There is only pain. My head, My leg Pain and hushed words in the gloom. Where am I? Though I try, I cannot open my eyes. The whispered words become clearer . . . a beacon in the darkness.
Grace: her brain is bruised, Mr White and she broke her leg so she will be in a wheelchair for a weeks but her vital signs are stable and strong.
David: Why is she still unconscious?
Grace: Phoebe hit her head so hard that it slip her into a coma
I relax, and unconsciousness claims me once more, stealing me away from the pain. Everything is heavy and aching: limbs, head, eyelids, nothing will move. My eyes and mouth are resolutely shut, unwilling to open, leaving me blind and mute and aching. As I surface from the fog, consciousness hovers, a seductive siren just out of reach. Sounds become voices.
David: I'm not leaving her
David! He's here . . . I will myself to wake—his voice is strained, an agonized
whisper.
Christian: David you should sleep
David: No, Mr Grey. I want to be here when she wakes up.
Christian: I'll sit with her. It's the least I can do after she saved her sister
Christina!
David: How's she?
Christian: she is fine she just had a black eye
Hmm. His stubble softly scrapes the back of my hand as he squeezes my fingers.
David: Oh, baby, please come back to me. Just wake up. I miss you. I love you . . .
I try. I try. I want to see him. But my body disobeys me, and I fall asleep once more.
I open my eyes. I'm in the clean, sterile environment of a hospital room. It's dark except for a sidelight, and all is quiet. My head and my chest ache, but more than that, my bladder is bursting. I need to pee. I test my limbs. My right arm smarts, and I notice the IV attached to it on the inside of my elbow. I shut my eyes quickly. Turning my head—I'm pleased that it responds to my will—I open my eyes again. David is asleep, sitting beside me and leaning on my bed with his head on his folded arms. I reach out, grateful once more that my body responds, and run my fingers through his soft hair. He startles awake, raising his head so suddenly my hand falls weakly back onto the bed.
Phoebe: hi
I croak.
David: Oh, Phoebe
His voice is choked and relieved. He grasps my hand, squeezing it tightly and holding it up against his rough, stubbled cheek. He quickly stands, alarmed, and reaches for a buzzer on the bedside. than gramma busts into the room
Grace: oh thank god you're awake
gramma said I smiled
Grace: do you know where you are?
gramma ask
Phoebe: Yes. Hospital
I said gramma She starts to examine me thoroughly, shining a light in my eyes, making me
touch her fingers, then my nose while closing first one eye and then the other, and checking all my reflexes.
Grace: how do you feel?
gramma ask
Phoebe: Sore and thirsty. Very thirsty
I whisper
Grace: I'll fetch you some water
gramma said & she walk out. I take a welcome sip of cool water Oh My it tastes perfect I take another and David watches me intently
Phoebe: Christina & Isabella?
I ask
David: they are fine thank to you
he said All the madness was for a reason. Relief spirals through my body. thank God she's okay. I frown.
Phoebe: how did they get them?
I ask
David: Elena
he said simply
Phoebe: No!
he nod
David: she picked them up at the park
I frown still not understanding
David: Phoebe I'll fill you in on the details later. They are fine, all things considered.
She was drugged. She's groggy now and shaken up, but by some miracle she wasn't harmed.
he's jaw clenches
David: what you did was incredibly brave and incredibly stupid. You could have been killed You could have told me!
he said
Phoebe: He said he'd kill her if I told anyone. I couldn't take that risk
I said
Phoebe: tell me what happened?
I said
David: will I was at the hotel then your brother call me & he ask me if I know where you & Christina were I said no then he said that you & Christina is missing & so I rush over to your parents house & your dad was home & your dad track your phone & we follow it & we found you
he said
Phoebe: how long I been out?
I ask
David: a week
he said wow I took a deep breath
Phoebe: I was going to tell you something before this happened but. . . yes
I said he look at me confuse
Phoebe: i'll move in with you
I said he smiled & he kiss my lips.
