Silver Rain

Chapter 7

The monotony of the day weighed heavily on Olivia's shoulders as she sat in the stark room, the hours passing by in a blur of white walls and silence. With her arm still throbbing from the injuries she had sustained, she found herself confined to her bed, unable to do much else but wait for time to pass.  She felt like she had been here for forever even though she knew it was at least a day.

She was told that she had to be on bed rest until the syrup had taken its full effect on her, which would be about a day or two, or until she didn't feel the pain nearly as badly anymore.  Selena reminded her that in addition to a sliced muscle, she had also been exposed to some type of poison. As a human, it would take time for her to heal.

Her mind raced with a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, each one vying for her attention as she struggled to make sense of her situation. The events of the past few days had turned her world upside down, leaving her feeling adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

She longed for the familiarity of her old life, the routine of attending classes and working at The Brew Haven. But now, everything felt distant and out of reach, every scenario she played in her head was a never-ending nightmare with no way out.

As the hours dragged on, Olivia's frustration grew, a gnawing sense of restlessness settling in the pit of her stomach.  Luke had brought her snacks: a small bag of chips and lemonade.  He had kept her company for part of it, idly talking about class.  Selena, the medic, had come in later that day and fitted Olivia with a sling to put her arm in.  Olivia tried bargaining to leave the confines of her room, but Selena threatened to tie her down and barked at Luke to not let her out of bed, and if she needed to use the restroom to grab Selena.

I can't take it anymore, I need to get up.

Neither Luke or Selena was in the room as Olivia pushed herself in an upright position.  It sent pain flying through her body, stars had blinked in her vision. Olivia gritted her teeth against the searing pain shooting through her arm, determination fueled her movements. She refused to be confined to the suffocating—and honestly comfortable—bed longer. With a shaky breath, she swung her stiff legs over the side of the bed and planted her feet on the ground. Her muscles trembled with the effort.

As the covers pulled away from her, she finally realized the change of clothes she wore. Instead of the cozy blood-splattered pajamas she had been wearing when she last remembered, she was now clad in a simple t-shirt and sweatpants, both of which looked a few sizes too big for her.

Confusion mingled with the pain pulsing through her arm as Olivia tried to make sense of the situation. How had she ended up in these clothes? And more importantly, who had changed her while she was unconscious?

Her toes tingled and she wiggled them on the cold floor to wake them up.  She took a deep breath and mustered the strength to push herself off the bed.  Her legs shook with the effort like they did after she had a long run.  Before she could even think about taking a step, the door swung open, and Luke entered the room, his expression stern as he took in Olivia's struggling form.

Luke's stern expression softened slightly as he approached Olivia, concern flickering in his eyes. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

Olivia turned to face him, her muscles tensing instinctively.  Her voice strained, betraying her how she hoped she looked. "I... I just needed to get up,"

Luke sighed, his gaze lingering on her bandaged arm before meeting her eyes once more. "You shouldn't be moving around like this. You need to rest and let your arm heal,"

Despite his words, Olivia felt a surge of defiance rising within her. She was tired of being cooped up in this room. By this time, she would have already been on a run, worked a shift at the cafe, gone to two classes, and had done practice MCAT test questions. She needed to regain some sense of control over her own life.