✓ DIRTY SECRETS ❗️

23. Hope.

[WORD COUNT: 2242!]
PLEASE READ AN AT END OF CHAPTER!

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Yet again, it was cold. Empty in the bright shadows of the hospital room, the cliche beeps and bumps that came from around you as the ringing stopped, and everything came back down. Your throat was itchy and you felt the tips of your fingers swelling next to your hips as you lay still, a rough pulsating sensation in your stomach.

You could still taste the bile on your tongue and the ache in your bones as you swirled your teeth over your dry cheeks. Arms ached and you were pretty sure your gums were bleeding from the rush of blood. Your throat squeaked as you swallowed, taking a deep inhale and pushing your eyes to open.

As your senses came to be reckoned with, you could feel the IV needle poking the muscles under your skin, the small green plastic bag attached sticking to your wrists as you moved them gently. It was taped down, dried blood turning black from the exposure around the cotton bud beneath it. Your arms were flooded with goosebumps as the AC above your head was cranked up a notch, and your teeth began to chatter.

"Tom?"

Was the first name to leave your lips as you looked around the naked room, the only movement being consoled by the window curtain flowing in the breeze.

"Tom?"

You said again, but your voice only echoed back to you. The sound of your voice was broken and cracked, failing to be soothed as your hot hand approached, wrapping itself around your throat.

"Tom?!"

The door opened, revealing one of the nurses in which you didn't recognise.

"Miss, your awake" she smiled, slowly walking over to you.

"Where's Tom?"

"I'm sorry?" she paused, hand hovering over your arm. She slowly began removing the IV needle, your breath hitching as the blood began oozing down your arm.

"T-The man I came here with, where is he?" you stuttered, eyes screwing shut as she taped a fresh pad around the small wound.

"He left around an hour ago, dear, he's in the waiting room" she smiled, wiping the base of your arm with a wet wipe, the cold air stinging against your skin as it hit you gently. You swallowed.

"Can I go see him? Please?"

"I'm afraid you're not supposed to leave the room until you're discharged. That reaction you had... I've never seen anything like it" she turned back to you after throwing the wet wipe into the trash, dusting her hands down her blouse.

"What are you talking about?" you could feel the bumps on your skin dissipating as the heat flooded your shell, heart racing. As far as you were concerned, you weren't allergic to anything. "I had an allergic reaction?"