Sinister

Chapter Fifteen

Sinister

Chapter Fifteen

Consciousness came back to Leighton in fragments of time.

The first time she opened her eyes a paramedic was cutting the Kevlar vest off her torso and talking to her sweetly. The paramedic kept repeating the same words to her over and over. "Hang in there, hun, hang in there."

The next time Leighton was awake, she was able to stick around a little longer. She was being wheeled down a long hallway, lights were flashing above her, whipping past like comets tearing through the sky.

Leighton tried to speak but became distracted when she felt something resting on her upper lip. A nurse pressed two fingers to Leighton's wrist as they moved, counting her pulse under her breath and nodding to herself.

The next touch she felt was desperate clawing. Hands were grabbing her arm, shaking her shoulders, pulling at her hand. Leighton looked to find her mother, blonde hair slipping from her bun, red faced and screaming.

"Leighton? Leighton!" Karen screamed, voice ragged and breaking. Another nurse grabbed Karen's shoulders and dragged her away. Karen fought for a moment before collapsing against her colleague. Leighton was pushed past them.

Leighton didn't open her eyes again until she was underneath a white, whirring machine. Leighton knew enough from her mother that she was getting a CAT scan done, something that was mandatory with head injuries. Head injury... it wasn't a thought she could hold onto for long.

Leighton was alone for a long time after that. She saw nothing, felt little, and only heard the soft buzz of complete silence. When the blackness of her vision lightened to gray, pain gradually blossomed, first in her chest and then in her head.

Breathing was difficult when it felt like there was a cement block on top of your chest. Leighton struggled for air and then felt a gentle hand on her hair before the pressure was gone and she could breathe again.

The head pain wasn't so easily dismissed. Leighton felt like the back of her head was caved in. It ached and pulsed, the pain only growing as Leighton's eyelids began to feel lighter. It wasn't long before her hearing was restored.

"―lucky."

"I think it was more than luck that kept this girl around."

Both voices were unfamiliar to Leighton so she let herself drift again, letting go of the shore and kicking herself back out to open sea where time was immeasurable. It was Tate's touch that docked her.

"I hope you're happy," he thundered. The sound of his voice spiralled Leighton closer to the top of consciousness faster than anything had before. "Your cop is alive and your mother is in shambles. I hope you're fucking happy."

Leighton recoiled back into herself, not ready for that particular conversation. This time, when she slipped away it wasn't into nothing. Memories bubbled up and fanned out over her vision so she had no choice but to watch.

Leighton's father wasn't overly tall. Leighton couldn't help but think he'd never looked smaller than when he did when he stood next to his car, holding out his arms for a final hug. A last ditch effort to show Leighton he still cared about her.

When it was clear Leighton wasn't going to embrace him, he let his hands fall awkwardly to his sides. Karen snorted and went back inside, turning her back before her daughter could see tears building in her eyes.

Brian watched her retreat into the house before he looked back at Leighton. "I'm going to miss you, Jingle Bells." Leighton winced at the nickname, given for her love of Christmas and because her name rhymed with sleigh.