PART 2–CHAPTER 138
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PART 2 – CHAPTER 138
JESS
The first thing I noticed was the sound–sharp, relentless beeping. Then, the smell–disinfectant, sterile, like I was trapped in a box of chemicals. My eyes flew open, and all I saw was white–bright, blinding white–a ceiling I didn’t recognize. I tried to sit up, but my body wasn’t cooperating. My arms felt like lead, weighed down by something. I was stuck, trapped.
What the hell?
Panic hit me like a freight train. My chest tightened, breaths coming in quick, shallow bursts. Why couldn’t I move? What was wrong with me?
“Jessica, relax,” a clear and clinical voice snapped into my foggy brain. I blinked, and there was a woman leaning over me in scrubs. She looked too calm, as if none of this was as messed up as it felt. “You’re in the hospital. Just breathe, okay? Deep breaths.”
Hospital? Why was I in a hospital?
I tried to say something–anything–but my throat felt like it had been scraped raw with sandpaper. The sound that came out was a pitiful croak.
“Don’t try to speak yet. You’ve been through a lot,” she said, pushing me back down when I tried to sit up again. “You’ve been unconscious for a week.”
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Unconscious? A week?
I turned my head and froze. People were staring at me. A woman with tear–streaked cheeks and a man who looked like he hadn’t slept in days. They were right next to my bed, looking at me like they knew me.
Who the hell were they?
The woman gasped, clutching her hands over her mouth like she was about to break down. “Oh my God, Jess…”
“Jessica, honey,” the man said, stepping closer, his voice tight and cracking. “It’s Dad. You’re okay, baby. You’re gonna be fine.”
Dad?
I stared at them, my heart hammering out of control. No part of their faces clicked in my head. I had no idea who these people were or why they were looking at me like they knew everything about me. I was completely blank.
“Who–who are you?” I choked out, even though the words scratched painfully in my throat.
The woman–Mom?-started sobbing, and the man looked like someone had punched him in the gut.
“Jess… baby, it’s us,” he said like I was supposed to just know them. “It’s Mom and Dad. You don’t remember?”
Remember? I didn’t even know where I was.
Everything started closing in. My pulse skyrocketed, and I could feel the sweat on my forehead, my breathing getting faster and faster. I didn’t know these people. I didn’t know any of this.
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PART 2 CHAPTER 138
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The nur
put a hand on my arm, trying to calm me down. “Jessica, take a deep breath, alright? You’re safe. But you need to relax-”
“No, no!” I shook my head violently, ripping my arm from her grasp. “I don’t know you! I don’t know any of you!” My voice cracked again, but I couldn’t stop. My heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest.
The man–Dad, whatever–reached for me. “Sweetheart, please. You’ve had an accident. You don’t-”
I flinched, pulling away from his hand. “Don’t touch me! Get away from me!” My entire body was shaking. Nothing made sense. This was all wrong. So, so wrong.
“Jess…” Another voice cut through the chaos. A deeper one. Rough around the edges:
I turned toward the door, and there were two massive guys in the doorway. One was blond and looked a whole lot like the man who said he was his dad. The other guy was tall, with broad shoulders and messy dark hair–he looked like he had been through hell. His face was pale, and his eyes were hollow and…. sad? I wanted to stand up and give him a hug, which was really weird because I didn’t know him from a bar of soap.
I stared at him for a moment, feeling myself calm down. My heart was no longer hammering in my ears.
“There you go, honey,” the nurse said softly, and I looked at her. Do you know your name?” she asked, and I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. I assumed I was Jessica, but that’s only because they called me Jessica. To be honest, I had no clue.
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PART 2 CHAPTER 138
Tears started burning my eyes, and I shook my head.
The nurse stood up and turned around,” between Luke and me, her tone changing from calm to commanding. “Everyone out. This is overwhelming. We can try again later, one person at a time,”
“But-” the woman–Mom–began, but the nurse cut her off, her voice steel.
“She’s overwhelmed. I promise we will try again later.”
The dark–haired guy who filled the doorway didn’t move and just stared at me until the blonde guy gently pushed him out of the way. “Come on, man. You heard the nurse. Let’s give her space,” His face was torn between wanting to fight and realizing he couldn’t. He stared at me, and I saw something breaking in his eyes. But then he turned and walked out, leaving me in this nightmare.
The nurse grabbed an oxygen mask and slipped it over my face. “You need to breathe, Jessica. Deep breaths. Slow down.”
I tried, but the tears wouldn’t stop. I had no idea who I was. No idea where I was. And the people who were supposed to make it better just made it worse.
None of this was okay.
Not even close.
