The Gifted

Chapter 18

You know that feeling of being underwater? Where everything is slowed down, like everything is in the distance, and you feel that pressure in your head.

I could hear people talking but it felt like that, like I was underwater. I could just make out the mumblings of a male and female voice arguing.

I tried moving my body but it was limp, my mind was awake but my body was not. I started to panic and the sound of my heart racing on the monitor stopped the mumbling of the two voices.

From what I could hear, a commotion started around me. Someone left the room and a voice whispered into my ear. I couldn't make out what they were saying but somehow I felt reassured, safe.

Not a moment later the doors slammed open again and this time I could hear more voices. They rushed around me, fiddling with the equipment I was hooked up to. Trying my hardest I focused all my energy into moving my hand.

I wasn't able to lift my hand but I shook a few finger. A warmth settled over my hand, and a voice yelled something to the other people in the room. Slowly I flickered my eyes opened, the bright lights of the room caused me to quickly shut them again.

"Everyone leave!" Yelled the same voice, a voice I was all to familiar with. "And turn the lights down."

Opening my eyes again I focused on the person sitting next to me, Rivers. "Don't worry Lyra, you're safe now." Was all I heard before I fell back to sleep.

The next few days I was in and out of consciousness. Rivers was always by my side, even when I told him to go get some rest. He filled me in on what had happened after I had passed out, he was the shadowy figure that picked me up and took my broken body back to safety.

I lucky didn't have a broken leg, but it was badly bruised; the doc said to stay off it for a couple week so it had time to heal. The many bruises that dusted my body were slowly healing and the cuts on my chest would heal without scarring, as long as I applied a cream daily.

However, when I would bring anything up to do with the people who kidnaped me, Rivers would be quick to shut me down and change the topic. I tried to ask simpler questions like, how did he know where I was, but I was left with the same response.

It was now a Saturday afternoon and I was sitting in my bed, which overlooked a beautiful garden. I wished to be sitting down there in the sun reading a book. A soft knock drew my head towards the door on the other side of the hospital room, where a tired looking Rivers stood. I was still mad at him but decided to give him a break as he had been the one to bring me to a hospital.

"How are you feeling today?" He asked as he came to sit in the chair beside my bed.

"Better than yesterday," I said with a small smile on my face. Everyday I had said the same thing, it had become something of an inside joke. "You really should get some rest, I'll be fine by myself for a couple hours."

Hopping off the chair, Rivers grabbed the end blanket off my bed and pulled out the extendable chair. It only took minutes until Rivers dozed off, he looked peaceful. His usual hard exterior was softer in his sleep, his body seemed relaxed...vulnerable.

Deciding I should let him sleep in peace, I wiggled a little to the left to grab the crutches I was given. It took a couple goes but I eventually was able to get off the bed and balance on the crutches. The easy part was over, I now needed to make my way downstairs.

Exiting the room, I looked for a sign pointing towards an elevator. Aimlessly I wandered the halls until a nurse nicely helped me outside into the garden. Thanking her, she left leaving me alone at last. I hobbled over to a wooden bench and sat down, making sure I carefully moved my legs straight onto the bench.