Mind unravelled

Voices

The first thing I heard was distant chatter. A low voice spoke, then a soft one, slightly higher than the first. I couldn't hear what they were saying. A third sharp voice joined. The low voice laughed; the others fell silent. Then the sound of footsteps. First heavy and slow ones, probably belonging to the low voice. Secondly, a faster paced footstep, it got louder, the person was approaching.

Through my closed eyelids, I could see a shadow falling over me. I tried to open my eyes, and look at the shadow, but I couldn't. I lifted my hand to feel at my head, but then I realized my hand was not moving. Am I paralyzed?

The sharp voice spoke, it felt like she ripped my head to pieces but at least this time I heard what she was saying. 'Such odd clothes, look at that', she said.
'very odd indeed' the soft voice agreed, 'she must be foreign'.
Foreign? I thought, she sounded English, just like me. 'poor girl, do they already know who abused her so badly?' sharp voice asked.
Abused? had someone tried to kill me when I was in my office? I couldn't remember hearing or seeing someone, but still, was it possible that someone was after my life?
'no, not yet' soft voice answered, 'but I bet it won't take long before they find that guy. The Coventry road is one of the busiest streets in town, someone must have seen it.'
Was I found on the streets? But I had been in my office. What on earth was going on?
'ay, I hope your right', said the sharp voice, 'now let's give this poor thing a fresh bed'.
As they rolled me over, I felt a sharp pain and everything went black again.

Slowly I returned back to world from a thick layer of darkness. My back itched, so I scratched it. I scratched it. Scratching. Scratching required hand movement, therefore... therefore my hands were not paralyzed. Were my legs? I wiggled my toes. Wait, no, I had to move my legs, because I knew that some paralyzed people were convinced that they moved their toes, while in fact, they didn't. So, I pulled my legs toward my stomach. Relieve washed over me. Next up, I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt heavy and thick.

Suddenly, the voices started again. Different voices this time, a man with a heavy accent spoke quietly with another man, 'This is the girl, sir, no one knows where she comes from'.
'hm' the other one hummed.
'of course, we do our best to find out', the first man said, and somewhere in his voice I heard an undertone of nervousness.
'of course' the other replied. A short silence fell, I heard shuffling feet, like someone could not decide whether he would walk or stay. 'you can leave now, Arthur' said the same voice.
I bet Arthur was happy to leave, as I heard his footsteps hurrying away.

I lay still, waiting for the next thing to happen. Confused by the conversations I heard; I didn't really know what to expect. Did I know one of these men? Would it be a police officer, starting his investigation? Would it be a doctor? Or could it even be the guy who had attacked me, according to the nurses I heard before?

I struggled to open my eyes, just a little peak would've been enough, but I had no luck.
'your eyes are swollen, don't bother even trying to open them' he stated. In the short silence that came, I heard him take something out of his jacket, then a metallic click and something sliding out of it. Furthermore, a sound as if he was lighting a match, which was confirmed by the smell of sulfur and the sound of fire. Only then did it dawn on me: he lighted a cigarette. Since when was it permitted to smoke in a hospital again?

'Good' the voice said, 'now let's talk. Why don't you start explaining to me who you are?'

NEXT UP: A CONVENIENT COINCIDENCE