Operator (A Hat Films Fanfic)

- Seven -

I woke up in a cold sweat, my heart racing and my hands shaking with adrenaline. I was back there, and for a moment, the sweat on my face felt like blood.

I sat up, looking around and seeing nothing but darkness. I was disoriented, confused, and horribly overwhelmed. I scrambled around me, looking for anything that could tell me where I was, and managed to simultaneously feel that I was on a couch and shatter something made of glass.

My vision was suddenly flooded with the bright white light of an LED torch, and I swung wildly at the person standing over me. Those men must have somehow found me and captured me while I was asleep.

A pair of surprisingly strong arms was pushing me back down on the couch; I tried to fight them off.

"Ale- Alex you need to calm down," a female voice said from right above me, right where my captor was supposed to be standing.

"What's going on?" another voice in the room asked.

"America?" I asked, confused as to why she would be here.

"Hold on a sec," she said, and then a soft glow flickered on and illuminated the room. I was in America and Mark's apartment, and my girlfriend was standing by an electric lantern, a large branch in hand, with a puddle of water filled with shattered glass by her feet. Her leg no longer was supported by a belt and some paperback books, but had actual gauze and some sturdy looking planks of wood.

I looked over to the love seat and saw Ross, Trott and Katie were here as well. Ross seemed to be the only one who woke at the shattering of the glass, as Katie and Trott were slumped against each other with their mouths hanging open and their necks bent uncomfortably.

"Hey, he's awake," Ross smiled, nudging Trott with an elbow and shaking him awake.

"Wh- what happened? What time is it?" I asked, trying to sit up fully but wincing as pain shot through the back of my head. America hobbled over, avoiding the glass, and gently pushed me back down with a hand on my shoulder.

"It's the middle of the night," she said, giving me a small grin, "You've been out for more than a day."

My breathing was starting to calm and my muscles were relaxing, but a new shot of fear rushed through me as everything from yesterday flooded back to me. "A... Americ- I... I killed," I choked out, my throat closing up with panic and my chest squeezing tight with pain.

I could just vaguely make out what people were saying through the blood rushing in my ears. "He's having a panic attack. Everyone, give him some space," America said, and then quieter, "There's a dust bin in the kitchen, could you clean some of this glass up before someone hurts themselves Katie?"

"Smith, mate, you're okay. You're safe." That was Ross, but I couldn't see him through the haze of my vision. I pressed my palms hard into my eye sockets, trying to clear whatever was clouding my eyes.

Suddenly America's face was in front of mine. She had grabbed ahold of my hand and was pressing it against her chest. "... with me okay? In... and out..." she was repeating to me, and I did as I was told, focusing on the wrinkled shirt under my hand, watching it rise and fall.

"What are you feeling right now?" America asked me. Her voice was so calm and quiet, it filled me with a sort of warmth and the pain in my chest was slowly receding.

"My head... really hurts," I said, reaching back and feeling how tender it was.

"Grab some Tylenol, and a new glass of water. Is he prone to these kinds of things?"