The nurse passed me a small, handheld mirror.
"Here you go sweetie. I'm afraid it may take a while to get used to."
I lifted it to my face. It was worse than I'd imagined. The entire left side of my face was blistered and a large scar ran across my eye and down my cheek. My eyebrow had been practically singed off my face and my once soft, long dark hair was now rough and chopped short. The nurse put a hand on my shoulder as I wept. The tears stung my blistered cheek.
"Cheer up chick. You'll be out of here soon enough. Now, try and get some sleep, I expect you'll be discharged within a week." She patted my shoulder before heaving herself out of the chair by my bedside. I watched her walk out the door of my hospital room. As soon as she was well out of the way of the door I immediately stopped crying. I grabbed my phone from my pocket. There was a single message. 'That was too close. Too dangerous. Too risky. But you did it. Phase one is officially complete.'
I didn't sleep that night. It isn't uncommon for me to go days without sleep. I'm usually too busy with my work to sleep. But it's okay. It was around 3am I received another text.
'Meet me as soon as you're discharged. Let me know ASAP.'
I hurried to reply; 'Should be discharged sometime this week.'
'Good. 1pm, Thursday. Usual place. Don't be followed.'
'Yes sir.'
