Bound By Fate

21. Awake.

“Oh my God, max. you’re awake.” I hear an echo not sure who it is as I struggle to open my eyes but the brightness in the room is crazy. There are a lot of noises, a machine beeping and what sounds like a wheeled bed rolling down the hall. The sirens outside are making me finally let my eyes fly open when it downs on me am in a hospital. “Doctor!” She calls and I scan the room to look for her.

“Nadia?” my voice comes as a whisper.

Her face brightens as she turns to look at me from the door, “hey you.” she walks to me. “You really gave us a scare.”

The doctor walks in and does a few checkups shining a light to my eyes, “Max, do you know where you are?”

“The hospital.” I respond briefly squinting at the light that caused a headache as soon as they hit my eyes.

“How is she doing?” Nadia asks holding my hand on my side and squeezing gently.

“She’s responding to the medication better than we thought.” She smiles at me and I try to smile back but I can’t seem to bring my face to light up as I’d like. What is wrong with me.

“So, when am I going home?” I ask.

“As soon as we are sure you are in a good condition to recover from home, we need to have a few more tests just to be sure.” She explains and Nadia nods like she is noting everything.

“She’s out of danger, right?” she asks and the doctor turns to me.

“She is definitely out of the bushes.” She looks up from her clipboard and looks at me. “You will experience a couple of headaches here and there from the concussion but in case they became more intense than they should be, make sure to let us know. Otherwise, you are expected to make a full recovery in three weeks tops.” She turns to Nadia, “Can I have a word?” she asks.

“Sure.” She squeezes my hand gently. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She says and I nod.

The brightness in the room is crazy and I want to get up and draw the curtains but I can’t my back is aching a little and it gets me wondering how long have I been here, there are a ton of quick recovery notes on the table beside the bed with a couple of balloons and flowers others are a little withered and others are still fresh.

My head is throbbing and I try closing my eyes but the darkness that comes with it makes me want to not close them again. It reminds me of the dark basement and the cold biting into my bones, the mere thought of it creates a pit in my stomach. I need to find out about Nestor he is the only person who has all the answers.

“Oh, my you look terrible.” Nadia startles me pushing the door open and I jolt.

“I feel terrible.” I respond staring at her as she makes her way to the bedside. “How long have I been here?”

“Three weeks.” She answers grabbing my hand and I let her. “We were so scared max. what did those people do to you?” she looks pained and I am glad she is here right now the basement was lonely and I kept wondering whether she was okay or the Russians did something to her at the club after knocking me out.

I really want to tell her what happened but I don’t want to relive the experience it is painful and it makes my head hurt even more. I want to hear something that is not sad, something that will make my mind be at ease so I say, “Can you tell Leo to come? I need to talk to him.”

I watch as she becomes infuriated by what I just said and I am not sure if she is mad that I changed the topic or- “You’ve got to be kidding me!” she scoffs letting my hand go and walks around in the room.

she is so furious right now.
“Am I missing something?” I ask confused as I push myself to a sitting position ignoring the sharp pain in my leg. I have always known Nadia to be a joyful person and I know something is making her act like this, she looks troubled and I can’t tell whether I am the reason for her reaction or something else is going on.

“Are you seriously asking for him when he is the reason why you’re in a hospital bed?” she says and I close my eyes briefly before opening them again.

“He is not entirely the reason my I was kidnapped and besides he is the only person able to help me find answers.” I try explaining. “Why are you so mad at him anyway, you liked him?”

“What was the other reason you were kidnapped?” she asks walking back to the bedside. “And what answers are you talking about?”

I ignore the last question because I don’t want to drop on her the fact that my dad might be a dangerous mafia leader as well and I am beginning to feel like mom might have had a reason of running and hiding me from him, “The Russian leader had a grudge with my parents, Leo had very little to do with it.”  She nods and looks down running her hands through her hair like she is thinking of something. “Nadia what are you thinking?”

“I can’t believe I was such a jackass at the burial.” A tear drops down her cheeks “I sent him and his family away at the burial when all they wanted to do was comf…”

“What burial?” I ask cutting her of mid sentence as fear sips in.

“You don’t know?” she looks confused “I thought she was with you at the bathro…”

“Oh my god, Amy!” I gasp as soon as the memory registers in my mind. “How did I forget about her, how could I.” I cry as the flashback flashes through my eyes and I clutch my head that is pounding with pain as every flashback hits my brain. The way she was lying in her own blood, how I tried to save her but I couldn’t, how Ben kept reminding me of how much of a failure I am for trusting blindly and for not being able to save Amy. The image of her eyes becoming lifeless, the feeling of her warm blood on my skin. It’s too much. I don’t think I can’t take it.

My lungs feel like they’re on fire, my throat is dry and it feels like they are closing in on each other and I can’t get the air to pass through, the machines are beeping rapidly and Nadia is panicking. Everything is happening so fast; I try to open my mouth to speak but no words come out. I keep struggling to breath but the air doesn’t seem to reach my lungs and it feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest.

“Doctor!” Nadia yells and the doctor comes rushing in. “Something is wrong with her.” She cries and her sobs are coming as echoes.

“Max, I need you to breath.” She says rubbing my chest up and down and I try to breath but my throat is too dry and it feels like my lungs are collapsing. “c’mon breath for me Max.”

I want to say I’m trying but the words don't make it out of my throat.

“Breath with me, in through the nose and out through the mouth.” She says as she continuously rubs my chest and I want to push her hand away, the pain in my chest is becoming too much to bare.

“Is she having a heart attack!” Nadia gasps and the doctor doesn’t respond.
I don’t want to die. I feel tears trickling down the corner of my eye to my ear.

“Ma’am, come with me.” Another voice that I can’t place says.

“Am not leaving my friend.” Nadia snaps and I try to focus on breathing but I am so tied, my head is killing me and my chest is becoming even more tight.

I don’t want to die, I keep my eyes open but my vision is becoming blurry and my eyelids are becoming heavy. The voices in the room are becoming distant and I can only hear echoes fading away. My vision becomes fully black, my chest is tight and I can hear my heart pounding in my head, what is wrong with me. “She’s going into cardiac arrest.” An echo bounces in my head and I try to open my eyes but I can’t so I give in.
It’s easier to give in than fight and I am so tired.