So You Think You're A Freak ( Hulk romance )

Wake Up Call

There was an unusual calm that came with collapsing from blood loss. At first, it was just your vision that seemed to blur. That wasn't alarming. It was like having a layer of gunk in your eyes after just waking up. Then came the dizzyness. There weren't many times in her life that she had felt motion sick, but she imagined that this was what a severe case was like. No wonder people were so adamant to avoid it... paired with the migrane from having cried for so long, the blood having previously been violently pumping to her face, it was painful. A sharp tingling sensation of pins and needles under her skin. She wished it were quicker to stop, so that the throbbing would go away in her arm...

When her balance gave out was the kindest part of it. She didn't have to expend any effort holding herself upright. She could just lie on the cool floor that felt warmer and warmer the longer she lay there. That was when the pain faded to a numbness that made her comfortable enough to finally close her eyes and sleep. It was the fastest she had ever fallen asleep, actually, and it was the biggest relief from all the stress that had built up since she ran away from her last great trauma.

She recognized the sensation of waking up over a period of time. That feeling of being propelled upwards after being suspended underwater for a long time. The more she came out of it, the more her limbs felt solid and heavy, the illusion of her chest being pushed down gently. Why, though? Why was she waking up? She shouldn't have ever felt that sensation again. She had ripped her tendons up from her wrist with her bare teeth.. she should've bled out in less than 15 minutes.

She didn't want to open her eyes... that was the whole point. Maybe if she kept them closed, just a little longer, she would drift off, and the slumber would return and never end. But she accidentally let her arm twitch, and a sharp sting had tears welling up under her eyelids. She had failed in even ending her own life, that much was certain. Could she not even do that, right? Was she not even dedicated enough to kill herself properly? The thought made a tear leak down her cheek.

She could hear breathing from the other side of the room; if she opened her eyes, would she awaken to a doctor clad in all white with their face hidden by a mask? Some stranger just there to keep her alive to cause her more pain? She really didn't want to know.

It was several minutes before she gave up, letting her heavy lids open slowly. As soon as light hit the yellow of her eyes, her pupils fluctuated in and out of being thin slits. Rapid blinking helped to adjust to the harsh LEDs, but it took nearly a full minute for her to fully regain her vision and let her gaze search for the source of the breathing she could hear, which had gone from regular and deep to deliberate and more anxious. When she settled on wavy brown hair and let herself focus on the chocolate eyes watching her with sadness and disappointment, she was surprised but somehow... relieved. She met his gaze only briefly, then let her eyes drift around the room.

The stinging sensation in her arm turned out to be an IV, dripping continuously at her side. 3 racks with empty bags sit in the corner, marking how many it had taken to keep her in a stable condition. Her arm was lightly wrapped in thin bandages, though she could tell she had stopped bleeding long ago. She had been changed into a paper dress, the back not even wrapped around her, but rather draped over her with her arms through it. Showed how willing they were to handle her when she was unconscious. If only they were so hesitant when she was awake...

Once a few minutes pass, her head tilts in attention at the deep sound of Dr. Banner's voice. "You've been asleep for 3 days," he begins. "In case you were curious."

She glances to the side down at the floor. "Must've found me fast... considering I'm still here," she murmurs.

"You were under surveillance cameras. Or did you forget about those?"