Black Diamonds and Silver Hearts

C H A P T E R - 6

|June|

A subtle ache radiated throughout my entire body while voices whispered around me. I willed myself to move, to open my eyes or to yell for help but I found no strength to aid me. Only more pain and questions. So, so many questions.

God, what happened to me? Who's...talking? Their voices sounded so far away...and the ground, why was it shaking? And what was making that awful noise? It's like I had two tiny banshees wailing into my ears. 

"Her heartbeat is stable for now but I'm pretty worried about that wound on her head. What the hell happened?"

That voice...I don't recognize it. Were they talking about me? Something soft but cold brushed against my cheek and I wanted to move away but I couldn't. I felt so tired and the ache seemed to get worse the more I got jostled about against my will.

"It went by so fast but she sav-" My head roared with pain as it bumped against something hard, drowning out the rest of the conversation. This voice I didn't know either. Yet...

Suddenly, I could feel the fabric of my sweatshirt shift upwards and panic rushed through my veins, sparking adrenaline throughout my entire body. I sat up, so quick the world blurred around me, and using the single second of clarity I was given I swatted the hand in front of me.

"Don't...don't touch me," I said as the world began to spin around me. Blobs of color swirled around me like a vortex before they all muddled together into shades of black. And once again, I found myself slipping backwards into the darkness.

__________

Waking up a second time was no better than the last and I had to blink several times until my eyes adjusted. 

White walls, white floors, and white furniture decorated the entire room to the point of being blinding and the smell of hand sanitizer lingered in the air, stinging my nose. My wrist itched something awful and looking down I could see a long plastic tube snaking up my arm. Glancing to my left, a bulky monitor emitted a steady beat of beeps and hums, and next to it, at the other end of the plastic tube, hung a bag of IV fluids on a silver rack. 

From what I gathered I knew where I was, but how'd I end up in a Hospital in the first place was my biggest question.

I searched my memories for answers. I remembered leaving the house to go on an errand for Ms. Mitchell. And then...nothing. Well, not nothing exactly, it's like there's a censor on everything that happened afterwards rendering them into pixelated snapshots. I faintly recalled bits and pieces, but as soon as I think I have them they disappeared.

The more I pushed myself to remember the more my brain rebelled against me, stacking headache upon headache on me until, finally, I gave up. Head in my hands I felt the thick bandages wrapped around my skull and sighed.

Did I seriously bash my head on a rock or what?

Sitting up, the blanket around me falls down to reveal, to my relief, my own clothes instead of a butt-revealing gown. Pain zipped down my side and lifting up my clothes I saw a mountain of bruises stretching down my ribs. Jesus, did I fall down the stairs too?

Groaning, I slowly moved till I stood on my own two feet. Moving hurt but it wasn't completely unbearable. Taking a few careful steps I zombie-waddled toward the full-length mirror across my bed, dragging the IV stand with me.

"I look like crap," I muttered as I picked a leaf off my shirt. Seeing my battered reflection I couldn't help but dive back into my memories.

Bad idea because a migraine the size of a bowling ball sent my vision twirling, and in my dizziness I threw a hand out to grab the closest thing next to me. I ended up knocking over a box of gloves and a vase full of fake flowers before slumping against the cabinet they were on.