ambition // cazzie (REWRITING 7-11)

five

Casey's POV

Someone was talking quickly. There was a buzzing sound and something was bright. Very bright.

Everything was blurry at first but got clearer as I became more aware. I was standing in the middle of a field; the sun was beating down, though a nice breeze accompanied the heat. I took a deep breath in, letting my eyes close as the warm air filled my lungs.

Someone was calling my name.

I turn around, spotting a figure a few feet away from me. I couldn't recognize them but for some reason, I knew that they were familiar. I started to walk toward them very slowly, focusing on the ground in front of me. My pace quickened as their voice got louder and louder, almost deafening in my ears. I was close to them.

So, so close.

"Casey!"

I gasped and sat straight up, being pulled out of whatever fever dream I was in. Sharp pain accompanied my sudden movement and I doubled over, groaning.

"Ah, fuck!" I gritted my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut. After a moment, I felt a hand against my back and I looked up, being met with a worried face.

It was Evan. He looked like he hadn't even slept a night.

He very carefully made me lie back down in the bed I was in, keeping his hand on my shoulder. He could sense my confusion.

"God, I can't.. I can't breathe." I whispered, trying not to move much. With each deep breath I took, pain coursed its way through my body. So, I was stuck with short, uneven breaths for the time being.

"Case, calm down. The more you freak out, the harder it's going to be to breathe." Evan said, sending me a reassuring smile. I stared at him while he walked me through a simple breathing exercise, already feeling my heart rate start to decrease.

It wasn't just my ribs that burned with pain. I brought a hand up and felt at my shoulder; my fingers made contact with the patchy texture of gauze. The same thing was wrapped around my abdomen. I winced, sighing.

"I don't even remember what happened," I started, letting my eyes close as I tried to keep my breathing steady, "-all I remember is that it fucking sucked."

"Well, having 3 of your ribs broken, a deep cut, and a stab wound aren't really things you want." Another voice sounded from the front of the room we were in. Sam rolled in on a swivel chair, a clipboard in his hands. He made his way to the foot of the bed, leaning on the back of the chair.

"Yeah, it's a miracle that you're still okay." Evan laughed, though his tone wasn't cheery at all. Sam nodded, looking between Evan and I.

"You don't want to move too much. One, it'll hurt. The stab wound that you have barely missed an artery." Sam says, pushing himself toward the side of the bed, "And two- because of your broken ribs. One is fractured and two are almost completely crushed. You practically have tiny knives in your chest, so try not to accidentally puncture a lung."

I groan, "Great. My own body is going against me." The two boys give me sympathetic looks, but the positive vibes around the room don't stay for long. The infirmary door is swung open and in comes Sharice, looking very, very annoyed.