Page 42 of The Sicilian Bastard
Araceli
Searing pain.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
I opened my eyes to find myself face down in a pillow. It smelled like antiseptic and bleach. I moved my arm to push the pillow down and noted the IV sticking out of my hand. I was in a hospital. I pushed upwards to sit up and felt a hard hand on my bicep. I turned my head slowly and saw Luciano standing at my bedside.
"What happened?" I cleared my throat.
Luciano reached for the cup of water beside the bed and held it up to my mouth.
"There were bombs in the church and you got injured."
He looked away from me and stepped away from the bed. I could feel the distance between us growing. He looked uncomfortable. His eyes watched everything but me. I turned over with a whimper and his nostrils flared. But he still made no move to help me. He didn't even object when I rubbed against my pillows. His pupils were blown, but no words left his lips. I swung my legs over the side and he stepped towards me. Then he stepped back into place, warring within himself.
"I need to get out of here."
I made to move, and he stepped towards me again. I held a hand out, warding him off. I needed to get off this bed. I needed to get out of the hospital. It brought back terrible flashbacks. I could see myself lying in the bed alone. Unclaimed. Close to death, with no family or friends to be there with me. I shook the memories away and focused on Luciano. He was here. He was mine. Luciano blocked the door from my view and I huffed.
"You need to lie down." He pressed me back towards the bed. I tried not to freak, but it was really hard not to do. The memories beat at the back of my skull. They caused my head to hurt, swelling until I couldn't think anymore.
"Miss, excuse me, miss. Where is your room?" A pretty nurse in scrubs stopped me in the hallway. My head was all foggy and I wasn't sure where I was anymore.
"Where am I?" I slurred. I swayed on my feet, the air in the hallway pushing on my backside, the wind blowing into the flimsy gown I had on. My ass was out for anyone to see, but I didn't care at all. I wanted to leave. There was nothing for me here.
"Miss, you can't leave. I need to escort you back to your room." She grabbed my wrist, yanking at the band on my arm I hadn't noticed. I tried to shake her off, but her grip was firm. After checking my band, she took me to the front desk on whatever floor I was on. I was shivering. I didn't have any shoes on, just blue bulky socks with the ridges on the bottom. I guessed whoever I was, was a fall risk.
The front desk lady looked up my name and the nurse escorted me back to the room I was in. I finally figured out that I was in a hospital. There was something wrong with me. The nurse helped me into the bed like I was an invalid.
"Don't go," I cried. My hand snapped out and held hers.
"Shh," she soothed and perched her hip on the bed.
"Do you know what's wrong with me? No one will tell me anything." I looked at her nametag. It said Nancy.
"I haven't looked at your chart, but I can tell you're having a little bit of trouble remembering details."
I shot her a look. I thought she was holding back. There wasn't a reason not to tell me what was wrong.
"Like what?" My eyes were a little droopy.
"Well, they have you listed as Jane Doe. There must be a memory issue if you don't know your name. But don't worry, it will come back to you, honey."
Her words were distressing, not soothing anymore.
"I do know my name."
She looked at me expectantly.
"It's Araceli. Araceli C-C-C. I can't remember the second part. There's a second part, right?"
My heart rate kicked up and the nurse tried soothing me again. This time I wouldn't be able to calm down. I thrashed on the bed trying to bring back my missing memories. The nurse called for help in the distance. She strapped me down to the bed. I hadn't even realized there were straps in the hospital room.
