The Daughters of Men

Chapter 14

"Holly? Holly are you awake?"

With some struggle, Holly managed to peel her eyes open, the bright lights piercing her lenses like knives. "Jeez," she muttered weakly.

"I am glad you are awake, Holly," the voice said. Despite trying her hardest, Holly was totally unable to recognize the voice or identify the blurry figure talking to her. "You were pretty badly injured. You have been unconscious for the last thirty-four hours, which was lucky enough as we had to remove the bullet from your shoulder. It's going to take some time before you will be permitted to leave the medical wing, however."

Nodding her understanding, Holly closed her eyes and took the deepest breath she could. The memories all began flooding back to her; the fight in Chicago with Waterburg, the bullets that entered her body and her recruiting Mara and Battle. Swallowing, she opened her eyes slowly. This time, everything was more clear and not as painful; the blurry figure from before was revealed to be Doctor Nguyen, standing at the end of the bed Holly was resting on, a clipboard in her hand and a worried look on her face.

"How are you feeling, Miss Richards-Howl?" Doctor Nguyen asked politely.

"I've been better," Holly coughed. "Bullets normally hurt like that?"

"I have no experience being shot, I am afraid," Doctor Nguyen confessed. "But, I would imagine they don't feel entirely dissimilar to what you experienced."

"Well that sucks," Holly chuckled. "I was hoping I just had a bad encounter and the next one wouldn't feel so bad."

"No such luck," Doctor Nguyen replied.

Holly coughed again. "How's everyone else doing, doc?"

"Elizabeth is fine; she was in a bad state when we arrived, that piece of metal that pierced her stomach almost killed her. Luckily, we were able to get her patched up pretty good and we are waiting for a proper surgeon to fly in to finish what is left. He is supposed to be here in the morning. Other than that, most of her injuries were cuts and bruises, so we are very lucky on that front.

"As for the other patient," Doctor Nguyen continued, giving a weak smile, "she is mostly recovered. Waterburg attempted to kill her by heating up her suit and boiling her. You intervened just in time and saved her life, although she had a few minor burns and a concussion upon arrival."

"Mara? And Tanya?"

"They are just fine. Mara received no injuries whatsoever and Tanya had only a couple scratches. Everyone is okay, but due to half the team being out for medical leave, everyone is currently on hiatus."

"Hiatus? For how long?" Holly asked.

"We are not sure," Doctor Nguyen admitted sheepishly. "But once everyone is at their best, you are going to be the sent on the mission you were recruited for."

"The mission we were recruited for?" Holly frowned at the thought.

"Do not worry," Doctor Nguyen ordered. "Rest. You have been through quite a lot in the past two days."

Opening her mouth to argue with her, Holly instead nodded her head and leaned back into her bed. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and soon fell asleep. Throughout the next eight hours, Holly drifted in and out of consciousness. Eventually, however, she found herself far too awake to return to sleep. Her attempts to leave her bed were met with resistance, however; eventually, Bonnie made her way into Holly's room.

"Why are you causing such a fuss, young lady?" Bonnie barked as she entered the room.

"I want to leave," Holly explained. "I'm tired of being stuck in this bed."