Way Down We Go

Chapter Thirty Three

The lights hurt. That's the first thought that comes to mind as I come to consciousness. I whimpered from the pain the horrid strobes inflicted upon my poor head, before letting out a second, turning my head to the side. The atmosphere in the room shifted. I could hear rustles of clothing and the hitch of breathing as multiple people came close.

"Mary?" a voice asked. Aylee. She sounded tired. Why did she sound so tired?

"Mary," she tried again. I felt a cold, little palm on my cheek, coaxing me turn. "can you hear us?" she asked. I swallowed thickly, acknowledging the pain in my throat and the pounding in my head, the weakness of limbs and the feeling of grogginess.

I inhaled deeply, breathing in the smell of steriliser and medication, heard the beeps of machines. What happened to me? Why was I here?

"Hey," Kenna now. "it's okay. You're gonna be okay."

Using all of my energy, I managed to let my eyes flutter open. I looked at them. Kenna, Greer, Aylee. At the back of the room, CC and Madison and Brie.

"Hey," she sounded tearful. Before I knew it, I was in a group hug with all of them. Weakly raising my arms to bound around them, I found hospital bracelets and a hospital gown, but there were far more than usual.

"It's okay," Greer stated. "They're just for different things." she stated. I looked the bracelets deeply, studying each one, before back to my girlfriends.

"She's awake." Aylee informed my half brother and assistants. The trio of those I loved and trusted quickly made their way to me. The same thing, Maddie letting out a "You had us worried, girl." as she pulled away from me. I smiled weakly at her.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice croaky and raspy, looking at both my wrists. Scarred, yes, but not freshly cut. No cuffs around my wrists.

"You collapsed, girl." Kenna took my hand. It was warm and comforting. "Just after you got back from the performance. You just keeled over. You remember?" she asked. I thought long and hard about it.

"You know what I just realised?" Kenna asked me as she sat on the other side of the room. Next to her, Greer and Aylee next to her. I looked at her from the corner of my eye, black sweats and crop top clinging to me as I looked at them.

"What?" I asked her, sipping my iced coffee as my face was covered in makeup. I sat cross legged in the makeup chair, a man and a woman putting obscene amounts of powder upon my under-eye and chin, my hair pulled in all sorts of directions with bobby pins in preparation for the powder blue wig that we would be using tonight.

"You never told us what happened with you and Francis." she stated. I could feel three pairs of eyes upon me, but chose to block it out in favour of the brushes in my face and the hands in my hair.

"So, what went down?" Aylee asked, after several seconds of silence.

"I don't wanna talk about it." I mumbled. "It didn't go well, that's all I'm gonna say." I said, sipping my cold coffee. I heard Kenna huff, but thankfully, she left it there.

"Are you feeling alright?" Greer asked, after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye, not being allowed to move because of eyebrows being painted onto my face.

"Why?" I asked, feeling the guy start to paint something onto my lips.

"You look kinda pale, a little sick." she noted.

"You should be asking Aylee that." I mumbled. "She's the sick one, not me."

"I'm fine, Marie" Aylee huffed. "It's been a few weeks since the treatment and I'm feeling better. You really think I'd be there if I wasn't?" she asked.