Center of Gravity

Chapter Nine

Phoenix 

I’m drowning.

Not in water, but in pitch black darkness. There is no light, no way out and it feels as if there is a giant rock pushed against my chest.

Relax, someone commands. But I can’t. My breaths are raspy and I fear that this is the end. My life will abruptly come to a stop and there is not a single damn thing I could do.

Or is there?

Just breathe. In and out.

There’s that soothing voice again.Was it that simple? I just had to remind myself to breathe and it would all be okay. I hope. In and out. Inhale and exhale.

There’s a light. It’s so close I can almost reach out to it. But I can’t find the strength. My arms won’t budge.

I’m drowning again. The darkness pulls me under, causing me to tumble and fall until my ray of light disappears completely.

***

“Phoenix. Phoenix, wake up.”

My eyelids flutter open against my will and a pair of bold emerald eyes stare back at me. Dan is kneeling beside my head where I must have fallen asleep on the couch. An afghan is draped over me and I kick it off suddenly feeling a little too warm.

“You okay? You were mumbling and tossing in your sleep.”

I sit up, wiping the faint sheen of sweat over my brow. “I’m fine. Where’s Billie?”

The last thing I remember is sitting on the couch with Billie watching some chick flick – her choice of course. After being rushed to hospital and receiving stitches down the left side of my hairline, both Billie and Dan refused to leave my side.  Even after telling them a million times that I was fine, they apparently had some pact to not leave my side at any moment. Fury aside, it was actually comforting to know that were people out there who cared that much about you.

“She’s covering your shift, so she left early this morning.”

Which reminded me. “Don't you have to be at work?” I ask.

“Nope. I already called in sick.”

I give Dan a disapproving look. “You didn't have to do that. I honestly feel fine.”

“Sorry, P. I’m on strict instructions not to leave your side. I brought breakfast, by the way.” Dan heads into the kitchen and returns with a brown paper bag stained with butter and two Styrofoam coffee cups. He pulls out two bagels, handing one to me as well as a coffee. I take a sip of the coffee first, desperately needing my daily dose of caffeine.

“You know, if it wasn't for the coffee, I would probably still be trying to argue with you.”

Dan smirks. “Well, at least now I know how to get on your good side.”

“So," I take a bite out of my bagel, "since you insist on babysitting me, what’s on the agenda today?”

Dan chugs down the rest of his coffee. “Well, since you and Billie made me sit through that horrid movie yesterday, I thought I would pick the movie this time.”

“Okay first of all, it wasn't that bad. And second, what do you have in mind?”

Dan walks over to the counter and picks out two movies from a plastic bag. He holds up both of them so I can take a look, but I don't recognize either.

He looks at me in disbelief. “Don't tell me you haven’t seen either,” he says when I look at him helplessly.

I shrug. “Sorry.”