AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hello! Hello, hello, hello! HELLO! I'M ALIVE! Senior in high school, guys. You've traveled with me and my...interesting writing...since I was what? A freshman? That's insane. My school year is coming to an end quite soon, and I will update you on my college decision once it's settled! Anyways, back to Ana in the Land of Hearts, I want you to know that I still haven't dropped this thing. After four years, I'm still going for it. I have so many ideas it's almost overwhelming. On top of that, I've got school and work and my family's business to deal with too (as well as my boyfriend of eight months or so; you may call him Mr. Nuggs). I love you guys. To see there are still more reviews and views and favorites and followers coming warms my heart. You mean the world to me! As usual, please please PLEASE read and review! And as always, feel free to PM me about anything - even if it's to just pressure me to write faster (just do it nicely and adorably). I love all my nuggets. Even the ones with no fanfiction account (I'm talking about you, Guest). You mean the world to me.
~Nuggs
Chapter 47
"Mmm…"
What? What's that awful noise?
"Mmm…mm-mehh…"
It sounds like a dying cat. Everything is dark. What is that?
"Mmm…heheh….meheheh…"
Is it chuckling? Well, the sound is kind of funny-
"F-funny…"
Holy crap that's me.
I made an attempt to move my legs, or my toes, but felt nothing. So I tried my fingers. I felt a little something-something, but it wasn't nearly enough for me to feel better. And ow, there was a terrible pain in my shoulder.
"Oooooof."
"Wow, she's even a freak when she's barely conscious." Shire. Definitely Shire.
"Gotta love that." Absolem? Oh.
"She's doing a lot of talking. She's waking up?" Tannyn.
"Shhhhhh…" Me. Ugh. Shut up.
Shire busted out into a splurge of cackles.
I wondered how I looked in that moment. Did I look completely out of it? Am I creepily half-smiling at the ceiling? What if my eyes were actually open and I just couldn't see?
"Her fingers are moving, everyone!"
Yes! My fingers moved! This is good. This is- Tarrant? Was that Tarrant's voice?
"Ta-ta."
"Aw, she sounds like a baby!" Claudine. Good to know she hasn't left yet.
"Shall we take her somewhere more appropriate to recover? The closest clinic is in Heart Kingdom." Not sure who said that. "She took a good hit to the head."
I felt someone's hand cradling the back of my head. I shivered. Still no control of my body. Going to Heart Kingdom with a bunch of hybrids and outsiders didn't seem like the safest, most comfortable idea.
"We'll take her." Shire. "Careful. She's as heavy as she looks."
My body was lifted. I was no longer against the grass, but behind held by…one, two, three, four hands. I felt an addition two hands against my calves.
"Two lifters will suffice, thank you," Absolem said.
The two hands slid away. I could take a guess on who he was speaking to.
"Alright, let's go."
My body felt like jell-o as everyone began to walk. I still could see nothing, but I heard everything. Their breathing. Their feet against the dry grass. The wind. Then suddenly we came to a stop.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Hm? Whose voice was that?
"Do you not see the unconscious lunatic in our arms?"
"Shire, please. She may be able to hear."
"Tannyn's got a point, Shire."
"I'm not saying anything I wouldn't say when she's conscious."
A couple giggles.
"What happened to the hot kink anyhow? What'd you do to her? Never seen her so quiet."
Hot kink? Oh. It was Jax. It was definitely Jax.
"Ja…"
"Hey, she's callin' for you." Claudine.
More giggles.
"Alright, alright, enough playing around." Shire. "Ana fell and took a big hit to the head. Knocked the wind out of her. We're gonna take her to a clinic."
"Which clinic? You're headed away from the clinic."
"The one in Heart Kingdom."
"There's one here in Bandit County."
"Sorry, I meant a good clinic."
"Shire, please." Tannyn. "We're sorry. I didn't realize there was a clinic here."
"What's a county without a clinic? Come, follow me. Let's fix up the kink."
Someone's hand pull me one way, and the other resists, as if the people holding me were going in opposite directions.
"Shire?"
"How can we trust a clinic in Bandit County? This is Ana we're talking about, not some thug. We can't just drop her off anywhere."
