Handcuffed

Chapter 53

Chapter 53

People, it's to be expected that I wake up in the hospital.  And you would be right because I did.  I woke up in a hospital bed, physically.  Mentally, I was in hell because I was sure that I had died.  I was so sure that I wouldn't make it, just because the pain was so great; and because I survived too much and figured my luck was out.

"Albany?" I heard a soft and gentle voice whisper, as if slowly pulling me towards the surface.  It sounded like Emily... I went near it and as I did, the more my pain came back; the more conscious I became.  I felt the need there... to push. To move forward towards the top and the break of surface

"Shh, don't wake her, sweetie.  She'll wake up when she can," I heard another voice a moment later, seemingly louder, closer and deeper.  I went towards it, the darkness around me turning more into white light and consciousness.  

It took me a moment in the darkness to fully realize and reach my destination.  I became more aware of my surroundings.  The sweet smell of wherever I was, the silence behind every breath of mine.  I heard some mumbling as well and though the words were too quiet to understand fully, I knew there were people around me.  I could feel eyes resting on me, the gentle breaths in the room colliding together.  I heard the slight ring of a beep, the annoying repeating rhythm dancing inside me.  As every second passed with that slow annoying ring, the scent of sweetness filling me, the small murmuring... the more awake I came to be.

When I opened my eyes, I didn't understand why I was staring up at a ceiling.  It should be the Earth I fell from into Hell.  My vision cleared and a scared silence surrounded me.  As well as a shit ton of pain pulsing in my body, sharp and sore. With that terrible pain spread over my body came the reason why I was hurt even more clearly.  

It hit me all at once.  Everything. 

I was chased by Mark. In every way you can be chased it seemed.  It ended in me upside down in Luke's truck on the side of the road, gasoline drenched over me. Then the next thing that happened came to my mind.  That I was going to die.  I remembered the pain being much worse than it is now. I was about to be burned to death in a matter of seconds.  It was really rather amusing.  I figured Mark was just trying to give me a quick transition into hell by liting me on fire considering that's all that would be keeping me busy in hell anyway.  But Luke saved me.  He came, pulled me out, saved me then he shot Mark down. Five shots, I recall all too clearly.

I felt my lips part and I breathed deeper, my sight coming back even more as I blinked.  But my mind was still exsiting in a different world.  Because what I recall even more clearly was what occurred before all of that.  The strong moment Luke and I shared together. Oh god, it was so much more vivid too than the rush that happened directly after.  I couldn't stop seeing it in my head again as I laid there, facing up.  Those gorgeous tortured eyes before his longing lips. His strong bare arms wrapping around my body and holding me against him... holding me by my hair against his crazed lips when he wrapped me against him in his lap... Oh god Luke.  What has that man done to me to make my mind surrender to him and not something that neary killed me instead?

I closed my eyes, wanting to go back under and rest.  But that voice... it sounded just like Emily's and it spoke again.  "I think she's up, daddy.  Look!"

I couldn't give that up to go back under just because I was tired.  I missed Emily so much.... I kept my eyes wide open, trying to stay awake as I heard more movement take place in the room.  When I finally was able to turn my head in the desperate desire to find the source of that voice, my heart fell to ice with no relief of that of Emily.

When my eyes found her, I grew cold again of disappointment that it wasn't Emily.  Brooke gave me a gentle smile, her small shy lips tilting up under her big beautiful eyes.  It was torture.  She not only looked like her, she sounded like her or so I thought those few seconds ago.  Brooke's features came more into focus as did the rest of my surroundings.  The hospital bed, the cords hooked up to me, all the machines beside my bed, and all the people sitting around in the small room.