Life Finds a Way

Pain in the Head

Clarissa woke up to the feeling of her head pounding and nausea trying to fight its way up her throat. She was used to waking up with migraines, some bad enough to keep her from moving for days at a time, barely able to keep water down. This one already felt like one of the bad ones and she hadn't even moved yet. Light was already piercing her eyes and she hadn't even opened them. It took some time for her pain addled mind to realize it was far too bright, even if it had been daylight, she kept her curtains closed in her bedroom and they were blackout curtains so very little light should have made it into her room.

She shielded her eyes with her hands before opening them, allowing the light to seep through her fingers a little at a time until her sight became more accustomed to the brightness. It still felt like knives were gouging them and pushing through the back of her head, but she was able to see well enough to recognize this was not her bedroom. She staggered to her feet trying to make sense of what was going on. She had gone to sleep in her own bed and had no memory of leaving it. She vaguely recalled some strange dreams, but she had never slept walked before so dismissed the idea.

Wherever she was, her head could not have picked a worse time to disable her. She fought through the pain, barely able to focus long enough to see it was a small room with no windows and one door. The only thing in it was the cot she had been laying on and the half wall she was leaning against. She managed to twist her body, so she could see over the partition and found a stainless-steel toilet.

Looking around the room again it finally hit her that it looked suspiciously like a jail cell. That thought was quickly followed by her nausea letting her know it wouldn't wait any longer. She barely made it around the partition before the last of what was still on her stomach made its way out.

After her dry heaves had finally stopped she couldn't manage to do more than lay her head on the cool tile of the floor. She vaguely thought about how disgusting her position was, especially since she had no idea of her location, and thus no idea how clean the floor might be. She was comforted by the thought that she couldn't even see any dust. It's lack pointing to cleaner rather than less so.

She had no idea how long she laid there, the cool floor the only comfort she could get. No one had come in to check on her or interact with her at all. She wasn't sure if that was a bad thing or not. She decided she wouldn't have cared to speak with anyone right now anyway, so she counted her blessings.

She managed to stand, her stomach revolting when she did. She stood still for a moment to make sure it was safe to leave her spot. Once she was sure there was nothing else coming up she moved to lie back down. Before she reached the tiny cot, a thought struck her, and she moved slowly to check the door knob. She was unsurprised to find it locked but she would have derided herself for not checking at least had it been open.

With a mental shrug she laid down and pulled the thin covers over herself before putting the pillow on top of her face. It barely managed to block most of the light, but it was better than nothing. She focused on breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth slowly. Focusing on something other than her pain allowed her to relax enough to doze.

She was awoken some time later by the sound of the door opening. She jerked when she heard the heavy steps on the tile and cursed when the movement caused the cycle to start over again. Ignoring whoever had disturbed her she turned towards the wall and clamped the pillow tighter over her head.

A man's voice broke the silence causing her to cringe under her makeshift shelter. "Sit up."

Given the circumstances she was in she knew it would probably be a good idea to obey but she was close to being sick again. Staying as still as possible was the only thing keeping her from needing to empty her stomach.