"Shire, trust me on this one, buddy. Our clinic is pretty decent. It's one of the only places around here where not a soul steals from. It isn't tainted."
A long pause.
"Okay. But if I see one weird sketchy thing going on in there we're getting the hell out."
We start moving again. The sound of their footsteps became very pleasant. I felt pain everywhere but I somewhat was able to tune it out.
"So where'd she fall? It had to be somewhere high if she's K.O'd like that. Was it the fence?"
"Uh, no. She fell off Shire's hand."
"What?"
"Long story, short," Claudine jumped in. "Ana was tiny, Shire was holding her, she walked off of his hand for some reason and fell."
"You're kidding."
"Well, for some reason she's back to normal now. We don't know why."
"She was tiny?"
"Yes. She shrunk as a reaction to something she drank." Absolem.
"An idiot move, really. She didn't even know what it was." Shire. Thanks.
"Oh, she shrunk. Heard of stories like that. Never seen it myself. It's on my bucket list."
"You're an idiot, too," Shire pointed out.
Silence.
Holy crap. I didn't even realize it. I was back to normal. I was my size again. I wasn't tiny anymore – that's why Jax didn't understand at first. That's why two people were carrying me as opposed to one person holding me on their hand. I was so loopy I didn't even realize the real problem was over.
"Th….an….guh."
Thank God.
"Kink's creeping me out."
"Is that the clinic up there?" Tannyn.
"Yes! Oh, yes! I recognize this place! It is the clinic!" Tarrant. The black sheep of the group. His excitement was cute, but I could only image the indifference or disgust on the rest of their faces. Poor guy.
"Uh, yeah. That's it. It's a beauty isn't it?"
"Hm. Bigger than I expected."
"Uh-huh, go on, go on."
"Not as crappy looking as the other buildings around here."
"What'd I say, Shire. What'd I say?"
"We haven't seen the inside yet. Don't get too excited."
More footsteps. The sound of a door opening. Door shut. I could no longer hear the wind, but I could hear the soft sounds of their shoes against the floor. Sounded hollow and squeaky, like they were walking on wooden floor boards.
Then the unpleasant sounds came to me. Sniffles and coughs and hacks. Grunts and heavy, congested breathing. We were definitely in a clinic. A busy clinic.
"Great, how are we gonna get her in now?"
"Does the word priority mean anything to you?" Jax said in a voice that made me want to slap him. All high and mighty, like we were all stupid for being concerned. It was a shame I could move anything.
"Well it means something," Shire replied. "Could you cut it with the riddle and just get Ana checked in?"
Either the group stopped talking or their voices were drowned out by the disgusting audio track of a waiting room. My body shook a little, as the people holding me were probably beginning to struggle by now. But just a few moments later we were moving again and I found myself lying on a flat, uncomfortable surface.
"So how'd we manage a spot for her, exactly?" Claudine asked.
I felt something wrapped around my wrist. It was a hand. A little cold. My body shuddered under the grip.
"Considering our location, we don't have the most space nor the greatest healthcare treatments," a birdlike voice rang out. "So to manage the large crowds we receive, we go by priority."
"How'd we manage to get priority?" Absolem asked, standing somewhere on the left side of my body.
"A very nice offer," Jax answered.
I heard a groan, but couldn't tell who it came from. Someone near my head.
"Figures. Even the clinic in this county is sleazy. What'd you give them?"
"We have to earn some sort of earning somehow," the bird voice said rather defensively. "Priority is fundamentally based on the patient's need for medical attention. Given our circumstances, that can change with a handsome offer. Keeps the building up and running. Now if you'll excuse me, my patient and I have to get familiar with one another."
"That sounds…strange," Tannyn said softly. "Perhaps one of us should stay in the room during the check-up?"
I agreed. I didn't know who this woman was, but she was freaking me out, and probably the rest of them, too. Except Jax.
I wonder what his offer was.
"She's clearly an adult."
"I apologize, madam, but we have never attended this clinic. I insist one of us stay to keep this girl company. If not, our offer will not stand," Tannyn stated.
