"...and she's been given pain killers. The stitches should heal in a few weeks. Do you have any questions, Mrs. Quin?"
Where am I?
"No, thanks. Can I stay with her for a while?"
Mom? What's going on?
"Of course."
Okay, breathe. You're lying down. In a bed? Where?
I try to open my eyes, but the piercing light above me forces them to shut tighter. I move my fingertips and feel the smooth surface of a hospital bed. I can tell it's a hospital's from the stiffness of the sheets, they're all the same. Crisp, cold. The pillows are artificial with comfort that's almost suffocating. The echo of leather soles tap against the linoleum floor and trace my ears. Everything is punctuated when I hear the sound of my mother settling into the chair next to me. I try to bury my ears into the cold cotton, but find that it only makes it worse. I groan in frustration.
Can I please just go back to sleep?
"Tegan?" Her voice is laced with worry. If I don't respond, will she stop trying to rouse me?
"Mom?" I croak out, my voice cracking. I sound tired.
I'm so fucking tired.
"How are you feeling, honey?" Honey? Mmm, honey. Fuck, now I'm hungry.
"I'm hungry."
"I'm sorry, but you can't eat anything just yet."
"What, why?" Honey nut Cheerio's sound really good right now...
"You just got out of surgery." She hesitates at the word 'surgery' and I grip the bleached blankets covering me. Suddenly it's too hot. I try to push the covers off of me, but they're tucked in or something because I can't escape no matter how hard I try. I feel my mother's hand push my shoulder back to keep me in place as she undoes the sheets and sets me free.
I lift my hands to rub the sleep out of my eyes. Inch by inch, I lift my eyelids slowly. The light seeps in and attacks my pupils. "Fuck." I mumble. I hear my mom sit back into her chair and I just know she's watching my every move.
My eyes adjust to the brightness and I can finally see my surroundings. I feel like a newborn kitten, tiny eyes peeking open. I look to my right to see a disappointing white wall. To my left, I'm met with the sincere smile of my aged mother, so sweet and caring. I let a smile of my own grow and I drop my arms back to my sides.
"It's so good to see you." She leans forward in her seat when she outstretches her hand and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. "It's getting so long. You look beautiful." I smile against her hand as she cups my face. "Thanks, mum."
"Where's Sara?" I ask impatiently.
Please be okay...
My mother retracts her hand and runs it through her hair.
Please.
"She's, uh...well,"
"Tell me!" I try to raise my voice, but it comes out as a desperate whisper.
"She hasn't woken up."
"Oh, god." I can already feel the tears welling up in my eyes as my mother rests her hand on top of mine. "What happened? Tell me what happened." I close my eyes again, wishing I'd never come out of unconsciousness to hear what I'd feared most.
"They found you in the back of a taxi. You were both out of it. They said Sara was hit hard, worse than you. You had blood in your mouth, said you must have bitten you tongue or something. God, I'm so glad you're okay." She squeezed my hand. "You both had your seatbelts on, that kept you from ending up like the driver. They said he was hit the worst. Lots of blood, and... Well, he didn't make it. You were hit by a truck and a minivan. Apparently, two kids were killed." I shut my eyes tighter, fighting against the tears that threatened to flood the very room. "They had to saw out the front seat to get your legs out." I tested my toes and found I couldn't move them. My legs are in casts. I bit my lip and wiped my eyes with my free hand.
"I'll be okay? I'll be able to walk again, right?" It takes everything in me not to burst into tears when she says "Yes."
I let out a hollow sigh.
What about Sara?
SARA
Everything is blue. Crystal. I move my hands in front of me and find they're not my hands at all. I have fins. I extend one, a rush of indigo diamonds slice through me, but I don't feel them. I can see it, though. Red bubbles float out and wrap around me, gathering up until I'm surrounded by scarlet marbles. I reach out to discover my hands have come back and reach out to grab a dancing, red orb. When I touch one, all of them pop and dissolve before my eyes. In an instant, I'm left with pale blue. I search, frantically for any other sign of a way out. Looking down, I'm met with a starry-eyed girl. She looks familiar.
"Hello, Tegan." I wave politely, hoping I don't seem too needy. She huffs, turns to face away from me and crosses her arms. "Teegs, what's wrong?" I ask, concerned. She looks at me over her shoulder and pouts. "You're gross."
Shocked at how hurt I am by her childish words, I cover my eyes and try to block her out. "You don't mean that." I hear her laugh dangerously. "So sick."
Emy's bright, blue eyes replace Tegan's brown ones and it's Emy's voice that I hear when the teenaged Tegan continues her taunting.
"You're so sick. So sick. I'm not as sick as you. So sick. Admit it. You're sick. So sick."
My eyes dart open and I reach out for air. I can't breathe and the tears are starting to blur my vision. I gasp when I realize I don't know where I am or where my puffer is.
"He-elp!" I choke out.
I feel hands pulling my own away from my face and familiar plastic push past my lips. On instinct, I inhale. I rush of oxygen fills my lungs and relief washes over me.
The nurse guides my hand to the inhaler in my mouth and looks me straight in the eyes. Mine are open wide, perplexed. "You're fine?" I nod and remove the inhaler. "Yes, thank you." I wheeze. "Lay back... and watch your head." My eyes follow her as she leaves through the door and I relax into my pillow.
"Wait!" I try my best to be heard just as the nurse lets the door close shut. Thankfully, it opens again, but she doesn't come back in.
"Hello, it's good to see you're finally awake. I'm Dr. Stevens, you must be a bit disoriented, I assume." He stands at the side of the hospital bed and goes on to check several monitors and machines. "Uh, yeah." I clutch the inhaler and watch him closely.
"So, you've suffered a bit of damage in the accident, Sara, is it?"
I nod. "What accident? What damage?"
"You and your sister were in a car accident. You were hit in the back and side of your skull by the impact of a rather large minivan that crashed into the taxi you were in. You were unconscious for quite a while, we were beginning to think you'd never come out of it." I keep my eyes glued to him, afraid he might disappear and I'd fall back into dreamland again. "The cab driver was dead by the time the paramedics got to you and a five and nine year old didn't make it, either. Tragic. You're lucky to be alive."
"What about Tegan?" I ask.
"Your sister? Her legs were caught under the front seat; it was pushed back by the impact of the truck that hit the driver in the front of the car. She'll be in a wheelchair for about four months, and crutches a few more, but she'll be walking as good as new in, say, eight months."
I sigh, the realization that Tegan is okay made the bricks building inside my chest crumble and fall away. We're going to be okay. Okay.
"You, on the other hand, were hit pretty hard. We stitched you up, but you've been in a light coma for almost a week."
A shiver runs down my spine when the doctor pulls the covers off of me, exposing my bruised right arm.
"The car door and a couple of shards of glass also got a hold of your arm." He lifts my arm and twists it slowly, showing me the dark yellow and purple bruises that had accumulated on my forearm. A line of stitches spread along my arm and stopped near my elbow, interfering with my ship tattoo.
"There was no brain damage, but you won't be able to take a proper shower for a few weeks. Also, we had to shave an area of your hair off to get a clear view to sew you up."
I nod, over and over again. I don't really know what to say. The only evidence that I'm not still dreaming is the searing pain radiating from the side of my head.
"When can I see my sister?"