Prologue
Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep
"She appears to be in good shape physically. She's been fed, exercised. She was a bit dehydrated when she was brought it, but that was all."
"There doesn't look to be any problems with her. No signs of abuse," a cough interrupted the voice, "Though we did find a nasty scar on her left side, and her right femur does appear to have been broken. But there is evidence that she has received medical attention for it."
Somebody scoffed.
"So what are you saying, Doctor? That she is in tip top shape, even after two years?"
"Physically, yes. We cannot say anything about her mental state until she wakes up."
Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep
The sheets felt clammy against her body, and the constant beeping was close to driving her insane. There was a certain smell in the room, something familiar though new to her at the same time.
Her lips felt chapped and her eyelids heavy. She swore she could practically feel how greasy her hair was as it clung to the sides of her face.
'Wake up, Ave.'
What is going on?
'You have got to wake up.'
A sob hit hear ears along with a gentle hand caressing her arm.
"Avery, please."
Suddenly it was like her lung collapsed and her ability to breathe disappeared, forcing her to cough. Her eyes opened and she quickly lifted her head off of the pillow, desperately trying to get her breathing under control.
A hand clamped down on her shoulder and a small white plastic glass filled with water was brought up to her lips.
She finally caught her breath, and looked to her right where her mother sat, her grey eyes filled with tears threatening to fall.
"Hey Aurora."
Avery shifted her gaze toward the edge of her bed, catching the eye of her brother.
"Thought I told you not to call me that anymore, James."
The sentence came out raspy, making her throat feel like sandpaper.
Her mother broke and the tears finally fell, her arms closing around Avery's body.
"I told them you'd come back. I told them!"
Ave smiled slightly and brought her arms up to embrace her mother. She smelled exactly like she remembered. A mixture between cinnamon and Camel cigarettes.
"Mom, let Ave get some air. It is not like she'll be leaving anytime soon," James snickered "How about you get the Doctor, and I'll get her some more water"
Her mother released her grip and nodded, taking her time to caress her daughter's face.
"I'm so glad you're here." She whispered, and got up to leave the room.
After the door closed, the hospital room was filled with a dreadful silence. Avery looked down upon her hands, looking at the small scar on her thumb. Daring not to look up, she heard James' footsteps walking over to the chair that her mother had just vacated.
The god-awful sound of the legs on the chair being dragged across the floor closer to her bed, filled the room.
"Where did you go?" James whispered, interrupting Avery's spacing by grabbing her hand.
She looked up at him, expecting to see a look of anger and disappointment but was met with sorrow and love from his eyes.
She shook her head.
"You wouldn't believe me." She muttered, her eyes still meeting his.
"You'd think I'd gone mad." She continued.
"Try me."
