The Infamous Levi Privet

Nine.

I wake up dying. I know I'm dying and not dead as being dead cannot be this painful.

I writhe on the bed, my eyes still sealed shut. It's so hot. It's boiling. It's suffocating. My eyes fly open.

Where the fuck am I?

The bed is small and cramped with metal sides to keep me in. It must be a hospital. I look down at myself. A hospital gown.

I run my fingers down my arms, the bugs that possessed me have gone but my skin feels thick and protruding like an elephant's. I can feel each organ inside of me beat in time with my heart. I can still feel the beating in my ears.

It hurts all over. My whole body aches. I'm not sure if I still have toes. I can't see them, I can't feel them.

Do I still have a voice? I try to talk but it's an inaudible whisper. My mouth is chalky dry. My tongue rolls around like limp sandpaper.

Fuck. What happened? Did I drink too much? Lindy must have found me asleep in bed. My head is pounding, my vision is coming in and out.

I need to get out of here but my carcass is heavy and lifeless.

Maybe I am dead.

A noise comes from the end of the room. I try to lift my head to see who it is but it's impossible.

"Vi," I identify the coo as Lindy straight away. She comes into my line of sight and I try to smile. My face is concrete, unmoving.

"You're awake, darling. Hi!"

She sees my mouth awkwardly trying to move, gasping for air like a fish.

"Ssshhh, relax hon. It's going to take a bit to get everything back. You were out pretty hard there."

She strokes my forehead and I am unable to flinch away. Her fingers feel like burning sausages being dragged across my face. My face made of elephant skin. I close my eyes to try and communicate that I don't like it.

She stops.

"I'll go get the nurse."

She exits the room. I'm left in a daze unable to identify if this is a dream or reality. I desperately try to relive the moments of last night, if it even was last night. How long had I been out for?

I lift my heavy head and turn it to my side table which is littered with flowers, cards, gift baskets and sweet treats. The smell of the flowers, the sight of the bright colours make me feel woozy. Then suddenly, I have sprung my upper body upright, nausea has crawled up my throat and I am spewing on myself. The vomit is watery, with a green tinge. Bile. It's my stomach lining. I have nothing in me. My stomach keeps heaving, my loud retching noises echoing around the room. The nurse rushes in behind Lindy.

"Good, this is a good sign!" she exclaims, calming a slightly panicked Lindy.

The nurse feeds me water once I have gained control of myself again and then checks my body and my monitors.

"How long have I been here for?" I croak. My voice is raspy, it hurts to speak and I don't sound like myself. It's like glass shards are scattered down my throat, slicing my voice and my breath.

Lindy steps closer to the foot of my bed as the nurse continues to do her job.

"It's been a couple of days," she nods, a strained smile slapped across her face. "We are lucky. You are lucky."

I furrow my eyebrows and open my mouth to ask questions. Lindy reads my mind. "It was your friend Jake who called the ambulance," she looks awkward. "Although he called the ambulance and then left you there by yourself."