mouth. It felt dry. My eyes opened a little. “Ouch,” I whispered as a sharp pain surrounded my left eye. My nose twitched at the smell of chlorine, and my body felt cold.
My heart dropped. Was I still in the basement? Did I just dream that I got out? I felt a prickly sensation run down my spine, and it left me lightheaded. Something touched my hand. “No!” I screamed. “Please let me go!” I started cry.
“Hey, baby, no, it’s me.” I heard his sweet voice. “Open your eyes.”
I was confused. My brain flipped through the last few moments that I could remember.
Water, lots of water, and Lasko’s face smirking at me.
“Go get the nurse,” he said.
My head shook back and forth and my eyes stayed closed. Tears rolled down my cheeks and pooled in my ears. Why couldn’t I make sense of things? Finally, I gave in. I was too tired to fight and fell back toward the darkness.
***
Seth
I hovered around the nurse. “What’s happening?”
Ana, the nurse, held up her hand to indicate she wanted me to calm down while she checked her heartbeat.
I made a face at Garrett. “Well?”
“This is normal.” Ana looked at both of us. “Her brain is trying to catch up with what’s happening. This may happen a few times. Just hold her hand and let her hear familiar voices. She will come back to you.”
My hands covered my mouth as I closed my eyes. This was fucked up. She needed to wake up. I sat on the side of the bed and brushed her ear with my lips. “Emily, I’m here. Just open your eyes and you’ll see me.” Tears stung like acid.
***
Emily
I thought I heard Campbell’s voice. He was talking to someone. My eyes didn’t open. “No, we’re not calling her mom. It will only upset her.”
It was Garrett. I strained to hear better. I felt my head cloud again.
“He’s not doing so good. He won’t leave.” Wait! I wondered who wasn’t doing so good as I fell back to sleep.
***
I felt something nice and warm on my face. “Tell her I’m sorry, but I can’t make it.” Seth’s soft voice found me. “No, she’s…” He paused. “I know, time.” He sniffed. “I should go. I love you too.” That was all I could hang on to. My body was exhausted.
Sometime later, I finally woke and opened my eyes. They were fuzzy, but soon they adjusted. It was dark out, and something made a clicking noise. I followed the sound until I saw Seth on a chair, his feet up on the table and his laptop rested across his thighs. The glow of the light let me see his sweet face. He looked tired.
I blinked back tears that came with the emotion of having him in reach of me. I mustered up all the energy I had. “You should get some sleep,” I whispered.
His head whipped up and over at me. He tossed his laptop on the table and rushed to my side.
He carefully took my hand and held it in his. The other brushed through my hair. His eyes filled with tears. “Oh, baby.” He kissed my forehead. “I’m so glad you’re back. I’ll call the nurse.”
I gripped his hand tightly. “Don’t go,” I choked at him.
He shook his head, then pointed to a button on the side of the bed. He pushed it, and a moment later a short, blonde nurse in orange scrubs came in. “Hello, Emily, nice to see you back. How are you feeling?”
“Sore,” I croaked. She pulled out a needle and started to write on the chart.
“Nooonoo!” I stared at the needle as I started to panic.
She shook her head. “Trust me, you need this.” She leaned in to touch my IV.
I yanked my arm away and whimpered. That hurt! The nurse looked at Seth for help.
“What is it for?” he asked with a chip to his tone.
She held it up for him to see. “Morphine, for the pain.”
He looked at me with his voice softer. “Em, you could really use some more sleep.”
I looked at her and then slowly put my arm down. Everything in my body hurts.
She gently pushed it into my IV line. “I’ll be back in a few hours to check on you.” I laid my head
My heart dropped. Was I still in the basement? Did I just dream that I got out? I felt a prickly sensation run down my spine, and it left me lightheaded. Something touched my hand. “No!” I screamed. “Please let me go!” I started cry.
“Hey, baby, no, it’s me.” I heard his sweet voice. “Open your eyes.”
I was confused. My brain flipped through the last few moments that I could remember.
Water, lots of water, and Lasko’s face smirking at me.
“Go get the nurse,” he said.
My head shook back and forth and my eyes stayed closed. Tears rolled down my cheeks and pooled in my ears. Why couldn’t I make sense of things? Finally, I gave in. I was too tired to fight and fell back toward the darkness.
***
Seth
I hovered around the nurse. “What’s happening?”
Ana, the nurse, held up her hand to indicate she wanted me to calm down while she checked her heartbeat.
I made a face at Garrett. “Well?”
“This is normal.” Ana looked at both of us. “Her brain is trying to catch up with what’s happening. This may happen a few times. Just hold her hand and let her hear familiar voices. She will come back to you.”
My hands covered my mouth as I closed my eyes. This was fucked up. She needed to wake up. I sat on the side of the bed and brushed her ear with my lips. “Emily, I’m here. Just open your eyes and you’ll see me.” Tears stung like acid.
***
Emily
I thought I heard Campbell’s voice. He was talking to someone. My eyes didn’t open. “No, we’re not calling her mom. It will only upset her.”
It was Garrett. I strained to hear better. I felt my head cloud again.
“He’s not doing so good. He won’t leave.” Wait! I wondered who wasn’t doing so good as I fell back to sleep.
***
I felt something nice and warm on my face. “Tell her I’m sorry, but I can’t make it.” Seth’s soft voice found me. “No, she’s…” He paused. “I know, time.” He sniffed. “I should go. I love you too.” That was all I could hang on to. My body was exhausted.
Sometime later, I finally woke and opened my eyes. They were fuzzy, but soon they adjusted. It was dark out, and something made a clicking noise. I followed the sound until I saw Seth on a chair, his feet up on the table and his laptop rested across his thighs. The glow of the light let me see his sweet face. He looked tired.
I blinked back tears that came with the emotion of having him in reach of me. I mustered up all the energy I had. “You should get some sleep,” I whispered.
His head whipped up and over at me. He tossed his laptop on the table and rushed to my side.
He carefully took my hand and held it in his. The other brushed through my hair. His eyes filled with tears. “Oh, baby.” He kissed my forehead. “I’m so glad you’re back. I’ll call the nurse.”
I gripped his hand tightly. “Don’t go,” I choked at him.
He shook his head, then pointed to a button on the side of the bed. He pushed it, and a moment later a short, blonde nurse in orange scrubs came in. “Hello, Emily, nice to see you back. How are you feeling?”
“Sore,” I croaked. She pulled out a needle and started to write on the chart.
“Nooonoo!” I stared at the needle as I started to panic.
She shook her head. “Trust me, you need this.” She leaned in to touch my IV.
I yanked my arm away and whimpered. That hurt! The nurse looked at Seth for help.
“What is it for?” he asked with a chip to his tone.
She held it up for him to see. “Morphine, for the pain.”
He looked at me with his voice softer. “Em, you could really use some more sleep.”
I looked at her and then slowly put my arm down. Everything in my body hurts.
She gently pushed it into my IV line. “I’ll be back in a few hours to check on you.” I laid my head
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