Better The Devil You Know

Screams of Silence

Faces.

Unfamiliar Faces.

That's all Aurora could see. That and the ceiling.

First an old lady, worriedly peering over her, talking on the phone.

Next, paramedics in the ambulance, crowding around her, wrapping her in blankets as she inhaled into the oxygen mask.

Then, doctors and nurses, around ten of them, all around her body, poking and prodding whilst Aurora whimpered in pain.

Her chest was heavy. She couldn't breathe. The oxygen mask was hardly helping.

Fire. That's what it felt like. Like her whole body had been swallowed by fire filled with prickly needles and hammers that flew in every direction.

Pain warped itself around her until she was praying to pass out again, praying for her last breathe.

But it never came.

And as she felt a sharp jab in her arm she inhaled loudly, shrieking in pain. But that only caused more pain. Aurora felt like her face had been ripped from her skull. She wouldn't be surprised if it had been.

A man stood over, his hands going to her jaw. Looking straight into her eyes, he said something.

Only she couldn't hear.

All she could hear was silence.

🖤

Tears sprung to her eyes.

This can't be happening. Please be a nightmare. Kill me. Please. I can't breathe. Let me die. Let them win. Please.

When a cold, numbing feeling appeared on her leg, she recoiled, moving it out of the way. All the doctors stopped what they were doing to look at her.

They're letting me die. Thank God.

They were all talking to each other, before a nurse left and they continued.

No! Leave me alone! Let me die!

Tears were rolling down Aurora's eyes but she couldn't move her arms to wipe them away.

Peering over, the nurse who disappeared reappeared, holding a whiteboard.

CAN YOU HEAR US

Aurora shook her head. The nurse nodded, before slowly reaching over and gently wiping away Aurora's tears.

Aurora struggled for breath before the man reappeared and removed her oxygen mask.

He started talking and Aurora squinted to read his lips, still gasping.

I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt.

His hands went to her jaw as the nurse reappeared with what looked like a ventilation tube and a scalpel. Aurora closed her eyes, ready for death to float over her when the doctor yanked down on her jaw as Aurora screamed deaf screams and the whole world went black again.

🖤

Aurora slowly opened her swollen eyes. She no doubt had black bloodshot eyes. Aching, her whole body was still filled with pain, only it was no longer fire, just like boiling water.