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When the light appears, I can only see a blurry image around me. Suddenly, the smell of coffee fills my nose, and I taste the cranberry's sugar sweetness on my tongue.
“You couldn’t have known,” I hear a male voice say. I recognize it. It's Rhodes, my friend from the firehouse.
The darkness returns. The sound of him calling out my name echoes around me like I’m in a cave. I spin around looking for him, but I can’t see anything.
“Do you think he can hear us?” she asks.
“I don’t know.” He pauses. “I’ve been talking to him for days and nothing.”
He has?
“Maybe he’ll respond to you,” he adds.
There's a knock, and a new voice rings out, but I don't recognize it.
“I’m Mr. Jennings from admissions. I need to speak with someone about the paperwork for this patient.”
“I can take care of that,” Rhodes says.
It’s quiet for a moment. I strain to listen for any sound.Where is she?I can’t hear her.
"Hey," she says softly like she somehow heard me calling for her. I can hear the scrape of metal across the tile floor as she pulls a chair closer. "That's better."
I try with everything I have to reach out to her, but I still can’t move.
“You’re probably wondering who I am,” she says.
She's wrong. I know exactly who she is. The image of her smiling face appears in my mind, as clear as day, like she's standing in front of me. She’s the woman from the bookstore. The one I visit every day, hoping to get the nerve to speak to her beyond ordering coffee and buying the paper from her. I feel the familiar rapid beat of my heart at the sight of her.
A beeping sound gets louder, falling in time with my rapid heart rate.
“Calm down,” she soothes, taking my hand in hers. The sensation of her touch increases my heart rate again.
I concentrate hard and squeeze my fingers, not wanting to let her go. Finally, it feels like the connection between my brain and my body is there. My fingers close around hers.
She gasps sharply. And I open my eyes.
Chapter 3
TANNER
Her blue eyes widen in surprise, and she pushes back away from me. But I don't let go of her hand.
“You’re awake.” She stares at me and then looks up past me. “He’s awake!”
There’s a shuffling sound, and I glance towards it and see Rhodes running in from the hallway. He stops at the end of my bed, and stares opened mouthed at me.
“You’re awake,” he breathes.
I look him over. He looks like he hasn’t slept in days.
“You look like crap,” I wheeze out, my voice weak from disuse.
Rhodes chuckles. "Well, I haven't had as much sleep as you this past week."
Judging by the scent of strong cleaning chemicals and the giant bed I’m currently lying in, I conclude that I’m in the hospital. I try to think about what’s happened, but it’s still a blur. My head hurts when I try to pull the last memory I have.
My gaze drifts back to the woman sitting next to me. Her hand is still linked in mine, but she’s still looking at me like I have a horn growing out of my head.
