Ex-Husband’s Regret by Evelyn M.M

14. Alternate universe

+15 BONUS

My head is throbbing. Actually scratch that. My entire body is in pain. I try opening my eyes but I

can’t. It felt like they were weighed down by stones I try calling out to Noah, to anyone, but no

sound leaves my mouth.

I am moving. Or someone is moving me. Every movement jolts me and just makes the pain all the more excruciating. I wish they would go slowly. Or just stop all together.

“We need a doctor!” someone shouts.

I didn’t understand what they were talking about or why they needed a doctor. Or what was going on. I tried staying conscious but darkness embraced me once more and I fell into it willingly.

When I came back to myself again, I’m not in pain but I still can’t open my eyes. Nor can I move my body. I feel like my limbs were laden with cement. Like I was trapped inside my own body.

I can hear people talking but it all sounds so far away. As their words are submerged under water

or something. Nothing made sense and I didn’t understand why this was happening to me.

I was desperate to see Noah, to hear him. He must be so worried that I hadn’t called him. Yet there

was nothing I could do.

I fall back to the nothingness, unable to keep up with what was happening around me. My last

thought is Noah and how sad he would be that I haven’t called

I wake up and the room is shrouded in light. The brightness of it makes me wince.

“You’re awake” an unfamiliar female voice says,

I try opening my eyes again but with the lights accosting them it’s nearly impossible.

“I’m so sorry about this” she pauses and I hear movements. “You can now open your eyes, the light

won’t be a problem”

True to her words, when I open my eyes, curtains are closed and the light are turned low. I turn to

the woman who seems to be in her late thirties. She’s wearing a nurse uniform and a quick survey

makes me conclude that I’m in a

I croak out, my

Your family will be relieved to know you’re

a glass of water before

+15 BONUS

throat. I stare at the room I was in. It’s full of flowers, balloons and teddy bears.

1. me.

pick one and open it

him, my voice almost

he looked tired. I have never seen Rowan like this. He is always

and back.

he asks sitting down

a train…what are you

in his large one. I go to pull it

voice. “I need this, I need to remind myself that you’re alive, that I’m not

in an alternate universe or something? Because things were just not

didn’t hit your head or something, right?” I ask, feeling his

with my other hand.

get to answer because the door opens and a

his eyes

up…we were worried for a minute there” he begins with a smile. Now, do you know where you

my head. “The hospital… something forceful pushed

head from the

me since I woke up.

almost died.

and the force of it

what year is it?”

and he notes it down. Rowan squeezes my hand and I look

but it gone before

be bombed. With the stress

+15 BONUS

you recognize your own name and you know who

more tests

type

“Okay” I whisper.

injuries, you dislocated your shoulder so we had to set it right. You have three broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, traumatic brain injury which caused a buildup of fluid in your brain which we had to drain and also some swelling. The stitch from your shoulder wound reopened and we had to re–stitch it. Our

questions?”

Rowan has refused

makes everything that happened more

been here?” I

to induce a

type of head injury so we will keep you here for a few more

them out. Okay?”