Unbreakable

Chapter Twenty-Six - Losing Ourselves

The subtle sounds of a faint beeping caught my ear, accompanied with low hushed voices. My head felt too heavy to even lift up, let alone open my eyes to take in my surroundings. I couldn't smell the scent of pine needles and dirt anymore so I knew I had to be indoors. I was surrounded by warmth but I knew it wasn't from Sierra, it was much too soft to be another body engulfing me. The once faint beeping was starting to get louder as I was starting to gain more awareness, although my head was still too heavy to lift, I was able to recognize one of the hushed voices.

"Keep your voice down." Nathan whispered.

I let the sound of his voice wash over me, I didn't think I'd ever hear his voice again. Knowing that Nathan was in the room made me feel safe, like I didn't need to stay on constant guard like I had been over the last however many days it had been.

"Most of her injuries are superficial, but there is some internal bleeding that I want to keep a closer eye on. Miss Harris's injuries are also just superficial, other than a couple scrapes and bruises and being a little dehydrated she's absolutely fine."

Everything was slowly stating it click into place, the beeping noises were machines. I was in the hospital, the warmth surrounding me was a hospital bed. Sierra was also here, and she was safe. That thought alone brought me enough comfort to let myself relax back into my hospital bed.

"The condition she came into the ER in, she's very lucky to have mostly superficial injuries Agent Callahan. Other than the internal bleeding, a pretty nasty concussion, and the injuries she sustained to her thighs, I'd estimate that she makes a full recovery, physically that is. Honestly, I'm amazed she was able to find the strength to even stand, let alone escape and run free."

"She's stronger than you think Dr. Rigglin. What exactly do you mean physically?" Nathan's tone was changing, I didn't need to open my eyes to know that he was starting to get upset.

"We don't know the full effects torture has on someone, on their mental state. Of course there's been studies here and there but nothing too concrete I'm afraid, a persons mental psyche is a fragile thing Agent, it isn't meant to go through such extreme duress. It can alter ones mental health quite drastically, each person being a different case. Some can't cope with the trauma that they've experienced, whereas others block it out until something triggers it and brings it all crashing back at once which is incredibly dangerous on the mental psyche. There's no telling how much trauma Agent Beckett's mental psyche endured or how she will handle it."

The silence in the air was thick and deafening. I felt both their eyes on me without having to open my own. I knew they were both looking at me as if I were this fragile porcelain doll that would break any second, it made me feel weak and powerless, something I've never wanted to feel in my life again.

"Okay, is this why she's been asleep this long? Her brain is coping with the torture she endured, so what do you recommend?" Nathan asked, the seriousness in his tone was blatantly apparent as he was no longer whispering.

"Slow down Agent Callahan. Agent Beckett should see a trauma counselor, one who specializes in this specific type of post traumatic stress disorder, even if she's not exhibiting any symptoms of having PTSD. It's better to get in front of it, to prevent it from happening all together." Dr. Rigglin explained, giving his professional medical opinion.

The quiet creak of the door closing alerted me to Dr. Rigglin excusing himself, thought I knew I wasn't alone, the smell of Nathan's scent was still nearby in proximity.

"I know you're not sill sleeping Spencer." His voice roughly cut through the silence in the room. Slowly opening my eyes I waited for them to adjust to the bright fluorescent lighting in the room. Once they had my eyes immediately found his, his dark green eyes reminded me of the thick Douglas Fir trees in the forest Sierra and I were running through. Though the same color and holding the same depth, the Douglas Fir's didn't hold the glint of sorrow that Nathan's eyes did.