In The Dark

Number Seventeen. Scene

It feels like something foreign and misplaced is invading my throat and snaking down into my chest. Where something has been poking out of my chest between my ribs, on the left side, the more I regain consciousness I realise that it's a phantom feeling and there isn't anything there anymore.

Everything is way too bright when I begin to open my eyes, the room is completely silent, it feels strange to open my eyes after what feels like so long. I've been unconscious for a while which is obvious, but if Carter did what I asked it has obviously not been a month since we were found in the woods after that fucking car explosion.

"Wren?" My eyes flutter open again, and Carter's stitched up face is next to me, he looks excited and apprehensive at the same time. "Do you want me to get the doctor to take out your tube?"

I nod slightly at him, trying not to focus on how disgusting the foreign feeling of the tube down my throat feels, a freak-out just after waking up is not what I need.

It feels even worse as they pull it out and Carter didn't return with the doctors, not because I want it to be him but because I want to not be alone. I want to know how everyone else is and to know that they're okay and that we didn't lose anyone else.

"Wren Newland, I think I might just kill you myself" I rip my eyes away from my doctor to see Theo standing with crutches in my doorway, a cast all the way up his leg but he is alive and standing and I think I might just cry. From relief and also pain as the needle that had previously been in between my ribs is pulled out.

"You're okay" I whisper as he moves towards me quickly. Leaning down to hug me tightly which to my relief doesn't hurt in the slightest, pain was the last thing I remember.

"I'm just fine, you're the one everyone has been worried about" He chuckles, leaning down to kiss me, my wrist is bandaged up but that doesn't stop me from stroking his cheek.

"How long has it been?" I ask, "Since they found us all?"

"Twenty-eight days"

"What?" I gasp, choking on air slightly. "That long?"

"Your injuries were pretty severe baby; you've been unconscious this whole time"

"So, tell me what happened to me?"

"Broken wrist, cracked ribs, collapsed lung which explains why you couldn't breathe, and your head was bleeding and well... the miscarriage. And much as I hate to admit it, Carter saved your life"

"I could've told you that"

"Pretty heroic of him"

"Suppose... anyway, how are the others?"

"Tyler is fine, he had to have surgery on his shoulder but is set to make a full recovery. Skye had pretty severe wrist damage, he only has 50% function in his left hand and a few cracked ribs, but he recovered quite quickly, Lewis, well he had many surgeries, but he should be fine now, he like me is still here; only I broke my leg in three places and cracked my pelvis.

"Oh god, I don't think I even processed how bad things were when we were down there in the woods, I could barely even think" I mumble, clutching his hand tightly.

"Carter, well he had the obvious facial injury, but he had bleeding on his brain and if not for Dan finding us so quickly, he would've died not even five hours later. He saved almost all of us"

"He did" I sigh, "I was going to tell you about the baby when we got home, I'm sorry we never got the chance too"

"No, don't you dare apologise for that. There is nothing you could have done"