Until Dawn: Reclaiming Life
Chapter 1 of my Until Dawn story, enjoy.
Reviews
Marina Ka-Fai: Thanks.
Boris Yeltsin: Thanks.
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :) Yeah, sadly, well, read on and see :(
Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Until Dawn or its characters.
Chapter 1
It was slow, everything fuzzy and still strangely numb; Ashley couldn't understand it.
'Am I, am I...I should be dead...What happened, the last thing I remember, Chris.' She thought sluggishly.
Slowly her eyes fluttered open, finally registering a slow steady noise which turned out to be the blip of a heartbeat monitor. She was also aware of a hospital issue oxygen tube affixed around her head and into each nostril.
She still felt numb, not feeling the pain she expected to feel, aside from one arm which was fixed to an IV, her body was covered up to her chest by the blankets, not that she felt exposed; she was wearing a hospital gown after all.
As full awareness finally returned to her, her panic also returned as she recalled her attack and then her fear, what had happened; she was in a hospital, how had she ended up here; what about everybody else?
Her panic caused the heartbeat monitor to fluctuate in response as her own heart rate increased due to her fear.
"Ash!"
She started and turned her head; sitting there, looking thoroughly exhausted, yet relieved beyond measure, was Chris.
"You're awake, oh thank God, I...I." He stammered.
She remained frantic however, still worried, still upset. "Chris..."
The words were choked, her voice hoarse from disuse and her fear.
Chris gently shook his head as she tried to rise.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, don't try to get up yet, just take it easy, nice and slow." He said quickly.
Ashley bit her lip, but nodded. There was a pause then, Chris was looking at her as if he could hardly believe his eyes.
"How did I...get here, what, what happened?"
The questions just came tumbling out; the words that truly shocked her however, were the first ones out of Chris' mouth.
"It's been...six days Ash, you were out for six days." He paused and began to explain. "The doctors weren't sure you'd make it, you'd lost a lot of blood..."
Six days, six since she'd last been at the lodge. She listened in numb disbelief as Chris explained getting her out of that awful cavern, taking her back to the lodge and providing what first aid he could. At most he was able to staunch the worst of the bleeding and buy her time, then the Wendigos had attacked the lodge.
Ashley shuddered. 'God, and all that time, I was...just dead weight.'
Chris continued his story. "Mike and Sam...managed to come up with a way to deal with the Wendigos; I...I got you out of there and, once they managed to break a light bulb to create a spark that would ignite the broken gas line...They ran for it and Sam turned the lights on."
Ashley gasped hearing this, so, the lodge had been blown up, the Wendigos too.
But something else troubled her; looking around, she could only see Chris.
"You said Sam and Mike, where are they?"
Chris nodded. "Just outside; I'll...Once the doctor sees you and says it's alright, they'll be told and come in to see you."
Ashley couldn't help but notice his expression. "Chris...the others?"
"Dead..." He said, his voice hollow. "Josh...Jess, Matt, Emily…"
"All of them?"
He nodded and Ashley couldn't help it, she cried out, breaking down. Chris hugged her gently, doing his best to soothe her, but she was nearly inconsolable. Before she could ask anything else the doctor entered.
"Ah, Miss Brown, you're awake." He said.
She nodded. "I...Doctor, am I…?"
The doctor nodded. "The fact that you've regained consciousness was the final step. We did everything we could and were waiting for you to wake up. You will make a full recovery..."
Ashley caught his hesitance. "But…?"
"Doctor I think...it's for the best, get it over with." Chris said quietly. "Let her see."
"See what, Chris, what are you talking about?!" Ashley demanded, panicking.
The doctor just nodded, his face grim, something which didn't make her feel any better.
The doctor approached her, holding a mirror.
"Now, we did everything we could, Miss Brown, but, well..." He said, his voice low.
She waited, nerves nearly fraying; then finally he held out the mirror and she looked; she gasped in horror at the sight of her face.
Etched into her flesh were the marks of the Wendigo's claws; the left side of her face bore the brunt of the damage, deep scars, including one that seemed to have taken a small gouge out of her left cheek; she remembered the other places that had been attack, no doubt more of the same scars.
She was disfigured, permanently, whenever she saw a mirror now, this would be the horrible image staring back at her.
"No!" She cried in disgust and dismay.
Chris quickly grabbed hold of her, hugging her, partly to comfort her and partly to restrain her. She had been so disgusted and horrified by what she saw in that mirror, she had tried to lash out and smash it.
Chris bit his lip and just held her, his heart breaking just that little bit more with every gut-wrenching sob that escaped her lips.
End of chapter, now Ashley has seen the damage done, despite her recovery, read and review please.