Insufficient

Chapter 26 - Sicily

Juliana's POV

"And then, we finished watching the new Percy Jackson shows. There's two already released. I can't wait for the others..."

All I hear is a voice, rambling on and on and on. Half of the time I can't understand what it's saying.

I think it read me a story, now it's talking about a show.

"I haven't ever actually read the books, but so far my favourite character is Luke. He's been so nice and welcoming to Percy. He seems trustworthy."

Everything is really dark. Sounds keep drifting in and out. I feel so light.

But slowly an ache begins to form.

It's not just one area of my body like earlier either. My head feels like it's been slammed into a wall, my throat dunked in fire.

My chest hurts, something is tickling my nose and the back of my throat. It's like when you have a small piece of food stuck. But it's not enough to cause you to gag, just enough to be an annoyance.

My left leg feels stuck, and there's a lot of pain on my right side focused right below my neck.

My back and stomach hurt, and I was really wishing to go back into that oh-so-comfortable unconscious state.

But that didn't happen.

Instead, I stayed stuck. I listened to the incessant ramblings of the voice. Scarcely did I actually understand what it said, but it did lull me into relaxing.

The more relaxed I allowed myself to become, the more in control I felt.

It's like my mind was reconnecting to my body. First I started breathing more manually, then I started trying to move my toes and fingers, only to find that the only thing I could move was my right leg and left fingers.

I could feel my left leg, but I couldn't move it. And wiggling my fingers hurt too much.
Finally, after waiting for who knows how long, I was able to flutter my eyelids.

The voice kept rambling, and I finally started fighting for control. I took one last deep breath, before prying the bricks off my eyelids.

Opening my eyes was weird. My ears ring and everything was extremely bright. Too bright for my liking.

I let out a little groan which my throat did not appreciate, closing my eyes before they even had the chance to fully open.

The voice stopped, and I heard someone ask,

"Julie?"

The voice repeated my name, but I didn't want to open my eyes to that torturous light again.
Eventually the voice left. I heard a door slam.

At least, I can only assume it was a door.
Minutes pass, and slowly by surely I gain control over all my major limbs.

I open my eyes, anticipating the burn of the light. I'm able to keep them pried open long enough for them to adjust.

I see a lot of white. And windows. And machines.

I turn my head left to right, looking at my surroundings.