Chapter 112 Ava: Waking Up
Darkness.
Light.
So cold.
It burns.
My lungs ache.
Something's holding me down.
There are whispers. Prayers, I think.
Chaos reigns in this hazy world. Something beeps incessantly.
I'm sweating. My hands are too warm.
… up.
What's that?
… Ava, you…
Who's that?
… can you hear me?
I struggle to reach the voice that calls me, but something sucks me away again.
Frustration simmers, but I'm too tired to fight it.
Ava, you have to wake up.
There it is again.
I know you can hear me, because I can finally hear you.
Hear me? Hear me what? Am I talking?
Yes.
No, I don't think I'm talking. I'm too tired. My body is crushed beneath the earth. Fire ate every last bit of me. I drowned. The air was sucked away.
You're alive. You're asleep in the hospital. You're just fine. You just need to wake up.
No, no.
No, no, no.
Waking is pain.
I remember the pain.
be no pain, Ava. Just wake up.
No way.
in
back. This is not where you should
serenity of darkness. I feel pain, but
won't die, Ava.
Alive.
Alive means death—
feeling sorry for yourself. You
* * *
like sandpaper scraping against my lids. Everything is blurry, shapes indistinct.
Ava.
my mind, comforting. Grounding. I try to
her head resting on my hand. I turn my head slowly,
awake. Relief colors her
heavy and thick. "What
into my arm. I want
my name,
* * *
of a heart monitor. The chemical scent of disinfectant. Starched sheets rough against my skin. An
swims into focus—white tiles, fluorescent
Her relief washes
They're asking me questions, one talking
long was I out?" I rasp, my throat
softly. We were so
okay?" Lucas asks, way
you feeling?" Lisa pipes
the gut. I struggle to sit up, my muscles weak and uncooperative. Selene helps, bracing her body
entire process that leaves
bags hanging off it. One of the bags looks like milk, and that one's connected to
waist. My hair is lank and greasy
cautions as I waver, dizzy. You've
I ended up here.
yawning black hole
"What happened to me?"
reaches for my face, his fingers hesitant and gentle against my skin. Warmth flows between us, a feeling of comfort, and the urge to press my cheek into his
sure. Vanessa thinks your wolf is trying
me with trepidation. I flick a glance
She's way too big
soothes, sensing my unease.
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