Destined

Fifty Four

I could hear someone talking. Someone kept talking and their voice was pulling me out from under the haze I was in. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but they kept going. Therefore, I had no choice but to open my eyes. Everything was blurry at first. Too much light filtered into the room, I had to blink several times to adjust.

"Dad?" I croaked when I saw the man standing over me.

I looked around, confused. I was in a hospital room clearly. The smell of disinfectant gave it away. A machine was beeping beside me. Tubes were running in and out of me and I was dressed in a hospital gown. There was flowers everywhere, a few balloons, the room looked like it was a florist's shop.

"Kristina," my dad spoke touching my hand. "Oh thank God you're awake," he reached for the call button to summon the doctor.

I lay in the bed confused and immobile. All of a sudden two other people were in the room. A doctor and a nurse, both females.

"Hi, Kristina. I'm Doctor Reynold, this is Nurse Kathy. How are you feeling?" She asked, smiling at me.
"I'm parched,"

Immediately, Nurse Kathy came closer with a cup of water and a straw. My dad and the doctor helped me sit up, inclining my bed and rearranging my pillows so I could lean against them.

"Small sips," Nurse Kathy said.

I drank the water, rejoicing when it soothed my arid throat.

"I'm so glad you're awake, honey. I'll go get your mum," my dad said and disappeared.

I was still very disoriented. My dad was here? I hadn't seen the man in almost six years. He hadn't changed much. He looked more serious, like his life away hadn't been sunshine and roses. He'd changed his hair. He'd had dark, long hair last I saw him. Now his hair was completely cut off, leaving only dark bristles poking out of his head.

"Okay, on a scale of one to ten, how much pain are you in?" The doctor asked.
I frowned trying to focus on my body, "Two, maybe three," I answered.

My whole body ached. But it was a dull ache, the kind that came from being in one position too long. I could feel my head throbbing slightly and some soreness on my thigh, but other than that, I felt fine.

She nodded, "Then the morphine is working," she scribbled something in her file. "Do you remember what happened?"

I remembered Professor Darke's face. And blood. Lots of it. I shook my head.

"You were kidnapped, by your former professor. You were gone for two days. You suffered some abuse while missing. There's a lot of bruising on your arms, chest and torso and your left thigh was stabbed, you also hit your head pretty badly and might have suffered a concussion,"

As she explained my injuries, I raked my brain for a recollection, but still all I could see was the man's face and blood. So much blood.

"Kristina," my mum ran into the room pulling me from the dark recess of my thoughts.
"Mum," I said as she was about to hug me.

She stopped and kissed my forehead instead.

"Oh my baby, you're okay, you're safe now, you're okay," she said running her fingers through my hair, crying.

The last time I'd seen my mum cry, I'd been sixteen and she'd been telling me about her and my dad's divorce. Seeing her cry again then, tore at me and I just wanted to hug her, but my body would not cooperate.

"Mummy," my voice cracked. "I thought I'd never see you again," I mumbled, a vision of the Professor hitting me assaulting my brain.
She shook her head, "Don't, don't you ever think that my love, I will always be here, and this is never going to happen again,"
"How could you not tell us about your professor?" My dad asked and mum glared at him.
"You were not here," she replied.
"Mr and Mrs. Sanders, now is not the time, Kristina needs rest and plenty of fluids, I trust this conversation can take place later," the doctor spoke.