Page 2 of Tell Me Everything
White dots blurred my vision. Someone shook my shoulder, but I couldn't focus on my surroundings. In the blink of an eye, the world was gone.
***
A strange buzzing drew me out of the void. My consciousness struggled to manifest itself, as if a heavy sleep tried to keep me in its clutches. The noise seemed to get louder and louder, and the strange lethargy I found myself in finally dissipated. When I opened my eyes, a powerful LED light blinded me. I had to blink several times before my vision cleared. Pain was pounding inside my skull, while my body was still asleep. It was as if I'd turned into a giant marshmallow. Why couldn't my mind focus?
Mom was sitting next to me, holding my hand, butwhere was I?Light blue walls, a bed with metal bars, white sheets that looked like they'd been washed a thousand times...The hospital?
I tried to get up fast, but my body was screaming at me not to move. It resisted the slightest movement. My heart missed a beat, and panic rose inside my chest. Mom leapt to her feet to try and hold me back. It was no use; I couldn't get out of that horrible bed.What is happening?
“Calm down, love. You just woke up from surgery.”
Despite all my efforts to concentrate, pain made my head spin. I tried to use my voice several times, without much success. My mouth was as dry as parchment.
“What happened?” I asked hoarsely.
Mom gave me a glass of water and waited for me to finish before speaking. “You fell during dance practice. The impact was brutal, but you were lucky. You only have a few ill effects.”
Why couldn't I remember anything? My mind couldn't pick up the pieces on its own. The sedative in my system preventedme from functioning properly. I fought the drug coursing through my bloodstream and did my best to stay awake. I had to know.
“Ill effects?”
She gave me an apologetic look before lowering her eyes. No further explanation was needed; I knew what she wanted meant. I sat down despite my mother's and my limbs' protests. My right leg was cast in plaster from my toes to the top of my thigh.It's not possible, it's not possible, it's not possible!How was I supposed to dance now? How was I going to train for my graduation show or the entrance exams? My panic kept increasing.
“Elena, calm down.”
Just then, Doctor Petit entered the room. His hair had greyed slightly since I'd last seen him, but he still had that warm smile. My anxiety subsided, giving way to the sadness he evoked.
“Elena, it’s been a while.”
Indeed, the last time I'd been in a hospital for myself was because I'd broken my wrist after jumping off a swing. At that time, it had seemed like a good idea. Until I hit the ground. All to impress Ella, my cousin. It was Doctor Petit who had taken care of me. We'd also met again in the same hospital when Mick, my older brother, had fallen ill. I shook my head. I didn’t want to think about that now.
“Do you have good news?”
The doctor sat down in the chair opposite me. “Don't worry. You have a fractured tibia and a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, but both are treatable. And your knee operation went very well.”
His smile faltered a little, just enough to bring my anxiety back in full force. I played with the seams of the bed sheet.
“I feel a ‘but’ coming on.”
“More like a ‘however’. However, it was a nasty fall. As youknow, healing from a ligament rupture takes time. Physical rehabilitation will take time.”
For a few seconds, I waited. Was thatall?I needed more than that.
“Will I still be able to dance?”
Doctor Petit and my mother exchanged a look that didn't bode well.
“Maybe. I can't tell you that just yet. As I said, your operation went well, but I'm not going to hide from you that in rare cases, healing isn't one hundred percent guaranteed.”
A sob formed in my chest. In less than a second, all my dreams and plans for the future had become unattainable, leaving nothing but sadness in their wake. My whole life had gone up in smoke in the blink of an eye.
Chapter 2
Alex
A new rumour was making its way through the school halls when Alex arrived. The only surprising thing was that, for once, it wasn’t about him. Knowing that most of the time rumours were more fantastic than reality, he tried not to listen to them. If the ones about him were anything to go by, Alex was a vampire who only drank the blood of virgins. His pale skin and dark hair didn't work in his favour. Or he was mixed up with a gang. It was absurd, of course, but he'd heard it before.
“Alex.”
