Unworthy Of Love (BXB)

27. The Awakening

When I open my eyes, there's too much light. One lightsaber of it after another cuts into my vision as they fly over me. People's heads appear and disappear, unfamiliar faces peer at me worriedly, hands and shoulders clad in identical blue scrubs occasionally block the light. Their mouths keep opening and closing, and I wonder vaguely why I can't hear them. It feels like I'm watching a movie, and someone has pressed the mute button.

Then I notice a familiar face, wet with tears, her hair hanging loose. I've never noticed how much grey she had in her hair. I want to call out to her and tell her to calm down, to not worry about me, but the stretcher I'm apparently lying on takes a turn, hits double doors and enters another room, and then I can't see her anymore.

Then, there's more light, straight in my face, so I squeeze my eyes shut, and listen to the muffled voices coming through the fog. Then something presses to my face and I breath in a strange smelling cool air, and then I slip away again.

I come to after what feels like a moment or two, but everything is different. There're no strange smells or voices. The only noises are the sounds of birds tweeting somewhere nearby, and quiet sobs next to me. I force my eyes to open and blink at the high white ceiling.

"You're awake!" Someone's hand squeezes my arm, and then a pale, red-eyed, wet face enters my field of vision. I make out the messed up black hair sticking in all directions, and the unfamiliar blue sweatshirt he's wearing, probably belonging to someone big, since it hangs on him like a sack. "Can you hear me? How do you feel?"

I try to nod but I can't, so I just blink.

His mouth quivers. "I'm so sorry, James! He said he liked me, that's why he called me names, he even kissed me, he said we should meet, he offered twice the money! I didn't want to do that anymore, but I figured, one last time, twice the cash, what could happen? I didn't know he meant to bring those guys! I didn't want you to get hurt, I'm so sorry, please tell me you're okay?"

I want to say something, to make this verbal onslaught stop, because I can't process so many words at once, but I can only make a strange gurgling noise, my tongue refusing to form the words. Raven eyes me expectantly, then his gaze darts away, and he jumps to his feet as a door clicks open nearby.

"You?" shouts an unfamiliar, shrill voice, and I put all my efforts into turning my head to see its owner. "What are you doing here? You have no place here! Why did they let you in?"

"Please," Raven says, stepping away from my bed. "I'm --"

"How dare you show your face here?"

I finally manage to turn my head and see with disbelief that the owner of the voice is Catherine. I have never seen her so furious. She strides into the room and stops face to face with Raven. She eyes him for a second, and then slaps him across the face in a fast, strong motion. He stumbles back, pressing his hand to his cheek, his sobs growing louder.

"Please," he mutters. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

I just stare in shock. It feels like I woke up in some alternative universe. Catherine never shouts and certainly never hits anyone. I wouldn't even think she had the capability to do that.

"I trusted you," she shouts, her hands on her hips, advancing on Raven who backs away. "How often did you sneak out there? They told me everything. Was something lacking in your life? Did you have to have that dirty money?"

He's doesn't answer. He's hugging himself, shaking. I want to tell her to stop, that it doesn't matter now, that he's been hurt, too, and there's no need to hurt him any further. Yet I'm too weak to even raise my hand to draw her attention.

"Get out of here," she hisses, pointing at the door. "And once the police are done with you, you gather your stuff and go right where they meant to send you in the first place!"

This is not right. I can't stand for her to be like that, and I can't let her do that to Raven. I strain to make my voice heard, to move, but something starts beeping loudly in my ears. The light begins to fade, and someone cries, "Get the nurse, now!", and then I black out again.

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