Air. She needed air as quickly as possible. Cassie began to choke and cough violently, as something stuck in her air tube. The airflow into her collapsed lung wing and panic increased. "Where ... am ... I ..." she tried to say with a croak. Cassie cannot see anything, it was completely dark around her. But the confused voices in her head finally formed clear words, like an echo. "It's all right, Miss Cage, we're there for you, please stay calm. Breathe calmly, we are now removing your tube!"

Breathe calmly! Very funny, she thought, if a 20 cm long rubber tube stuck deep in your own throat. This, however, didn't prepare her for the disgusting feeling as with a squealing noise on her cartilages it slipped through the dried-out larynx and finally they pulled it with long threads of saliva from her mouth. Cassie's weakened body reared and she vomited a splash of frothy bile that dripped laterally over her mouth on the cheek. Instantly the pain returned, just a burn all over her face. The young Cage cried out with agony and panted extremely, because her lungs were very weak.

"It's all right, stay calm! Wreth, please give me supra, 1:10 diluted, 8 ml, fast!" In the meantime, someone touched and stroked her arm, but her feeling didn't return completely yet. It felt like thousands of pinsticks. "You mustn't be frightened now, I'll dribble you a bit of supra in your throat! It's cold, but it will ease your breathing. Attention!" Someone spread her jaw gently. When the ice-cold liquid ran over her torn vocal cords, she was overcome by a renewed coughing and suffocation. But the unknown man was right. At last, her airways widened and Cassie breathed weakly but regularly.

"You're doing very well! We'll give you something to handle the pain. You'll feel better, I promise!" The infusions were like ice crystals in her elbow as the fluid with the morphine passed through the semi-thrombosed venous catheter. Her still half-feeling and painful body began to relax, the terrible burning in her face eased up. "How do you feel now, Miss Cage?" "It's a little bit better." She croaked tired, her throat was still swollen and irritated from the long intubation. She took all the strength together for her first question. "Who are you and where am I?" The man cleared his throat.

"Then we both welcome each other finally. My name is Dr. Alan Nephron, I've been your treating doctor for the past 23 days. Since then, you've been here with us in the hospital." Her brain was visibly paralyzed. It took a long time to process the words. "23 days?" She heard a soft metallic sound. "You have already understood. 23 days have passed since your delivery. Can you remember the past events?" Cassie felt a slight pull on her head. She didn't answer the question immediately. "Why can I not see? Am I blind?" A snap right next to her ear. "Your eyes should be intact. You wear only a facial bandage that has hidden your eyes. I'll remove the first layer now. The last bandage over your eyes will be left for their protection."

She felt the soft fabric loose from her skin. "You mustn't be frightened, the light will be very unfamiliar to you. It takes a short time to get used to the environment. Just let me know if you can see contours and colors." Dr. Nephron paused. "Caution, I'll remove your top bandage from your eyes!" Bright light dazzled Cassie as the doctor took the bandage from her eyes. She was too weak to hold her hands in front of the light, so she pinched her eyelids tight. This effort was enormous, but Cassie slowly began to differentiate various greens and blues.

The blurred space began to take contours. She saw flashing technical devices of all kinds, white walls and in front of her two figures: a large middle-aged man and a small, plump young woman with black hair. Everything was like a mosquito net, because there was still a dressing layer for the protection of the first light incidence before her eyes. The man, who's Dr. Nephron, nodded contentedly. "Can you see us?" Cassie nodded cautiously. "Very nice. Then we've already calmed down." He sat down beside her bed on a chair. "Would you be able to answer me a few questions, Miss Cage?" He quickly added, "For God's sake, if you feel too badly, that's no problem at all! We can postpone it to tomorrow."

Cassie slowly moved her aching head from left to right. "No, it's ok." She murmured. "I can make it." He laid a log on his lap. "All right, we're starting. Don't worry, it's really not that difficult. Please, can you give me your full name, Miss?" Thought it was still difficult for her, but she took all the strength for it. "Cassie. Cassandra Carlton Cage. Or Sergeant Cage. As the Lord desires." He smiled. "Your humor pleases me. Well then. How much can you remember? Can you remember at least anything?" She shuddered at the event. The event that led to Raiden. What she had brought to the hospital. It was blurred, her memory gaps. Slowly, she tried to put the puzzle together in her brain. "Me... Jacqui ... I can remember that we wanted to go to Vegas. We were still together with our team. Then there was an attack. I cannot remember anything more. I'm sorry."

Exhausted, she sank deeper into her head pillow. Dr. Nephron took notes eagerly. "It's all right. I'm very impressed that you can remember the attack at all." Her eyes were down on her body, down over all the hoses, bandages and rails. Hematomas, scraped-up skin spots. Cassie's eyes fixed those of the doctor. "What happened to me?" He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "You friends, and especially you, Miss Cage, were severely wounded in this attack. Your family, friends, and all our team are happy that you have escaped with your life." Her eyes grew wide. "Oh yeah. We had to perform surgery on you at least seven times. And you were now 22 days in the artificial coma. Until now."

Her brain was chattering violently. She took pains to understand what was being said. 22 days of coma. Was the encounter with Raiden just a delusion? A dream? Or had he really dug into her soul to give her this strange message? Dr. Nephron noted that it was slowly too much information for the young soldier. "I will leave you alone now, but especially inform your parents, 'cause no one know. It will also occasionally a nurse control your vital functions. You have to rest now, you have some exhausting days behind you. We'll clarify further details when you get better." She opened her mouth to say something. Dr. Nephron smiled. "Don't worry, I'll give you an analgesic for the pain. Everything will be all right, trust us." A yellowish liquid trickled into the infusion bottle and then into her veins. The doctor left the room.

Cassie's eyes were heavy. The exertion of the last minutes was too much for her beaten body. Though she torment so many questions. Who had attacked her? How bad were the injuries? Where was her family? But now she just wanted to sleep. Slowly, her eyelids closed as the painkiller drove her senses. But in her last twilight state, this flash of light reappeared before her eyes. Red flash light, like the injection of blood. She hoped it was Raiden and he would come to protect her. But it was not Raiden. An image flashed before her inner eye. It was the face of a man with a leathery, devouring face, followed by her scream that came deep from her heart as her lips formed his name. Leatherface...

Trust me, it's shitty hard stuff to imagine and to write. I have already experienced something similar. I try to update soon. Please review if you still like my story. No spoilers, let's see what happens next (I'm sorry for my short chapters, I hate to write to long in a row)