Summers' Purpose

Chapter 59

The faint hum and gentle whirring of medical equipment and various machines permeate the air, filling the cold room where monitors beep rhythmically. She blinked her eyes open slowly and was greeted by the soft glow of overhead lights. Her consciousness gradually trickled in and she became more aware of her surroundings. The feel of the coolness of the bed beneath her and the gentle hiss of an IV nearby was a stark contrast to what she last remembered. Her mind was still groggy as she tried to recall how she ended up here, her thoughts swimming in the haze of post-sleep confusion.

She tried to move to look around but her limbs felt heavier than usual. She started to panic, thinking that she was restrained, but calmed down when she checked and didn't see anything holding her down. She managed to push herself up using her elbows but found herself suddenly face to face with a woman, her dark hair tied up into a neat bun. The woman approached cautiously, her mumbled words slowly getting clearer.

"Hey, it's okay! Calm down, Y/n. You're safe. It's just me."

"Y/n? Who are you?" Lyssa asked, whispering as her throat scratched from how dry it was.

"Oh, sorry. Lyssa, right?" The woman asked before she seemed to lose herself in her thoughts temporarily. "Well, he did mention you might take some time to recall things... That's okay. I'm Helen. I understand how everything must be confusing right now. Believe it or not, we've already met a few times in this very med bay," Helen smiled softly. "How are you feeling? Any major pain or discomfort?"

Lyssa studied Helen's face, a sliver of recognition striking her as she watched Helen quickly glance at some monitors around. Lyssa sensed a weird mixture of relief and worry from her, but nothing of malicious intent at all. This calmed her down, and she chose to trust her instincts. She took some time to assess how she was feeling before answering Helen.

"I have a horrible headache but nothing much besides that. Mostly I just feel...heavy."

"Yeah, you were given quite a lot of meds. Granted, you need a higher dosage than the usual person—which explains the lethargy. Well, don't worry about that. I'm just glad you're finally awake." Helen noticed Lyssa grimacing and grew concerned again. "Are you sure you're okay? Why don't you get some rest? I'll give you something to help with your headache."

Lyssa didn't bother questioning Helen further. She was starting to recall who Helen was, but the pain in her head was getting a bit too much for her to continue figuring things out. She felt sleepier, thanks to the medicine Helen administered. She closed her eyes and let herself drift into a slumber, hoping it would help with her head. Not long after, a red fog appeared within the darkness. This time, it merely surrounded her, seemingly keeping its distance.

"Miláčik? What happened to you? I was trying to get to you, we were almost together!" A woman's voice echoed in the air. Lyssa could see a figure materializing from the red fog, slowly becoming clearer. When Lyssa saw her face, her heart stopped. Something about this woman felt so familiar. Lyssa noticed her green eyes and the way they were framed perfectly by the red hair that flowed past her shoulders. The way her brows furrowed and her lips curved as she frowned felt like something Lyssa had committed to memory. Her expressions. Her hands. Even the way she dressed. It seemed that something in Lyssa subconsciously knew who this woman was even though she struggled to remember her name.

"I almost had you. I can finally feel you again but somehow, you're so far away like before; it's not fair!" The woman exclaimed, but Lyssa could tell that she was more distressed than she was angry. "I can feel you reaching out to me, trying to understand me. I missed that! Veľmi si mi chýbala, moja láska. So much so that it's so hard to breathe at times. And now, I can't even touch you anymore. No matter what I do, it's like nothing has changed," the woman whispered sadly, her eyes glazed with tears as she looked at Lyssa. "Don't worry. I'll find a way. Anything to have you back with me."