“Brittany, I need you to squeeze my hand if you can hear me.” This strange voice sounded so urgent. I squeezed the object he pressed into my palm.
“She’s coming back.”
“Her pulse is getting stronger.”
“Where’s Aiden?” my voice was raspy, my throat felt like it was cracking as I spoke.
“He’s just in the next room. How are you feeling?”
“I hurt. Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital. Do you remember what happened?”
“I was with Aiden. They wanted to take me away from him. I couldn’t let it happen. How long have I been here?”
“About a week now.” He stuck a needle in my arm. The liquid felt like fire in my veins.
“Is he going to be okay?”
“He’s going to be fine. Your parents are here to see you. Would you like to talk to them?”
“Yes.”
“They’ll be right in.”
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
“Can I see him?”
“Not right now.”
“Soon?”
“Perhaps.”
He left the room then, the door closing on its own weight. I looked around studying the controls and pushed the button that would put me upright. The walls were covered in cheery yellow wallpaper. Tiles alternated on the floor. My bag was in a chair by the bed. I reached for it as my mom walked in.
“You’re awake!”
“Hey, mom.” I croaked.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“Pepsi?”
She sighed but got me one anyway. It was hard going down my throat at first but it helped.
“Thank you.”
“Welcome.” She looked torn. “Why did you do it?”
“You were going to take me away. I couldn’t let it happen. I don’t know what I would do without him. I would say I was sorry but I’m not. I love him and I wasn’t about to let him go.”
“You couldn’t have just talked to me?”
“You wouldn’t listen!” I was crying now, angry tears stinging my eyes. “Because you didn’t
“She’s coming back.”
“Her pulse is getting stronger.”
“Where’s Aiden?” my voice was raspy, my throat felt like it was cracking as I spoke.
“He’s just in the next room. How are you feeling?”
“I hurt. Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital. Do you remember what happened?”
“I was with Aiden. They wanted to take me away from him. I couldn’t let it happen. How long have I been here?”
“About a week now.” He stuck a needle in my arm. The liquid felt like fire in my veins.
“Is he going to be okay?”
“He’s going to be fine. Your parents are here to see you. Would you like to talk to them?”
“Yes.”
“They’ll be right in.”
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
“Can I see him?”
“Not right now.”
“Soon?”
“Perhaps.”
He left the room then, the door closing on its own weight. I looked around studying the controls and pushed the button that would put me upright. The walls were covered in cheery yellow wallpaper. Tiles alternated on the floor. My bag was in a chair by the bed. I reached for it as my mom walked in.
“You’re awake!”
“Hey, mom.” I croaked.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“Pepsi?”
She sighed but got me one anyway. It was hard going down my throat at first but it helped.
“Thank you.”
“Welcome.” She looked torn. “Why did you do it?”
“You were going to take me away. I couldn’t let it happen. I don’t know what I would do without him. I would say I was sorry but I’m not. I love him and I wasn’t about to let him go.”
“You couldn’t have just talked to me?”
“You wouldn’t listen!” I was crying now, angry tears stinging my eyes. “Because you didn’t
