Enforced (Book 1)

Chapter 32

While I was asleep I dreamed the happiest dream in the world. I had run away with Benjamin and we lived in the woods in a cabin. Richardson wasn't in charge and there was no one to hurt us. Every night we laid out under the stars, the trees above us, the fire flies flying around us, me in Benjamin's arms. The perfect life. But these dreams were torn away from me when the drugs wore off. And all I was left with was an immense pain throughout the entirety of my body.
I laid there for what felt like hours, not fully awake, but not fully unconscious. I couldn't hear or see anything around me. The only thing in my entire world was blinding, deafening, excruciating, pain. It hurt to breathe.

Eventually I felt myself begin to come to. The pain was still there but it wasn't the only thing in my world, so it wasn't as bad. Eventually I began to hear things around me. And then, I opened my eyes.

"Good morning beautiful." Benjamin whispered as soon as my eyes fluttered open. His face was glistening with tears.

"Where's Mijan?" I asked.

"Over here, sweetheart." A voice behind me responded.

I tried to turn my head to see him but Benjamin stopped me, "You can't move for a while, okay?"

"Bethany, honey, let me explain your injuries to you." Dr. Mijan came into view of me and continued, "You received a terrible concussion and a slightly fractured skull. Luckily the fracture will heal on its own. For the concussion, you need to limit movement as much as possible. You need to take frequent breaks. You need to rest."

"I stitched up the cut in your neck. Benjamin already relocated your shoulder so I didn't have to deal with that."

"You have a couple broken ribs and a broken nose. I put those back in place, but you have to be careful with your ribs. It is going to be painful to breathe."

"I also put your knuckles back in place and put a cast on that. The fracture became worse."

"The cuts on your arm didn't need any attention, besides antibiotics, Benjamin took care of that. The bruises on your body will heal alone."

The disgust over what Acer had put me through was evident on both Dr. Milan and Benjamin's faces.

"Okay." I said, not knowing how to respond.

"Bethany," he began, "I saved the worst for last. You had some internal bleeding so I had to operate. You almost died. Luckily, Benjamin is the same blood type as you, because without a blood transfusion, you would've died. I would've had to go back to the hospital and it would have been too late by then."

No wonder I was in so much pain. I knew the ambulances came very well equipped, but I didn't know they came that well equipped.

"Thank you." I whispered. "Both of. You." Benjamin seemed a little woozy, the amount of blood I needed must have been more than most donors give.

"You. Okay?" I asked Benjamin worriedly. Afraid that he had given too much.

"You're okay Bethany, so I'm great."

"And Bethany," Dr. Mijan said, deliberately, making sure I was hearing him clearly, "you are very, very lucky that you aren't dead."

Stupidly I tried to nod again and I cringed, but didn't let out a whimper.

"Bethany," Benjamin began, "Dr. Mijan is going to take us as far away from here as possible. North, into the woods. We are going to escape the country. Dr. Mijan can't take us all the way out of the country, where we are going to find refuge, but he is going to get us as far as possible. I heard there are rebels outside of the country taking in refuges from here, they hate Richardson and want to help anyone who is in danger because of him."

"Thank you." I said, "Thank. You. so much." Dr. Mijan nodded in response and tossed Benjamin a portable radio. Listen to this to find out any information you can about the search they are doing to find you."

"You don't. know. How much we. Appreciate. This." I said.

"Shhh." Said Dr. Mijan and Benjamin simultaneously. "Just rest okay?" said Mijan.

"'Kay." I replied. And I let myself fall asleep to the rocking of the ambulance.