Raw [#Wattys2015]

Chapter 28

I open my eyes, feeling an overwhelming need to relieve myself. My bladder feels like it hasn't been emptied in my entire lifetime and it's a wretched feeling.

Blinking a couple of times, I look around and notice immediately that I am in one of Warren Medical's critical care rooms. Belle was a patient in these rooms many times before we lost her, so it's easily recognizable. The irritating beeping noise I've continued to hear is the sound of my own heartbeat, which sounds pretty strong to me. I look to my left, noticing the aching in my neck as it turns, to read my own vitals. I regret it immediately, because not only do I really not know exactly what I'm looking at, but now my entire neck and shoulders are throbbing.

Straightening my neck, I look around the room and see Maggie curled up in a chair, sound asleep. Matty is sitting on the floor next to her with his legs stretched out, staring at something on his phone and to my right, James is asleep with his head resting against my bed. His fingers are firmly wrapped around my hand and his cell phone is resting next to his head.

I smile weakly, then wiggle my fingers so that he knows I am awake. His head shoots up and his tired, bloodshot eyes meet mine. He stares at me with a look of pure relief on his face, then erupts into tears.

He rises to his feet and leans over me, gently hugging me as he trembles and falls apart in my weak arms. "Oh, Rory. Baby, I thought you'd never wake up."

"Maggs, wake up. Rory is awake," Matty says as he joins James by my bedside.

James pulls away just enough to kiss me tenderly on my forehead, then looks down at me with tears spilling from his dark eyes, "I love you so much. I'm so glad you woke up."

"I love you too," I tell him realizing that my mouth feels like it's full of sand.

He kisses my forehead again, then pulls my hand up to his mouth, planting a few kisses on it too.

"I'll tell the nurse she is awake," Maggie says groggily as she walks quietly out of the room. I know she is probably frantic beneath her calm exterior as she gives James time with me. She is such a selfess friend.

"Hey Rory girl," Matty says, leaning down to hug me gently.

"Hey," I whisper to him, then look over at James. "Can I have something to drink?"

"I don't know baby. Maggie went to get a nurse. I'll ask her."

I nod, then let my head rest back against the flat pillow behind my head. I close my eyes for a moment as I try to breathe, feeling exhausted already. "James?"

"Yes baby?"

"I need to pee," I whisper, not bothering to open my eyes.

He squeezes my hand, then places his lips next to the shell of my ear so he can whisper back, "You have a catheter."

I exhale, laughing at myself.

Of course I have a catheter. How embarrassing.

I hear the clacking of Maggie's heals as she, so I open my dry eyes and see that she has returned with a nurse on her heels. Maggie looks just as tired as James does, except her dark hair is piled up in a horrid looking bun on the top of her head, which is something I rarely see on her.

"Well, look who's awake," nurse sing-song says to me, much to loudly for comfort. I wince involuntarily and look over at James, silently asking him to make this woman leave.

The nurse does a quick overlook of my vitals, then directs her attention back at me. "How are you feeling Aurora?"

I look back at James, as if he can answer these questions for me. The truth is that I'm not sure exactly how I'm feeling. I'm feeling overwhelmed, that I know for sure, but every part of my body feels off and I am not exactly sure if I'm in pain or not. Other than the soreness and dry mouth, my limbs feel like they're floating in water.