Page 5 of Beautifully Broken
A low, commanding voice booms in the distance and I will my eyes to open, but my body doesn’t listen.
My head feels like someone filled it with bricks as black dots dance in my vision.
Where the hell am I?
I try to open my eyes again, but I can’t.What is wrong with me?
I feel panic rising in my chest as the voice sounds again, this time sounding much closer and slightly…familiar.
“Why isn’t she awake? Aren’t you supposed to be some world-renowned doctor?”
“Sir. She overdosed on the scene. Paramedics got her back, but the second she arrived, her heart stopped again. That happened two more times before we were able to stabilize her. To you, she may not appear okay, but she is doing the best she can. Frankly, we are surprised she is breathing on her own at the rate she was declining.”
The sounds of something skidding against the floor, followed by a loud thud and grunt, send a wave of uneasiness through my bones.
Open your damn eyes, Blaire. Whoever that voice belongs to clearly is not here, wherever here is, for the right reasons.
“Don’t you dare speak those words into existence, or I swear to whatever God you worship, they will be your last. Do I make myself clear?”
“Y-Yes, sir. My apologies.” The doctor rattles off medical jargon that my current state refuses to understand and I try desperately to open my eyes again.
Nothing.
I try to move my hands or legs, something to signal to whoever is in the room that I am not some piece of flesh just lying here, but to no luck of my own, nothing happens.
Where the hell am I? What did I overdose on? How did I overdose?
The last thing I remember is what sounded like a fight breaking out and Trent opening the door, but then it all turned black.
What am I missing? Think, Blaire, think!
The answer hits me like a wave and my stomach rolls. When I stumbled back into Carson as all hell broke loose, and I was blinded by a sharp, stabbing pain in my stomach. Drugs. A copious amount of whatever fucking drugs they could get their hands on has to be the missing piece of the puzzle. The reason everything is a confusing mess; because there is no way in hell I would overdose on whatever concoction Carson and his goons have been forcing me to take for years. And with what Carson deals in, there is no doubt in my mind that whatever caused me to die, not once but multiple times, was done with precision and meant to be my ultimate demise.
But why am I here and why is some random guy freaking out that I am not awake? No one in my life cares if I live or die, which was clearly demonstrated tonight…or the other day.Shit! How long have I been out?
“I don’t care who you have to call or what laws you have to break to make sure that girl wakes up. And if I suspect for one instant that you are trying to do anything that prolongs me seeing those ivy-colored eyes, I promise you—” The man pauses as a bone-chilling, evil laugh erupts from his chest. “Well doc, I won’t spoil the ending for you because where is the fun in that?”
My mind races as I try to fight past the thick fog coating my memories. I know that voice.Why do I know that voice?
“Now go. Do not come back until I tell you to.”
“Yes, sir. I do have one question for you, if you wouldn’t mind me asking?” the doctor says, his voice sounding shaky.
The scent of smoke and pine fills my nose as a sigh that sounds inches from me reverberates through the room. “You sure are brave, Doc, but I will pity you one question. It better be good.”
“May I ask your relationship to the patient? The records show no living relatives and she appears to be a ghost to the Sheriff's office.”
The bed moves and I feel something brush against my skin. “Oh, Doc. You picked the wrong question, but I will give you the answer you seek because this beautiful creature happens to be my favorite topic of discussion. You see, this girl is mine. My obsession. My lifeline.” He pauses and I beg my body not to react, despite the panic coursing through my body like a rapidly spreading wildfire.
“I lost her many years ago. Now I am here to reclaim what has always been mine, and I will be damned if anyone gets in my way. And because you are my best chance at getting her stable enough to move, I will spare you. But do not think for one second I will not hesitate to rip you to shreds right here in this room if I see any hint of unwanted activity towards myself or her.”
“Yes sir. I will go check her labs and see if there are any changes.”
Footsteps retreat and the telltale sign of a door clicking shut echoes through the now quiet room, sealing me in with this stranger.
Do not panic, Blaire. Do not panic.
A large hand grasps mine, and warmth floods me as lips graze against my skin. “Open your eyes, Ivy. You’re safe now.”
