Fractured Legacy: Aicil Paranormal Files #1

Chapter 8

Kaylyn

I wake to hushed chattering voices, mixed with the clicking, whirling, and beeping of machines. I can hear everything, every detail, sneakers in the hallway, distant doors opening and closing, but I can't move. I try to open my eyes, but not a single muscle in my body will respond to my commands. Panic sets in, making my heart thud even harder and sets my mind spinning until finally the darkness releases me.

Biting back a yelp of surprise, I take in the dim hospital room and the familiar faces on both sides.

Cole jumps from her seat under the window and within two steps, stands over me. "You okay, sis?"

I moan and rub my burning eyes. On the other side of the bed, Jonah closes in as well. I'm not usually bothered by closed in spaces, but cramped spaces created by people standing over me with worried expressions are another story.

I swallow, my throat feeling dry and unused. "What happened?"

"You passed out," Cole says, stepping back to a table to pour a small glass of water.

With no help from the cords and monitors weighing me down, I manage to sit up, and take a few sips of the water while Cole continues to explain.

"We brought you out of the hotel and...."

I shake my head. "Wait a minute. What do you mean you brought me out? You left me outside of the hotel."

Jonah leans against the bed railing, his face shaded with the same exhaustion that I feel sludging through my veins. "After we left you outside," he explains, "you came running up the stairs. Begged us to get out. Then, you collapsed in pain, so I carried you outside. Your stomach and back were covered in red streaks. You don't remember any of that?"

I stare at him, looking for words. "I was sitting on the stoop, you said to wait there. That's it, I don't remember moving."

I close my eyes, struggling to keep my chest from collapsing on itself while I looked for a rational explanation. Did I black out again? "What'd the doctor say?"

My stomach turns over on itself when Cole's gaze drops to the floor. My brain projects an unbelievable number of scenarios in the short time it takes for Jonah to speak.

"The doctor said your body was extremely fatigued. The marks we saw had disappeared by the time you were brought into the ER, so they believe it was a reaction to stress."

Blackouts, crazy dreams, no sleep... I considered the possibility, and that scares her even more. "So, what? Everyone thinks I had some kind of psychological break?"

"We didn't say that, I," Jonah's voice wavers and he clears his throat. "It's also not uncommon for an entity to target a specific person. We'll review the evidence, and hope we find something that tells us more."

I feel it. I feel it all slipping away and leaving me cold and helpless in the hospital bed. My career. Quite possibly my sanity. "And if not?"

"We have to wait and see," Jonah says. "In the meantime, you need rest. The doctor wants to keep you overnight."

"I have a better chance of getting rest at home. Trying to rest in a hospital is counterproductive." I sit forward, but my head seems to be full of water, sloshing about with each movement.

Jonah straightens his body, but his fingers remain clenched around the metal bar of the railing. "I insist that you follow doctor's orders, Kaylyn. You blacked out, and whether that was due to the hotel or another stressor, you're better off under medical supervision. Dr. Pierce knows about Aicil—"