Courtney barely felt anything except pain as she was thrown against the wall.
She awoke to find herself on the floor injured. A powerful headache pricked at her eyes. Courtney looked down at her leg, buckets of acid rising in her throat. A small stream of blood was seeping out of the dog bite.
Her shattered wrists made it hard to get to her knees.
The floor felt filthy and soft to the touch. Courtney rubbed her strained eyes as she tried to find anything to hold onto. Her clueless hands scoured desperately to find her bearings. The search came to a stop as her arms gave way, her body crashing into a nearby nightstand and knocking a glass lamp. Her hearing split as the lamp hit the ground.
"Nick." Courtney was struggling to talk. A lack of oxygen was seizing at her voice, she was barely able to whimper to him. Courtney's mouth quivered as she tried to call out again. A thin piece of glass had lodged its way into her lip, trickling blood down her chin.
"I'm here, Courtney."
Her fear didn't settle, even after she heard him. Nick's brash figure moved toward her. Courtney's shudders grew worse. His expression of concern grew more readable as he moved closer. Bear stood tall beside him licking the scar on Nick's knee. Bear whimpered as he padded alongside Nick, struggling to drag his collar's heavy chains over the decomposing wooden floor.
"He won't hurt you anymore, Courtney. I promise."
Courtney gritted her teeth as she heard Nick's scratched combat boots crushing the glass beneath them. He crouched to her level, offering his hand.
She couldn't. Her body felt heavy, immovable.
"Courtney, please get up. It's not that bad."
He clenched his hand as he grew more impatient.
"It's not that bad, Courtney!"
"Stay away from me!" She couldn't even screech without heaving.
Her lungs were heavy. "I don't want Bear near me!"