For someone so timid, Tannyn was a born leader. What a strange combination. There was a bit of a pause, and then a high-pitched sigh.
"Okay, fine. But just one person. She's an adult. These rooms are small enough."
"Great. Who's staying?" Jax asked. "Let's ask Ana." He guffawed.
Gosh, really, Jax? Too soon. I can hear you.
"I'll stay." Two voices.
Absolem and Shire. I hope I wasn't blushing. Hopefully everyone was too distracted to pay attention to my face.
"I could stay," Tarrant suddenly said in a quiet voice. Not his usual self, but who could blame him? He was surrounded by people who really didn't like him.
"Hell no," Shire said.
"I don't think that'd be a good idea," Absolem said.
"Claudine, maybe you should stay with her. This is a clinic, after all, and you're both female," Tannyn said.
Well, problem solved. She wasn't my favorite person, but I'd rather her a doctor feel me up than anyone else in the room.
"Alright, it's settled. Out, out, out!" Bird lady said.
I heard them file out of the room and a door shut. So, as far as I could tell, there were two people in here besides me. Claudine and Dr. Bird.
"I advise you to remain quiet during this procedure, please. Make yourself comfortable in the corner."
"Yes, ma'am," Claudine said.
Silence. Fingers ran through my hair, feeling the scalp thoroughly. Something plastic and smooth stuck into my mouth, under my tongue. The clothing on my body moved this way and that. My eyelids were poked at and widened. I heard a clicky noise and I could only guess it was a flashlight. Something bumped against my knee and my body startled. Typically, at a doctor's office back home, the patient would be sitting upward, and when the doctor hit that special spot on your knee, your foot would subconsciously kick out from natural reflex. Because my legs were extended (I was lying flat), I just shook. Spazzed a little.
"Her body responds well to touch. What was her name? Analisa?"
"Anastasia."
"Anastasia. Anastasia, come on, wake up." Snap. Snap. "Do you hear my voice? She can hear. Her eyelids flinch a little when I address her. Ana."
Huh. I guess I was responding with my eyes. Weird.
"Come on, try to say something, dear. Try to say your name. Anastasia. Ah-nuh-stay-sha. Say it, dear. Anastasia. A beautiful name. Was it your mother's? You parents gave you a lovely name, Anastasia."
Was she flattering me to stir my nerves? It was definitely working. I was thinking about my mom and my dad and how much I miss the both of them. It's funny. Mom always told me Dad was the one who chose my name. He spelled it out on a napkin at the hospital, and she fell in love with it.
"A-aahh….naa…"
"Yes, yes. Anastasia. It's such a lovely name, dear. Anastasia. You must have a beautiful last name to go with it?"
"It's Liddell."
How did she know that? Shire must have told her about me.
"Anastasia Liddell, of the Liddell Family. How charming! Come on, say your name. Say it for us, Anastasia. Come on."
"A-a-anasta….Anastasia…..Lid…..dell….Liddell…."
"One last time. Say it strong. You're proud of that name, right? Loud and proud!"
"Anastasia Liddell."
"That's my girl. Good job, good job. Great job, Anastasia."
I did it! I said my name! I felt my brain trying to wake me up. I felt it working. I felt excited.
"Wiggle your fingers for me, dear, and say that beautiful name again."
"Anasta…Anastasia Liddell." I wiggled my fingers.
"We've got movement! Thatta girl, we've got movement!"
"Great job, Ana!" Claudine cheered. "Thank goodness you're conscious. Shire would be so worried about you."
My eyes fluttered open and I shot my eyes towards Claudine's voice, where Claudine stood leaning against the wall at the corner of the room. "He would?"
She grinned. "He would."
I blinked a million times. No way. That was easier than I thought. My body felt so sore and so numb, but I moved it, and I moved it fast. I could see. I could see the little room we were in, the walls lined with cabinets. I could see that I was on a wooden table with a cheap sheet on top of it. I could see there were no windows and the source of light was a couple lamps. And Dr. Bird was a tall, skinny woman wearing a wearing a mask. A white mask with two holes for the eyes and a smile etched in. Creepy, but I was happy to see her.
"Welcome back, dear."
