm going to keep you in overnight just to be safe. Random collapses like this aren't normal. It's not always something to worry about. Like you say it could just have been everything hitting you at once and your brain just powered down for a little bit. But it could be something serious. All of your test results are coming up clear so far, there's a few more I'm waiting on but it's not a bleed or anything like that, your CT and MRI came back clear, your oxygen levels are good. You're fit and healthy, your brother said you work out regularly."

"Almost daily." She nodded like I'd done something right.

"Okay good. If it happens again Victoria it could be something more serious hiding. Do you get panic attacks often?" Yes.

"No. Never."

"Hmm." She scratched her head. "Okay. Let me go away and order some more tests. Don't get out of bed until I come back." I saluted her as she left, putting my head back in the pillows behind me. Sat in a hospital bed at 1am on a Saturday morning is not where I normally am nor is it where I wanted to be right now.

It had to just be everything hitting me all at once right? I mean, that's the only real explanation. A panic attack that just hit in too quickly and I wasn't able to stop it this time. God, Kenz and Lexi would have known. One look at me and they'd have had me sat on the floor with my head between my legs. Lexi had been helping me with panic attacks since I was like 14. She knew them on me now. I'd only ever blacked out once before because of them and I felt much like I do now except that time I was home alone and in my room. I remember waking up on the floor confused as to how I got there and when I eventually stood up, there was a small amount of blood where my head had been. It stained the floor and I spent ages trying to get it out. I never did. It was still there now hiding under a rug, barely visible unless you looked hard enough but I knew it was there.