From Crime To Court

Chapter 35

▪️S E R E N A▪️

When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by a blindingly bright, sterile white light.

Blinking rapidly to clear my vision, I tried to take in my surroundings. The walls were a crisp white, the floors a gleaming tile, and the room was filled with strange machines that beeped and whirred softly. It took me a few moments to realize that I was in a hospital, but not just any hospital—a modern one, far more advanced than anything from Alessio's time.

My mind raced, struggling to comprehend the situation. I was back in my time—how was that possible?

The last thing I remembered was running for my life in the cave, Alessio by my side as we fought off the Cardinal's men. The sounds of swords clashing, the sting of rain mingling with blood, and the overwhelming exhaustion as we stumbled into the cave. How had we gone from that desperate, perilous moment to here, in a clean, modern hospital? The confusion and fear tangled with the relief of knowing I had made it back, but at what cost? And where was Alessio? The questions tumbled through my mind, each one more urgent than the last.

Disoriented, I struggled to sit up, a wave of dizziness threatening to overwhelm me. I looked around frantically, searching for any sign of Alessio. But he was not there. Panic rose within me, my heart pounding in my chest.

A nurse entered the room, her smile bright, "Ah, you're awake–"

"Where am I?" I asked frantically.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, you're in a hospital in Genoa," she said, hurrying to my side.

Genoa, I silently repeated, comprehending that I really was back in present day Italy. However, I could not really focus as my mind drifted back to Alessio and I began to panic once more.

"You need to stay calm, Serena. You took a nasty hit to the head."

"Where is he?" I demanded, my voice hoarse and trembling. "Where's Alessio?"

The lady looked at me with confusion before her eyes widened slightly, "Alessio? Ah, the man that we found next to you, is that his name? We couldn't find any record of him anywhere. There's no biometric data on him. You were in the system at least, but there was no emergency contact listed. Is there anyone that you would like us to call for you?"

"Is he alright?" Tears welled up in my eyes as I grasped her arm, "Where is he? I need to see him."

She nodded, gently prying my fingers from her arm, "He's fine, just try to relax."

Moments later, a doctor entered the room, his expression one of professional concern. "Miss Costa, I'm Dr. Barella. I'm so glad to see that you're awake. I could not help but overhear you asking about Alessio?"

"Yes," I replied urgently. "Is he okay? Where is he?"

The doctor offered a reassuring smile, "He came out of surgery a few hours ago–"

"Surgery!" I interjected. "How long have we been at the hospital?"

"About two days now, you were both unconscious and injured. His wounds were a bit more severe than yours and he eventually needed to have emergency surgery. When he woke up a few hours ago, he seemed very confused. So much so that we had to sedate him. But he'll be fine. Both of you will be."

Relief washed over me, but it was quickly replaced by confusion, "Can you tell me what happened? How did we get here?"

Dr. Barella's expression turned curious. "I was hoping that you could tell me. A tour guide found you both in a cave. You were unconscious and injured. Can you tell me what happened? How did you sustain those wounds and where did you get such old-fashioned weapons? Were you part of some role-playing group and things got out of hand?"