Shaded In

First Big Fight

Darkness.

That's all she could see.

And all she could feel was a dull pain at the back of her head. Just a numbing pain and darkness. There were voices there too. A few she recognized, but one completely different. But the voices weren't always clear, they were muffled and distant. It reminded her of the white noise that fills your ears after you've submerged your head underwater. To be honest the whole experience just reminded her of drowning, except she could still breathe. At least that was a plus.

She still wasn't quite sure what was going on though. All she knew for sure was that someone had picked her up and was now carrying her. She couldn't see, didn't remember what had happened, and the words she could make out were...confusing.

"It's all right, Clem. I've got you."

...

"What the hell did you do to her!?"

...

"They don't come this far West."

...

"Louis! Over here!"

...

"Your friend is hurt."

...

"You have to tell me what the hell has been going on!"

...

"Well, I appreciate the help. Thank You."

...

Ugh! Why couldn't she stay conscious enough to know what the hell was going on? She was pretty sure most of what she heard wasn't in order, but her thoughts were a maze of dead-end clues and the throbbing pain at the back of her head wasn't helping.

That last thing she could make out before she completely blacked out again was, "Don't disappear on me again, okay?" She knew that voice, she knew that saying. Violet, it was Violet.

------

Clem squeezed her eyes shut the moment she opened them as she was met with the bright light of day. She moved to push herself up onto her elbows but felt a jarring pain shoot through her head. She groaned in protest and put a hand to her forehead. She could also feel the pressure of something wrapped around her head. Probably bandages for what she assumed was a head injury that she had gotten, though she still couldn't recall how.

The noise she made must have alerted someone that she was awake because the next thing she knew she was shoved back down as someone forcefully hugged her. "Oh thank god! Jesus, you scared me!"

She knew that voice, so she hugged back, more or less since this person was practically on top of her. And was she laying on... the coffee table?

Clem tried to open her eyes again but had to block out the light with her hand until her eyes adjusted. "Vi...?" She called out as she felt the pressure of the other girl's weight leave her. She forced herself up into a sitting position using her arms to hold her up.

She grunted in discomfort again as another wave of pain shot through her head. She lifted her hand up and touched the side of her head where she felt the bandages become soft and damp. Blood. She must have hit her head on something.

"Here take this." Said a voice as the familiar blonde came into view. Violet sat on the couch in front of her and handed her a cup of water and what she assumed was pain medication.

"Mmh'...thanks," Clem said before downing the water, not realizing how thirsty she was.

"What...what happened?" She asked setting the cup aside taking notice that she was, in fact, sitting on the coffee table.