Page 104 of Releasing 10
“Hey.” Reaching for her arm, I tried to rouse her as gently as I could. “It’s me.”
However, the moment I touched Liz, she went berserk, lashing out wildly with her arms and legs. She didn’t say a word throughout the whole ordeal. On the contrary, she was deathly silent in her hysteria, thrashing and kicking like her life depended on it.
“Jesus!” Startled, I staggered away from the bed and held my hands up. “Lizzie, it’s me, Hugh.”
When I spoke my name, something shifted inside her and she stopped moving altogether. “Hugh?”
“Yeah, Liz, I’m here,” I replied, wanting to go to her but unsure if that was what she wanted. “Roll over and look at me.”
With great effort, she did, and when her eyes met mine, I felt a stab in my chest. Because they didn’t look like her eyes. They weren’t pale blue anymore. They were almost black.
“Sorry,” she whispered, tucking her hands under her cheek. “I thought I was still in my dream.”
“That’s okay,” I replied, standing at the side of her bed. “Was it a bad dream?”
She shrugged. “They’re all bad.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She shook her head. “Too tired.”
“Can I sit?”
She nodded.
Feeling relieved, I slowly lowered myself onto the mattress. “I’ve been worried about you.”
“Hmm.” Her eyelids fluttered. “I’m okay.”
She wasn’t.
She absolutely wasnotokay.
“What happened?”
“I was bad,” she mumbled.
“Bad?”
She nodded.
“I don’t understand.”
“Me either.” Her tongue poked out to wet her cracked lips. “I’m sick, Hugh.”
My heart sank. “You are?”
She tapped her temple. “In here.”
“No, you’re not.” Unable to stop myself, I reached down and stroked her cheek. “You’re perfect.”
“I’m sick.” Her hand shot out from under the covers and covered mine. “I’m not right in the head.”
“Don’t say that,” I pleaded, feeling panicked. “You’re my Lizzie. Same as you’ve always been.”
“The doctor gave me new medicine,” she whispered, keeping my hand on her cheek with her own hand. “I’m so tired all the time.”
“Did you tell them that?”
