Ephemeral //H.S

Chapter 42

-Lucy Urbinati-

Time seems to blur out the longer I lay on this bed, I haven't moved since I open my eyes and saw that fucking tattoo on my finger. I can't find it in myself to move, I feel so sick it's almost as if I could feel my organs shutting down inside of me but I'm probably overreacting. My stomach hurts so badly and breathing is also kind of difficult, it feels like my lungs are filled with dust. I start thinking about my physical state too much and I can't help myself but start coughing. I have to sit up when my chest start to hurt, my shoulders shake as I cough my lungs out, it sounds raspy as if I was a heavy smoker dying of lung cancer.

My eyes are watering as I cough into my elbow, trying to make myself stop but I can't. The door flies open for the first time, I can't really see who it is because my eyes are crying involuntarily and I'm starting to lose my breath, unable to take a single breath. My head starts spinning as well and I have to close my eyes to try and make it stop hurting so badly. feel someone helping me sit up properly before lifting me up, the coughing finally stops but I'm starting to hyperventilate from all of this. I'm being carried out of the room and a harsh light hits my face. I open my eyes, seeing a big room with a bunch of medical equipment and with a bed against the wall but no windows, and I understand that I'm in a basement. Looking up I see that same blonde guy carrying me and placing me on the high bed, he places an oxygen mask on my face to help me breathe. I feel the cold oxygen travel down my throat and opening up my airways as I hold it against my face, still coughing a little bit. It takes me a few minutes to catch my breath, and after a while I finally open my eyes and look up at him. He looks at me with furrowed brows, crossing his arms against his chest as he takes in my poor state.

"You're sick." He says, his accent still shocking me and I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, no shit." My voice sounds really raspy, and I close my eyes again, my hand holding onto the edge of the bed while the other still holds the oxygen mask as I cough lightly into it.

I keep my eyes closed, knowing that he's still staring at me but I don't really care. I don't even know what day it is, or why they're keeping me in this room without any windows, or why I haven't seen Giorgio yet. If he wanted me to be here so badly I would at least expect him to be here or something.

"I'm gonna call the doctor." He says after a while of just staring at me and I don't look up at him as he leaves the room. "Stay here." He adds and I chuckle to myself.

"Whatever." I mumble to myself, letting my legs dangle off the side of the bed as I look around the room. It looks like a huge hospital room without any natural light, there's a desk in front of the bed, and other storage that I'm guessing is locked because I can see that there is a bunch of medical equipment and medicine inside of them.

After a few minutes I see the blond guy walking down the set of stairs that I hadn't noticed before, along with another guy. He looks in his thirties or maybe early forties, wearing a black turtleneck with simple jeans and expensive shoes. He has brown hair with a few grey strands and it's styled out of his face and he has a thin beard, he looks like he takes care of himself in general. His brown eyes meet mine and his brows furrow slightly, he glances towards the blond guy as they walk towards me.

He stops right in front of me, saying something to him in Italian that I don't understand and he leaves the room, leaving me alone with him and I'm guessing that he must be the doctor. The door to the basement slams shut and he looks down at me.

"Ciao, io sono Lucas. Come ti chiami?" He asks me but I don't understand his question and he must think that I'm Italian, technically I am a little but I'd rather not think too much about it. All I understand is him saying his name but I notice that he doesn't say it with an Italian accent at all but with a French one, as if it was how he was used to saying, maybe he's French? He does kinda look French. My eyebrows furrow as I look up at him, still breathing heavily into the mask and breathing in as much oxygen as I can before taking it off to speak.