The faint heart beat that filled my ears gave way to an annoying mechanical beep. I reached across to silence my phone, and hit something metal. My hands ached. The room was bright. Too bright.
Everything was white, white, white.
Why was everything white?
The bleep never stopped. I couldn’t find my phone. I flailed again, but the alarm kept going. So annoying.
“Stop.Stop, damn you." I flapped harder and cracked my hand on the metal thing. “Ow.”
“Sia.” Warmth enveloped my hand, and something sharp dug in.
“Double ow.”
“Sorry.”
The warmth disappeared.
Wait. Voice. Darkness.
So much darkness.Pain.
Ward.
I cracked an eye open all the way, peering through a bleary space at the only non-white looking thing that appeared to stare back at me.
Hard lines, tighter than ever, decorated Ward Bishop’s face. His tanned skin held a grayish hue. When I reached for him, he hesitated.
“It is you,” I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest. I strained toward him, but something held me back.Restraints.But no, those came off back when—
No. No, no, no no no nononono—
“It’s okay. He’s gone.” Ward crouched over me. His arms made a circle around my shoulders, protective, untouching, but warm all the same. “Where do you hurt?”
“Hurt?” I stared up at him, owlish. “Why would I hurt?”
The shock that reflected in his face told me I was full of shit, or that at least, I should be. But the truth was that for the moment at least, I didn’t hurt. My mouth, however, was dust bunny dry. “Water?”
“I can do that.” Ward jostled my hand, and I winced. “Okay, so that hurts.” He sighed out what sounded like relief.
“You’re glad I hurt?” I asked suspiciously.
“Only because that means you’re still with me.”
“Why wouldn’t I be—” I frowned as my sheets rustled, and bustling happened.
My room was invaded by a nurse—also dressed in white to fit the code— who spoke straight over my head.
“She won’t feel much for the next few hours.” Her face was almost as severe as Ward’s though her eyes weren’t, thankfully. I couldn't handle two of them in one space, and a female Ward?Ew. She looked down at me. “Those drugs are going to wear off shortly, Miss Bishop.”
“I’m married,” I corrected her.
“Indeed.” Her head tipped to one side, surveying my hands. “Then you’ll feel everything you and that other man got up to last night.”
I blinked.
Black. Hands. Slices.
Pain. So much pain.
