Chapter 1- Emily's POV
The bed felt hard against my back, the mattress was far too hard, and the covers didn't smell of home. I swallowed hard, but my throat was too try and just made me cough. I forced my eyes to open, and blinked a few times, until the room I was in stopped swimming. The ceiling was white, with three LED strips for lighting that were harsh and made my head hurt. I stretched my legs, and winced at the pain that shot up through my left side. I breathed deeply, fighting the pain, and pushed myself up. I heard a gentle snore to my right, and turned to look. I smiled, seeing my twin Katie in a chair beside my bed. 'Katie!' I tried to say loudly, but it came out as a hoarse whisper. I coughed slightly, and said her name again, this time it came out slightly louder, and she stirred awake. She blinked and looked at me, first with shock, and then sheer happiness. 'Emsy! You're awake!' She practically screamed, and dived at me. I gasped again as she made contact, my ribs on the left hand side killed. She stood back quickly, 'sorry sorry sorry!' She said, 'can you remember anything?' I frowned and shook my head, I didn't even know where I was. 'You were in an accident, some hit and run, Cook was with you though, called an ambulance. You were out cold, have been for 3 days now. Thank God you're awake, we've all been worried sick!' She explained so fast I barely heard. I sat for a few moments in silence, then looked at her. 'Can I get something to eat?'
Cook came barging in the room, I had been awake 2 hours, and was fully fed and watered. 'Emilio man! Don't do that to me again kiddo! Thought you was gone!' He said it with his signature cheeky grin, but I could tell from his eyes he meant it, there was a lot of pain and relief in them. 'I'm still feeling pretty crappy mate, doctors said I'm not going to be fully awake for a few hours, but after they'll let me out yeah?' He nodded slowly, and sat in the seat Katie had previously been sat in. 'I was shit scared, Emily man. I need you, y'know? Can't imagine what it would have been like if you hadn't come round.' He says so quietly I can barely hear him, and I know he means every word, his voice so filled with emotion, and the use of my proper name broke my heart. 'I'd never leave you, James, you know that. I'll be up and about as your wingman in no time!' I smiled softly at him, and heard him barely whisper 'I love you' as I drifted back to sleep. For the next few what I think were hours, I drifted in and out of consciousness, barely awake for more than a few minutes, but each time either Katie, Cook or my dad was sat beside me, holding my hand and making sure I was okay.
'Katie, I think I'm awake for real this time.' I said slowly, my mouth feeling funny moving around the letters. She jumped, startled by the noise, and put her magazine down. 'What makes you so sure?' she said snidely, but I could tell she was genuinely interested. I shrugged, 'just feel more awake y'know? Like, I can see properly and all that shit. I need a shower though, and like, a change of clothes?' I said it as a question, but it was more of a statement. She nodded in understanding, said she'd go get the doctor, and left the room. I sat up fully in my bed, and finally looked properly around. It was pretty dull, white walls with a single door, a window with the curtains drawn, and a bedside table. I could feel a pad against my chest with a wire that led to a machine that measure my heart rate and BPM, but that was the only sign I was in a hospital. After a few minutes, Katie returned, this time with a female doctor in tow. 'Hello Emily, nice to see you awake. Katie here says you're feeling much better, but I need to just do some small tests. If everything is okay then you'll be leaving within a few hours.' She smiled at me, and I nodded my understanding. She produced a small torch from her pocket, and opened my right eye with her hand. She shone the light in and told me to move my eye from left to right, and then up and down. She repeated that with my left eye, and told me that that was all functioning well. I then had to chant the 12 times table, and then move different parts of my body at her request. I told her I couldn't remember anything from the night it happened, but everything in my life before that, she told me this was normal and my memory would return soon enough. Smiling, she took some notes on a clipboard, and said she'd be back in a short while to tell me if I was free to go. After she laughed, Katie burst out laughing, and I turned to look at her, questioning her actions. 'This is all so bloody surreal!' she spluttered, before laughing again. I had to agree, and we sat giggling until the doctor returned.
'Okay, you're free to go. Here are your release forms. Take it easy for the next few days, okay Emily? And if you experience any nausea, headaches, or migraines, come straight to hospital okay? We called your father, and he's here to pick you and your sister up. Stay safe.' Katie and I walked through the corridors of the hospital, as the doctor turned into another patient's room. Katie took hold of my hand, and squeezed it gently. 'I'm so glad you're coming home, imagine if I'd have had to start college by myself!' She said, gleefully.