Through the Mist

Chapter 2

The beeping of a hospital heart monitor was the sound I woke up to. I felt groggy, like I had slept in too long, two days too long. My eyelids felt like they were twenty pound weights as I opened them. I could only get them open halfway. I looked around. The only other person in the room was a nurse dressed in scrubs. She looked over and started. “She wakes!”She exclaimed, smiling. “You’ve certainly worried quite a few people.”

“Wh . . . what do you mean?” I asked, surprised at how hoarse my voice was. I tried to sit up, but intense pain blossomed suddenly in my chest. I could barely even gasp, it hurt so badly. “You just need to lie down. Hang on a second.” She smiled and walked to the outside door. I blinked slowly. I was feeling very tired again. 

“She’s awake!” She said, to whoever was outside. My mom, dad, and sister rushed inside quickly. My mother came straight to me, nearly tackling me in a hug. I groaned. I felt like I just got hit by a semi. (Nothing against my mother; it was the pain.) 

“Sorry, we were just super worried. How are you feeling?” 

My mind started shutting down again. “Ask me when I wake up.” I slipped back into unconsciousness. 

That happened over and over again. I kept awakening and relapsing into unconsciousness. A couple times there were nurses. One time, I saw Jason and another, my family. Riley and a couple of my other friends, Cassie and Trish, stopped by as well. 

Coming permanently from this sleep was like waking up in the morning. But before that someone pounded your head with a sledge hammer. I felt sore and tired and was a little hungry. 

I moaned and opened my eyes slowly. They still felt heavy. I took in the room. White walls with no decorations, a few chairs for visitors, and bedside table next to me. Only then did I notice my family, Jason, two nurses and my doctor standing next to my bed, hovering over me. It was a bit creepy really. It’s like they knew I was going to wake up today, so they all decided to show up. “What, why. . . ?” I began to ask, but my mind was still muddy. 

“Hush,” my mom said. 

“You’re very lucky, Madison.” I had insisted that my doctor, Dr. Weiser, call me Madi, but he always called me Madison. “A car going at that speed should have killed you. You’re very fortunate to be alive,” Dr. Weiser continued.

“Did, did they catch the person?” My voice sounded foreign even to me.

“Unfortunately, no,” my father spoke up. “The police are still searching.”

“Jason was wonderful. He’s the one who called nine-one-one,” my mom said. Jason looked bashful.

“I wasn’t that great,” he said. “I couldn’t even get the license plate number.”

“It’s not your fault, Jason. The car was going too fast.” 

By now, feeling was creeping up my body again. I shifted uncomfortably as pain stabbed sharply in my middle and my arm. I looked down and realized that my left arm was in a cast. What exactly had happened to me? 

A throbbing migraine that felt like someone was searing something into my head suddenly pressed itself into my brain. I moaned. “Wha, what’s the damage?”

“You had a minor fracture in your left arm, two broken ribs, and a minor concussion. Among some bumps and scrapes. It could have been a lot worse,” my doctor replied. 

“You should get some rest,” my mom said.

“How long have I been out?” I asked.

“About four days.”