The Ultimate Hunt

12.

I opened my eyes slowly, and the light above was blinding. My head throbbed, and everything around me felt fuzzy and far away. I tried to swallow, but pain shot through my throat, sharp and raw. I stopped, too afraid to move again.

I could feel every inch of my neck aching, the skin hot and swollen. Breathing was hard, each breath felt shallow, barely enough to fill my lungs. The memory of Adam's hands pressing around my throat crept back, making my heart race. Panic clawed up inside me, and without thinking, I touched my neck, feeling a material of the bandage around it. 

The pain was sharp, even from that light touch, but I needed to know I was still breathing.

There was someone close, a shadow moving beside me. I blinked, trying to focus, to see who it was. A guy's face came into view, calm and serious. He was saying something, but I could barely make out the words.

"Just breathe," he said, his voice soft. 

"..Milo?" I rasped out and a cough followed, making my throat throb in pain.

"Yeah, it's me," he murmured, relief softening his voice as he realized I recognized him. "You're okay, Chara. Just... take it slow."

I tried to nod, but even that slight movement sent a fresh wave of pain pulsing through my neck. 

"W-what happened?" My voice was barely more than a whisper. Each word scratched at my throat, like trying to speak through shards of glass.

Milo winced at the sound of my voice. "They had to.. pull Adam off of you," he said slowly, as if each word weighed on him. "Sam, Saturn and Hanako, they stopped him before.. well, they stopped him." He swallowed, glancing down briefly before looking back at me. "After that, they took him away."

"So he was already executed.. I missed it all," 

He brushed a hand over his face, as if trying to shake off the memory. "I didn't think he'd actually try to.. that he'd actually snap like that. But then again, he also killed Lydia and lied to us all so, I should have expected everything from him."

A part of me wanted to reassure him, but my throat throbbed at the thought. Instead, I focused on breathing, each shallow breath a reminder that I was still here, still alive.

Milo seemed to sense my struggle. "Don't try to talk," he said gently, placing a careful hand near mine on the bed, close but not quite touching. "Just.. rest. You're safe now."

Safe. The word felt strange, almost ironic due to the situation we were in. But I knew he meant well. He seemed scared after everything that had happened and I couldn't blame him.

"I'm just going to do a quick check-up, make sure you're alright. Is that okay?' he asked gently.

I nodded. He gave me a reassuring smile before standing up and moving over to the desk. I looked around, only now realizing that we were in the nurse's office.

"Could you please sit up for me?" He asked.

I shifted slowly, using my hands to brace myself as I pushed up into a sitting position. The room spun for a moment, and I had to close my eyes against the dizziness. When it settled, I opened them to see Milo watching me closely, his expression careful but warm.

"You're doing great," he said softly, moving closer to the bed with a stethoscope in hand. "Lift your shirt up if you can,"

Taking a breath, I grabbed the hem of my shirt and slowly lifted it, holding it just above my bra. The cold air touched my skin, making me shiver. He reached forward, placing the stethoscope lightly against my chest. 

"Just take some deep breaths for me," 

I did as he asked, each breath reminding me of the ache in my throat and chest.