An Unexpected Fate

The Hospital

With a sudden jolt, Ellie's eyes shot open. She was met with bright lights beaming into her face. She felt groggy and fuzzy, unsure of where she was or how she got here. She looked to her side slightly, a roaring burst of pain tearing through her body as she tried to look around her.

"Hey, hey, hey. Take it easy." She heard someone say. She turned back around, still in agony. Her mother was sitting down next to her on a chair. Ellie herself was in some kind of... bed? She glanced out the window behind her mother. The sun was up, beaming into the room. But... it was nighttime?

"W... Where...?" Ellie said. Her throat felt heavy, like there was something inside it. Her voice sounded raspy and deep.

"You're in the hospital." Her mum said. She felt a hand touch hers and looked down to see that her mother was gently rubbing her hand.

"Hos...pital?" Ellie tried to remember what had happened, but it was hazy. She remembered walking home from school, then waking up here.

She saw a tear run down her mother's face. "You've been in a coma for the last week. The doctors weren't sure if you would make it at first... But you pulled through."

Ellie was still confused. She looked around the room again, now taking more of it up. She was definitely in a hospital ward. Her eyes were drawn to a figure lying across some chairs against the back wall. "Freya?"

She heard her mum sniffle. "Yeah. She didn't want to leave you here. Dad and Abbie are here too, they went to get some tea."

"What... happened?" Ellie asked. She was gradually regaining her senses, but she still felt groggy and light headed. She tried again to remember what happened, but she couldn't.

Her mum reached over her and pushed a button above her head. "I'll let the doctor explain."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before the doors opened. Abbie and her dad walked in. Upon seeing that Ellie was awake, Abbie immediately rushed over to hug her. Ellie let out a groan of pain as Abbie hugged it, but it felt nice. It felt warm. When Abbie let her go, she was in floods of tears. "Don't do that again." Abbie said through the tears.

She felt her dad rub her head gently and softly, just like he used to do when she was a kid. "I don't think she plans on."

The body sprawled against the chair also began to move at this point. Freya sat up and rubbed her eyes. She looked around the room for a second before she realised what happened. She rushed over to Ellie and pulled her in for a hug. "You're awake! How do you feel? Are you okay?"

"Easy, Freya, she's just woken up." Ellie's mum said. Abbie wrapped an arm around Freya and pulled her away gently.

Ellie looked around the room, still unsure what was happening. At that point, a tall man wearing a lab coat stepped in. "Ah, Ellie, you're awake." He said. He sat down on the edge of her bed and pulled out a small light, checking her eyes with the light. "How do you feel?"

"Dizzy. Tired. Sore." She said.

"Dizzy, tired, and sore. The hallmarks of a good night out." The doctor joked. Ellie chuckled a little, but even that hurt. "Do you remember anything that happened?"

Ellie shook her head. "No... I remember... Leaving school then I woke up here..."

The doctor nodded as he took some notes. "There's no real easy way to say this, but you were stabbed."

Ellie's heart suddenly started pounding as she started to panic. "Stabbed? What?"

The doctor pushed a button on part of the machinery that Ellie was hooked into. Almost immediately, she felt calm again. "Sorry, a little sedative. We need to keep you calm. But yes, you were stabbed. A dogwalker found you bleeding out in the street, battered, bruised, and stabbed. If not for them and their quick thinking, you would've almost certainly died."