Recalling Reality

Chapter 22

The lights are bright. Too bright, and I don't want to open my eyes. But, I need to. The orbs are puffy and feel weird, but I need to force them to open.

When I do, I am greeted by the rectangular fixture on the white ceiling. The lights are super bright, and tears sheet over my eyes. I try to sit up, but something is refraining me from doing so. My neck is aching, but at least the sharp pains are now gone.

My mouth is extremely dry, and my lips are on fire from being cracked. I can't swallow. It actually hurts when I try. I circle my eyes over to my left, and there is a person wearing a white coat. If I can just get their attention, maybe I can get a drink of water.

Moving my arm should be an automatic response, but it doesn't want to cooperate. The white coat still isn't turning my way.

"I'm getting some activity, doctor." A soft voice sways through the air, and the person wearing the white coat turns around, but still doesn't make eye contact with me.

"Brain activity?" His voice ... I remember that voice. He's been in here and talked to me a couple times. But, he just never answered me. He steps over to my side and messes with the monitor that is just above my head. "Heart rate is..."

"Doctor?" The woman's voice stiffens, and there is someone now standing to the other side of me. "Doctor, she's awake."

His attention leaves the screens and his hazel eyes meet mine. A smile spreads over his face, and more wrinkles in the corners of his eyes and lips become exposed. "Hello, Hannah."

I glance downward, but there is something there. Something where my mouth is, and I am not able to answer back. I am not able to move my lips at all. Why can't I talk?

"I need you to calm down." His voice is soothing, and there is a hand on my shoulder, but I don't know if it's his or someone else's.

My heart is racing as I try to speak again, but it's like my lips are taped together and it's not letting me move them. I try to lift my hands to see what is wrong with my mouth, but my hands don't want to obey my brain. What is going on? What is wrong with me?

"Your heart rate is increasing. And I need you to just calm down. You're in the hospital, and I am right here taking care of you. Just relax as much as possible." A beam of light sprays into my eyes and I am blinded for a moment until a grey ball of fuzz is left behind. But that slowly goes away and I am able to see him studying me closer. "Hannah, I want you to answer me with one blink for yes and two blinks for no. Can you do that?"

Tears are heating up and he is becoming blurry. I blink once.

"Good girl. Can you move your right hand for me?"

I can move my right hand. I never had a problem with my right arm or hand. Moving anything was never an issue. I'm telling my brain to move my right hand, but I can't feel if it is actually responding. I blink once.

"Hannah, you're not moving it at all. Can you feel what I am doing?" His attention turns, but comes back to me quickly.

If he is doing something, I don't know. I can't feel anything, but I am getting cold. My insides are beginning to shrivel in order to stay warm, but apparently something must not be happening because his eyes are beginning to fill with panic. I blink twice.

Something rushes through my body. Something warm. And everything is getting fuzzy...

My eye lids flutter open. There is someone in the room. I can hear the metal clanking and the drawers opening and closing. I try to turn my head toward the sound, but I am unable to. My neck doesn't hurt, but it's immobile. Still, something is blocking my view. I can make out my nose, but there is something right underneath it that is keeping me from being able to swallow, or talk, or even wet my lips.