Rainy Day | Rhea Ripley

Chapter 20

But I hate that it seems you were never enough

We were broken and bleeding but never gave up

- Another Life by Motionless in White

There was a strange taste in my mouth. 

In fact, it felt like my tongue was twice the size it was supposed to be and weirdly numb.

I tried to open my eyes but the bright lights around me instantly gave me a splitting headache.

"Ouch." I whimpered.

"Alex?" I tried to figure out where the voice was coming from but I still couldn't see anything and the room seemed to be spinning.

I gave it one more try and slowly started to be able to make out shapes around me. 

The voice was coming from my right side, and after focusing on it for a moment I could see the person sitting next to me. It was Dominik.

"Dom..." I tried to form a question but my voice was raspy with almost no sound coming out.

"Shh... Don't try to talk just yet" He soothed me.

Why did he soothe me? Why was he here? Where was here?

"aaat happnd?" I tried again, with little more success than before but he seemed to understand me anyway.

He sighed.

"Demi wanted to wait to tell you but I feel that you deserve to know what happened to you. Damian and Finn basically carried her out of here to get some food into her and they will be gone for a little while. Would you like me to tell you or would you like to wait for her?"

"you" I replied. I wasn't sure if I could handle it to make Demi recount whatever had happened.

"Okay, first of all, you are in the hospital. You are stable now but according to the Doctors, it was a close call. Do you remember being with Xav in his apartment?"

My head did something that I hoped could be identified as a nod.

"That night, Finn and I met Demi and Damian at the gym. They had been in your apartment earlier, trying to look for something that could tell them where you were and somehow they ended up finding the bar under the apartment. 

Damian went in there and heard some people talking about Xav and something he was hosting upstairs but that's all he could make out. When I met her in the gym, Demi was beside herself. I had never seen her like this so I decided we had to do something immediately. 

So we went back to the bar and the girl who was bartending actually let us go upstairs. There was some kind of gambling situation going on and most of the people left head over heels when they realized we weren't part of it, I think they believed we were some kind of undercover task force. 

This Sullivan guy came out of the room and tried to physically restrain Demi which didn't go over well with his left arm and that's when Damian called the police. 

At the same time, Demi had gotten into the room you were in and found you on the floor, unconscious. Xav was kicking you into a bloody pulp like you seriously don't want to see your face right now, and you were having cold sweats shaking uncontrollably like you were having some kind of seizure. 

So Damian restrained Xav and Finn restrained Demi so she didn't kill Xav and then the cops got there pretty quickly with an ambulance that took you here. 

We all had to go to the precinct to make a statement before we were allowed to come to see you and when we got here the doctors explained that these guys had given you a drug called Scopolamine. 

Apparently, there are urban legends about it that it can make people compliant with whatever you want and basically turn them into your puppets but in reality, in most cases, it will completely knock you out and give you horrible physical symptoms which is what happened to you. 

This is the short version of things but now I really need to call in the nurses before they eat me alive. Is that okay with you?" 

I nodded. I was so tired that I could have gone right back to sleep but I had a feeling that would worry him so I forced myself to keep my head up and my eyes open. 

He pressed the button next to the bed and moments later two nurses came rushing in. 

They asked me all kinds of questions and I tried my best to answer them with the little amount of vocal strength I had.

I was saved by the bell when they were abruptly interrupted by a force of nature, rushing into the room and almost taking Dominik's head straight off. 

"What the hell happened? Did something go wrong? Why didn't you call me?"

"Emie" I interrupted the questions she was firing at Dom and she turned to me, shocked.

"Oh my god, you're awake" Suddenly her arms were wrapped around me, sending a warm feeling through my body but also making me wince in pain.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to hurt you" Demi immediately let me go.

"s'okay" I smiled. Or at least I hoped I did.

"Oh sweet girl" She gave me the most gentle forehead kiss in the history of forehead kisses, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Never do that to me again"

I shook my head. I was so tired. I had to sleep, my eyes wouldn't stay open any longer. 

I reached out my hand to signal that I wanted her to hold it, which she did. Then I closed my eyes and fell back asleep.

Soft voices woke me a while later but I didn't move, I wasn't ready for the light yet."They got him for this, he's never getting out. But this is your choice, Dom, I won't try to tell you what to do."

"No. I talked to Eddie and my parents. They were appalled that I ever even considered it. She didn't do anything wrong, at least not intentionally. She shouldn't have to suffer for the rest of her life for what that asshole did to her. So no, I won't be turning her in. Especially not after seeing what she means to you"

"Thank you Dominik" There was some rustling and I was pretty sure they were hugging. 

I opened my eyes to look at them, trying to convey all the gratefulness and love I had for them. I couldn't speak still, but I could see from Dominik's expression that he understood.

The fallout from this wasn't over but for now, everything was okay.