I'm Normally Perfect (re-upload)

Chapter Sixty-Five

God, I had a headache. I blinked and opened by eyes. The corner of my left eye hurt horribly, I must have slept on that side of my face all night. Everything was so bright. I must have slept until afternoon. I hadn't realised I was that tired. The worst taste in my mouth. Like iron. Blech. I was still so tired, though, I must have slept too long. With closed eyes I reached to the bedside table on my left for my glasses and knocked something over. A thud and the sound of liquid. What the hell? I opened my eyes again and a calm thought came to me from far away. I'm not at home. Everything was so light because of the florescent lights and the white bedclothes. Suddenly my head began pounding. I reached up to touch the corner of my left eye and flinched. I held my hand up close to my face to see tiny brown flakes. Blood?

I was sitting most of the way upright, but sat up completely, only to be overcome by nausea. I took deep breaths until that abated thinking that I hadn't drunk anything the night before. At least...I didn't think I had done. I honestly couldn't remember. I reclined onto the pillows behind me and tried to figure out why I was in hospital.

Looking at it from the outside I should have been more upset, but when one is put into a completely surreal situation one is more likely to react with detached curiosity than panic. Had we been in a car crash? Oh, Christ...where was Alex? I couldn't remember going home. No, wait...yes...there was a signing and I recalled playing with the dogs and having dinner. We'd arrived home safely. I thought I remembered getting into bed, but I'd got into bed so many times in my life that perhaps...had I fallen down the stairs? I looked round for windows...was it day or night?...but there was a curtain to my left and I couldn't tell if all of the light in the room was from artificial sources or a combination of natural, as well as artificial. My glasses weren't at the table beside me, though I saw something in the floor that must have been a container of water. That's what I'd knocked over. Oops.

I squinted in front of me and there was a bed across the room from mine, but it was empty. The door to the room was to my right, the other curtains were pulled back so I could at least see that much. Though I had an awful head I seemed to be all right. Unless I'd been asleep for days. Perhaps Alex was in the room. In another bed—the one on the other side of the curtain to my left, perhaps. I said, 'Alex?' but my throat was too dry. I tried to swallow, but that was agony. I sighed...there really wasn't anything else for it but to wait. Eventually someone had to come back.

The door opened then and even blurry I would know Alex anywhere. She looked toward me and came over straightaway. I was relieved to see she was all right, or at least mobile. Before she could reach me I croaked out, 'Where're my glasses?'

I couldn't make out her features, but her voice was very quiet, 'They're at home, sweetheart. I-I didn't think to bring them, I'm sorry.' She looked peaky, but that could have been the lights washing her out.

I swallowed and asked, 'Are you all right? What happened?'

Before she could respond someone in light blue clothes, whom I assumed was a nurse, opened the door, looked in my direction and then left us. A moment later a tall woman in a long white coat came in, a woman in dark clothing and a hat walked in behind her, as the second woman got closer I could see shiny bits on her outfit. The woman in the white coat—who I assumed was a doctor—exchanged a glance with Alex and then asked her, 'Is she lucid?'

Alex nodded, 'Yes.' Then added in a lost voice, 'I forgot her spectacles.'

The doctor said gently to her, 'It's all right. You'll both be able to go home soon.'

Alex nodded and took my hand. 'May I remain here?'

The woman said in a kind tone, 'You may stay if you'd like.'