Page 37 of Vexed
Lily
The rhythmic beep… beep… beep… was the first thing I registered. Then came the whoosh of air, like a giant Darth Vader permanently stuck in inhale mode.
My eyelids felt heavy, like lead weights were glued to them. I forced them open, blinking against the harsh, sterile light. White. Everything was white. White walls, white sheets, a white ceiling that seemed miles away.
Then I heard a soft voice, laced with worry. “Lily? Honey, can you hear me?”
My head swam. It felt like cotton was stuffed inside. I turned, or at least tried to, and saw my mom. Her face was etched with lines I didn’t remember seeing before, and her eyes were red-rimmed. She looked exhausted. Next to her sat a worried Hannah, wiping tears from her cheeks.
“Mom?” My voice was a croak, barely audible.
“Oh, honey!” She reached for my hand. “You’re awake!”
I squeezed her hand weakly. “What… where am I? What happened?”
Her smile faltered. “You’re in the hospital, sweetie. Do you remember anything?”
I racked my brain, but it was like trying to grasp smoke. Nothing. A complete blank. Panic started to bubble in my chest. “No. I… no.”
Mom’s expression grew troubled. “The police think that someone attacked you.”
Attacked? My breath hitched. My heart started hammering against my ribs. By who? Why?
“Attacked?” I whispered, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. “But… I don’t remember anything. Nothing at all.”
She squeezed my hand again. “It’s okay, honey. The doctors said it’s possible that you’ll have some memory loss from the trauma. They’re monitoring you closely. Just try to relax.”
Relax? How the fuck could I relax when I didn’t know who wanted to hurt me? When I couldn’t even remember the attack itself?
“How long have I been here?” I asked, my voice trembling.
Mom sighed, her gaze softening with concern. “Four days, sweetheart. You lost a lot of blood. A massive amount, actually.”
Four days? Four days of my life vanished, replaced by nothingness. Four days where someone, somewhere, had tried to hurt me. Well, by the sounds of it—tried and succeeded. My entire body aches that I can barely move.
The beeping of the machines suddenly seemed louder, more insistent, a constant reminder of my vulnerability. I was trapped in a white room, surrounded by beeps and the scent of antiseptic, with a terrifying blank space where my memories should be.
“I’ll be back in a second. Gonna let the doctors know you’re awake, okay?” Mom says, giving me a quick smile before exiting the room.
Wait, the football game was four days ago. The last thing I remember was having an argument with Austin before walking home. But after that…nothing.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there! I should’ve been, I should’ve waited for you. But I saw you talking to Austin and Jason said that maybe you’ll sort your shit out and he’ll give you a ride…” She rambled on, but I stopped her by grabbing her hand.
“Hey, stop. It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I shouldn’t have walked by myself in the middle of the night.” I assure her, mustering a smile. She nods, tears still spilling from her eyes as she squeezes my hand.
“I’m gonna go get a coffee, you want me to bring you something?”
“Something sweet, I need sugar in my body asap,” I say, causing her to chuckle before she stood and headed for the door.
I blew out a long breath as she leaves, trying to comprehend the fucked up situation I’m in.
“Mind if I intrude your thoughts?” A sudden deep voice speaks from the corner of my bed making me gasp.
I stare at him, both confused and relieved, “Vex?”
“Hey, darling. How are we feeling?”
I let out a shaky laugh. “Like I got hit by a train, actually.”
