Masks :: Chapter 16

I drew in ragged breaths as I awaited Nora and Alex's help.  Nora was telling him to do something, but the words weren't making sense being strung together the way they were.  I hadn't gotten a good look at the room imprisoning me, but even so, the words she was saying shouldn't have gone together.

"Alex, get back from the door."

"Why?"

"Because we're going to turn around and leave."

"What?!  We can't just leave her in there!"

"We're not going to."  I could hear in her voice a sense of finality.  Were they just going to leave me in here?  That seemed cruel, in the kindest sense.  I could hear both of their footsteps echo away.  They were leaving me.  Why?  I wanted to pull myself to the bars, beg them not to leave, but they were already gone, and I couldn't move, I was so afraid of the pain that had the possibility of coming back.  I could have wept.  I'm glad I didn't.

There was a giant explosion from near my feet, where I thought there had formerly been a brick wall.  Now there was a giant hole, the metal bars on the window sailing over to the opposite wall and hitting the other bars.  As the smoke began to clear, I could feel arms trying to pull me up to a standing position.

I whimpered in pain.

"Alex, get over here.  I don't think she can stand, let alone walk.  Help me get her out of here."

I could feel hands on me, and arms beginning to support me, but the pain overwhelmed me again.  I blacked out.


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When I came to, I was in a white room and I was cold again.  Cold air nipped at my legs and arms, which felt bare.  Where were my clothes?  Where was I?

"You're awake!" I could recognize Nora's voice as I turned my head to look at her.  "Thank goodness too; you were looking pretty pale back there."

I tried to move my mouth, but the movement seemed slow.  My brain seemed slow.

"She's still under anesthetic, my dear.  She probably doesn't have a clue what you're talking about."

Indeed, I was trying to rake my mind for any idea of what she was mentioning, but I was coming up with nothing.

A man in a white lab coat came into view.  "Juliet?  Is that your name?  Blink twice for yes, once for no."

I blinked twice, albeit slower than normal.

"The anesthetic is still wearing off," he told Nora.  "You could probably go get your friend now, and we'll talk about treatment."

Nora exited the room, and he came back over to me.  "You had few broken ribs, close enough to your lungs to pierce them through.  You're a lucky, lucky girl to still be alive, do you know that?  And what did you do to your hand?"  He lifted up my injured hand, which had previously had a bandage on it.  Now it was open to the air, able to be seen by eyes that evaluated, made judgments.  "Your friends are coming back soon.  Would you like me to open a window?"

I tried to nod, but my head only moved in imperceptible motions.  I blinked twice.

"Alright, I'll go open a window.  How about water?  Would you like some?"

I blinked once.

"Alright.  I'm going to sit in here hand take another look at your charts.  If you need me, I'm right here."  He backed away slowly, as if he were afraid that I were having a nervous breakdown instead of recovering from anesthesia.

I didn't know this guy, but I couldn't help but trust him.  For one, I couldn't move past blinking.  Two, he seemed like an honestly nice doctor.  Kindly, almost elderly in a way.  He reminded me of my grandmother on a good day.

Nora and Alex returned a few minutes later.  I could tell Alex's rushed footsteps from Nora's high-heeled ones.  "Where is she?" he demanded before finally coming into my view.  "Juliet?"  I blinked a couple of times, which Nora reassured him was normal before I got my motor skills back.  "What the hell happened?  You go missing in the middle of the night, and we find you ten hours later in jail?  Do I even want to know this story?"

From the look in my eye, Nora grinned.  "Probably not.  But you're going to find out anyways."