Alive - Zalfie (BOOK 2)

9. Rude

Chapter 9 - Rude

Everything was black. I felt like I was floating. Was I dead? I've always imagined heaven to be very light, white and warm but this was the complete opposite. Maybe I was in hell? I felt something moving my chest. Up and down. Up and down. Harder and harder.

I tried to move myself but I couldn't. Suddenly the bumping on my chest got so bad that I started coughing. I coughed up a lot of water and opened my eyes. I was greeted by two faces. A woman I didn't recognize and Thomas. I looked up and saw that it was already dark. The sky was filled with a lot of stars.

"She's back!" the woman exclaimed happily. She had short brown hair and comforting green eyes. Thomas had a relieved expression on his face and hugged me. I could here sirens in the background coming closer. I was so cold and my chest and throat hurt like hell. I could not stop shaking. I also noticed that I was soaking wet and so was the girl.

"What happened, Zoe?" Thomas asked me concerned. I didn't speak. I remembered how someone grabbed me and put the tissue over my mouth and nose. But I couldn't say that. Everybody would be dead worried about me.

"I... I..." Nothing more could leave my lips.

"She's in shock," the woman said. I saw flashing lights in the distance. Was that the ambulance? The police? They stopped and a lot of people came running towards me.

"You're going to be alright Zoe, don't worry," Thomas assured me. I didn't really understand what all the fuzz was about. Two paramedics came to me and lifted me on a stretcher. I was carried into the ambulance. Thomas was allowed to come with me but the girl wasn't. One of the paramedics was attaching some things in my arm which involved needles. I didn't like needles.

"It hurts less if you aren't looking," Thomas told me. This reminded me of the day I first met him. He had told me the exact same when he was going to reset my wrist. I looked at him and smiled. He had a big smile on his face as well. Everything that had happened in the simulation was terrible, but without it I would've never met him and Megan.

It only took us a few minutes to reach the hospital where the doctors ran some tests on me. At the end they placed me in a hospital room where I could rest a little before going home. I didn't have to stay the night, but they wouldn't let me go immediately either.

"Now," Thomas said while sitting down at the end of my bed. "What happened Zoe?"

"I... I don't know," I half lied. I knew that someone had me faint but I had no idea why I was so wet and almost dead.

"I'll tell you what I know," Thomas started. "Alfie was so worried that you didn't come back so we went looking for you."

"You and Alfie?" I asked in disbelief.

"Well... no," Thomas admitted, "Alfie had called Jim and Jim had called me. So I went to the beach because I remembered you telling me that you like to go there when you are upset. I soon saw a girl on the beach yelling for help so I ran on the beach and saw you there, unconscious. You had no pulse so I started CPR on you and you woke up."

"How did that happen?" I asked confused.

"I assume you almost drowned. The girl saved your life."

I could hear somebody arguing in the hallway before the door of my room burst open and Alfie ran in. He was about to hug me tight when he saw Thomas sitting on my bed. He stood still at once and stared at him.

"I better get going," Thomas said awkwardly and stood up from the bed. He stood in front of the door and said: "I'll see you soon, Zoe." He then left and closed the door behind him.

"You don't have to be so rude," I snapped at Alfie as soon as Thomas was gone.

"I didn't say anything," Alfie defended himself.

"That is exactly why you were rude," I stated. I crossed my arms over my chest aggressively. Alfie knew that when I did this, I was pissed off.

"Maybe if you started telling me what's going on, I wouldn't have to be 'rude'," he fired back.

"This is not the moment to discuss this! I'm in the hospital because I almost drowned and you haven't even asked me if I'm fine!" I burst out. Alfie looked a little taken aback by my sudden outburst but he soon got himself together again. He sighed deeply and sat down next to me on the bed.

"Little one, I'm sorry," he said genuinely. "I just wish that you gave me the chance to understand you."

I wanted to react to this immediately but I didn't have the chance. There was a knocking on the door and doctor Evans casually walked in.

"No," I said before I knew it.

Evans looked at me with a smile. "I'm sorry, but I was placed on the emergencies tonight."

"I don't want to be treated by you."

"I'm sorry dear," Evans smiled creepily. "I'm afraid you don't have a saying in this."

"Arse," I muttered so silently only Alfie could hear.

"As for your blood results and other tests," he continues casually, "There were traces of chloroform in your blood." Alfie and I gave him a puzzled look. "Which means that somebody, most likely, tried to kill you. The police will be coming soon."

Alfie seemed more shocked about this than me. I knew somebody was after me. It was only now that I realised that I had to be extremely careful in the future.