Chapter Sixteen
Maya
Everything hurts.
What is happening? I can hear people talking around me, but I can’t register what they’re saying. Are they whispering? I don’t recognise any of the voices. And what the hell is all the banging? Oh wait, the banging is in my head.
Fuck, my head hurts.
“Her mum is on the way here. It was strange, she seemed shocked that we would call her.”
“Her mum? She won’t want her here,” A new voice says angrily.
“We have her down as Maya’s next of kin, it is protocol to call.”
I can hear them talking all around me, but I still can’t work out who’s speaking. How do they know I wouldn’t want my mum here? What is going on? I can feel apprehension start to set in. Everything is so dark. I try with all my might to fight through the pain ricocheting around myhead to open my eyes. At first the brightness is too much, making me slam my eyes shut again. I attempt to open my eyes two more times before finally succeeding.
Who are these people?
Why are they staring at me?
I clutch the blanket that’s laid over me, pushing myself up the bed, needing to be as far away as I possibly can. Only one of my hands is working, which results in me almost falling off the bed. The sting of tears prickle up my nose as pain shoots up the arm that I’ve leant on to catch myself.
My heart is beating so fast I’m surprised no one can see it bouncing from outside of my chest. The monitor next to me is beeping so fast and loud now and as I look down my body I realise it’s attached to me.
What the hell is going on?
Where has all the oxygen gone? I can’t breathe.
“Honey, you need to calm down. Just breathe. You’ve been in an accident and got banged up pretty badly,” The lady speaking comes closer to me, but I shrink away. She is acting like she knows me, but I have definitely never seen her before.
My whole body feels like it’s shaking. I try to get it under control but the pounding of my head and heart, I can’t do it. I look around the room at all the people who surround me and hit my limit. My breathing is still coming in rapid spurts.
“Blair, go and get a doctor! She’s having a panic attack.” An older man says, coming round to the side of the bed.
I try to move away from his reach, but as I do I lean on my arm again and cry out in pain. Why are these people so intent on crowding me? He’s even closer now, a woman at his side reaching for my shoulder.
I scream.
The staff must of heard the commotion as a few seconds later people dressed in uniform run into the room.
“What’s going on? Oh Maya, you’re awake!” A young, handsome man says, coming to stand at the end of my bed. “I’m Dr Smyth. I’ve been the doctor in charge of your care. You have been unconscious for the past three days after being in an accident. You have sustained injuries to your head and your arm. Now, I know this is a lot of information to take in but I need to check you over to make sure you’re ok, will you allow me to do that? Your heart rate monitor doesn’t seem too happy since you woke up,” He waits for me to nod and then walks around to the other side of the bed to check the monitors I’m strapped to, pressing buttons that I have no idea about. They could be doing anything to me right now.
I feel like a caged animal, putting on a show for all to see.
I try speaking to him, but my throat is too tight. Which makes sense now I know I havebeen out of it for days.
“Who…” I cough to clear the cobwebs from my throat. “Who are all of these people?”
Dr Smyth studies me now, with a confused look on his face. His eyebrows drawing in close. He points to a woman stood near the open door across the room. I’m sure she wasn’t here when I first woke up, maybe she works here.
“Maya, do you know who this is?” he asks.
I study the woman. She is beautiful with long, curly blonde hair, staring at me hopefully.
“Erm, a nurse?” I ask confused.
How the hell would I know.
