Ringing. Loud and incessant ringing, that's all I hear… The fog lifts and there's a flash.

White.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, the white fades away to be replaced by normal colours, but… Everything on my left is red for some reason. Oh damn….

I hear an odd sound, like a screech underwater… "Aarrgh!" Gentle but strong hands hold me and a face comes in focus, screaming something - my name maybe - but all I can hear, other than the piercing ringing, is my own ragged and slightly gargled breathing.

What's that? The hands, they're covered in… Red. "Buh-blood," I manage, coughing up some of the colourful substance. The hands are shaking now, and I notice that I can feel everything. Everything, except my right leg, which doesn't hurt. Dios mío…

Something wet and warm is trickling down my face, across my forehead, in my left eye, my cheek… everywhere; everywhere its red.

I finally notice the big blurry block that must have been a car; smashed cruelly into what looks like a brick wall. Instinctively I lean on my left hand to push myself up, and somebody must've stabbed me in the side, because it just hurt so much…

I hear an agonizing scream escape my mouth and a muffled sob from the person cradling me. I really shouldn't have been able to notice this, but I felt their tears fall on my right brow, but…

But then… all black.

I don't dream; I'm not sleeping… am I?I don't feel like I'm resting. Anyway I should get up, the team will be getting worried, right? Right. Maybe…I hate this, this cold and hollow feeling in my chest. Like somebody emptied me and froze my insides.

"Wake up… Please, PLEASE wake up."

I feel cold air, not like a breeze though. Like it's not supposed to be here; it's too concentrated, this… wind, it should be inside something. Wait a minute- A strangled sob resonates through the nothingness; I can't tell if whoever is near me is male or female. I can't even tell if they're human, but it hurts so much to hear that small choked sound of despair.

It starts to rain, just a few drops; but each tiny drop of wetness feels like a sharpened needle piercing my flesh. Pretty soon it's a torrential downpour, but the rain isn't regular water. No, it's a horrifying mix of black and red that stings and burns like acid.

The level of the odd substance rises and my legs are covered up to my knees, and suddenly my left foot is twisted at an odd ankle and I feel it snap like a twig.

It's up to my thighs now and my right leg literally smashes itself, crushing my muscles and breaking my bones. I scream in pain while somebody cries somewhere; sobbing for me to wake up…

The tar like substance reaches my wrists and rib cage and the pain, the pain… the word itself doesn't qualify for the amount of hurt I'm in… My right hand breaks. Literally breaks; the bones smashed. The right side of my chest feels like a four by four was shoved through it. And then I realise that it's where the wind was escaping from… The wind of life…

I try to swim above the tar that reaches my chin, my mouth, but I can't. It's too thick to swim through and the agony of my body makes it impossible. It reaches my nose and forces itself down my throat as my lungs feel like they are about to explode from the lack of air. I'm completely covered now, and I'm fighting like a cornered beast about to die. I flail as the burning, coppery liquid sears my insides and pretty soon… I'm drowning in blood…

…Red…

"Ow." It hurts; everything aches. My legs, my arms, my chest, my head and even my eyes, which are still closed tightly because of the pain. I hear a steady beeping and my breathing, which is shallow.

I'm lying on a bed that isn't particularly comfortable. The paper thin sheets cling to any part of my exposed skin because of my sweat. I can tell I'm covered in bandages and some casts for good measure. The lumpy pillow upsets my neck, "Ugh."

I stupidly decide to open my eyes, only to be assaulted by a flash of bright light. "Argh!" After getting used to the sickly yellow neon light, I realise my left eye is covered by a thick bandage; I can't even feel if my eyeball is moving, or if it's there at all.

With my good eye I look at my sorry excuse for a functioning human body. It looks like my right side took the brunt of the impact… Though that doesn't say much, because my left side doesn't look so good either.

I try moving my fingers and I see them weakly wiggle. Thank God I'm not paralyzed from the neck down. I try to look down at my feet, only for my chin to hit a thick plaster that encircles my whole neck. "Shit… I broke my neck" I gasp out.

My whole body tenses that I nearly died. Not during a world-saving battle against a super villain, not dying like a soldier. But dying by being hit by a drunk driver… My hands ball into what should've been fists, my body tenses even more and the beeping accelerates slightly. That bastard, I hope he dies!

Wait, what?! I did not just think that. No, I did not. I couldn't have; I'm a hero, a hero never thinks like that. But what that driver did- almost did- he deserves to be punished at least. "Yeah," I whisper gleefully to myself, "he'll be punished."

Whatever thoughts I was having, or going to have, were interrupted by the nurse coming in. She looked worried. Aww for me? How sweet!

"Please calm down, you're safe now. You were hit by a drunk driver; you're in the hospital-" I cut her off.

"I know all that."

She looks surprised, as if she realised she was talking to a soldier or something. "Oh." Is all she manages to say.

"Is the other one okay?"

"Um, the driver-" I interrupt her again, this time slightly angry and annoyed.

"Not the driver! I don't care about them right now! My friend, the other one who was with me when the accident happened!"

"Oh… Yes you were the only one who was injured."

I let go of my breath, which I wasn't aware I was holding, "Thank God! I don't know what I would do if…"

The nurse puts her hand on my shoulder, which isn't pleasant but doesn't hurt too bad. She gives me this weird look and says, "I wish there were more people like you; the world would such a good place. I'll bring your friend in, would you like that?"

I wanted to ask about the driver, but I decided against it. I really need to see a familiar face right now. "Please" I realise my voice sounds more like a plea that a polite response, but I can't find the energy to care.

"We've left a message at your house; nobody was answering. Your parents should be here soon after they get home." And with that the nurse left the room.

A few seconds later the door almost flies open as a figure strides into the room, "Don't ever scare me like that again!" The voice is harsh, fearful, angry, yet filled with a soft sort of relief. I glance at my visitor and give wry grin of relief that soon turns to a sour frown of confusion as I notice I can't feel my legs.