Twice Loved

Chapter 1: Noah

"I still think we should've taken him to the hospital," a soft and unfamiliar voice said above me. I struggled into full consciousness, trying to move any part of my body or even open my eyes. A sharp, throbbing pain seared my head and I froze, gritting my teeth to get the pain under control. Even the clenching of my jaw was painful, and I wondered what the fuck had happened to me.

"I know Liv, but he needed help right away. I'm still positive he would've died if we tried to wait for an ambulance."

The second voice was low, obviously coming from a man. I didn't recognize either voice, and I lay perfectly still wherever I was, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Yeah, I understand. He's starting to look better at least. Thank god you know what you're doing."

"You can say that again," the man mumbled. I could hear them moving away while still talking, and I took that as my chance to see what I could figure out about my current situation. I mentally cataloged my injuries, and to my shock there were many.

I tried moving my feet, and realized I wasn't wearing shoes or socks when they rubbed against a blanket. I shifted my legs, biting back a loud groan when my right knee throbbed painfully. I could tell there was a splint and bandages wrapped around it, and though I wondered what had happened I moved on. I tried stretching a bit, and drew in a breath at the stab in my left ribs, quickly followed by soreness radiating through my back and shoulders, even down through my arms.

My head was still throbbing, and I reached my hands up to cradle it, feeling another bandage around my eyes. I felt like I'd been run over by a couple dozen semi-trucks. A strained groan escaped me, and I did my best to sit up in the admittedly comfortable bed I was laying in.

"Whoa, whoa there!" The man from earlier's voice rang out in the room, and I winced at the volume. "Fuck, sorry. You surprised me, I didn't expect to come back and find you awake."

Large warm hands gripped my shoulders and pushed me back to the bed with gentle but firm pressure. I made a sound of protest and began to struggle, but my strength was nowhere near the level it used to be, and with all my injuries the battle was a short one.

"Mason, what the hell!" Something clattered onto a dresser or desk, and I heard clothes rustling as the woman from before rushed over to my bedside. I struggled to remember what the man had called her.

"Calm your tits Olivia." Liv. A nickname for Olivia. That's what it was. "He was trying to get out of bed."

"Oh." Her voice was calm now, and that instant change made me want to laugh for some reason.

"Where... am I?" My voice was almost unrecognizable, broken and scratchy like I'd never heard even when I was so sick I thought I was going to die.

"We're in a cabin in the mountains." Mason spoke gently, and he began to lift his hands from my shoulders. "Try not to move too much, I don't want you to split your stitches or hurt yourself any more."

I gave a small nod, which seemed to be all he needed in order to step away. A sense of warmth left me, and I wondered at why that seemed to bother me. Shaking the sensation off, I turned my head towards their voices. Clearing my throat, I spoke again.

"What the fuck happened to me?"