Awakening (Book One of the Eklektos Series)

Chapter Twenty Eight

Kali woke in a bed for the first time in weeks. To her distress and relief, it was a room she didn't recognise. After a few hazy moments, she worked out she must be in the hospital. Sure enough, she was hooked up to some kind of monitor and there was a drip in her arm. She still felt wretched, but she pulled it out and unhooked herself the instant she could move.

She noticed Tom sitting with his head in his hands at her side. "I hate hospitals."

Tom's eyes snapped to her face and he forced a laugh, reaching for her hand. "You're more yourself. But you still look like crap."

"You're one to talk." She replied. She wanted to joke with him, to reassure him, but all she could muster was concern. He had deep bruised around his throat, and his voice was even huskier than usual. Instead of pushing, Kali asked "How long was I out?"

He shrugged "About twenty three minutes."

She wasn't surprised by the specific count. She didn't quite have the energy for a comforting smile, but she tried. "I was hoping I was done with the healing part already. My arm is killing me."

"That's not surprising; it's broken." He ruffled her hair slowly, trying his best not to jostle her. "That drip had some painkillers in it, but it probably didn't have time to kick in before you took it out."

"I'll do better without it." Kali insisted quietly. She looked around at the pristine white room and shuddered "Can I leave yet?"

"It's odd how much you hate hospitals, considering your dad invented them." Tom teased, but his signature smile was nowhere to be seen.

Kali scowled again; the irony was not lost on her. Her hand drifted to her stomach, feeling the bandage under her shirt. The pain had lessened to a dull ache, which radiated around the middle from her back. They must have done something to repair most of the damage. Her head pounded and her gut clenched at the memory of the blade slicing through her. She changed the subject. "How are the others?"

"I don't know. Think they were mostly unscathed though." His expression darkened as he added "You sure bore the brunt of it."

She bit her lip and asked gently "How are you?"

He shrugged "Fine."

Kali hesitated, but she didn't need her talents to know he was lying. She squeezed his hand gently and muttered his name. After a moment, he hung his head and grunted "I never want to see you like that again."

Barely a heartbeat passed, and Tom hugged her. His face was scrunched up and Kali knew he was trying not to cry. Despite the pain radiating through her, she returned his embrace with equal force. She didn't know who she was trying to convince when she insisted "Tom...I'm okay."

He just nodded and squeezed her lightly. When he moved back, he motioned to her arm and said "You're using that already?"

"It's still killing me. But it should be okay in the morning." Kali took a deep breath and slowly murmured "You know...that's the first time in my life I actually thought I was going to die. She told me I would die, and she wasn't lying. She believed it." She looked down at her hands, her voice a whisper, and admitted "That's the first time I've come that close. And...I realised that I don't want to die. I want to live."

Tom's eyes were wide. "God, Kali. Of course you want to live! Was that ever in doubt?!"

She laughed softly, more at herself than anything else. "It's not really that simple. But the clarity in that moment...every detail was so defined. I could track every thought in my head, and I knew that was what death must feel like. My body was empty, but my mind was so awake. Like it was savouring every sensation because it was the last time."