VILLAINESS [TWD]

➴105

"It's called the Commonwealth. That's where we are now."

A new community?

I shake my head, still at a loss.

"Could you give us a moment?" Josh asks Tomi.

"Of course. You know how to call me if need be," Tomi says and exits the room.

As he leaves through the cutrain, I catch sight of a bigger room. There were other cubicles of white cloths and people hooked on gas.

A hospital.

I was in a hospital.

"Holy shit," I breathe and look up at the ceiling.

There, the pieces start falling into place.

The strong gas was oxygen.

The lights were from hospital lights.

Tomi was a doctor.

I look down to the restraints around me.

"It's a caution they take for coma patients," Josh explains. "Just in case they turn, you know?"

"Coma patients?" I repeat.

"Shit.. Yeah, forgot that part," he sighs.

I give him a dirty look.

"Maggie isn't here.. She doesn't want to expose herself or Hershel to.. all this. But, she sent you here to get medical help. She's back at Hilltop right now."

"And Anna?"

"She said she'll call me when she leaves Hilltop. She went to check in on the others and give them an update on you."

"Call?"

Josh holds up a phone. 

"What the fuck is going on?" I question.

He snorts a laugh. "I told them that you were going to flip when you woke up. I tried to tell Tomi that it'd probably send you into shock, but he didn't believe me."

"I need to get up," I decide.

"You're not ready to-"

"I'm ready to do whatever the hell I want," I snap.

Josh gives me a look. I sigh.

"I'm sorry.. Just.. I need to get up. Please."

"I'll get a nurse," he says with a sympathetic smile.

Josh pats my arm and walks out of the room. I get another glance at the hospital and nearly vomit.

I look around my surroundings. My clothes were changed. I was in a hospital gown. Where are my weapons?

My necklace.

I wriggle my head around, but my neck is bare.

I put it in my pocket before the trade.

"God dammit!" I hiss and look up at the ceiling. "Live, huh? Where's the happy freaking ending where I get to rebuild my life? What the hell is this place?"

That's fine. I can figure this out.

I've been held hostage before. I've been captive. It's all about working with what I have.

I force the restraints to go as low as possible on the bed. There's a lever. I push tighter and grab it, shaking it up and down wildly.

At once, it snaps off and the bed sinks suddenly. I cough at the impact and brush off the pain in my stab wound.

It takes a few seconds, but I pick through the leather straps around my wrist. With a free hand, I untie the other. Then, I take off the restraints around my ankles. 

My panting returns and I already feel tired from the little work I've done. I pick up Josh's jacket from the chair he was sitting at and throw it over me to keep myself covered.

It was then I realized just how hard I was panicking. I felt like a wounded animal lashing out when its back was against the wall.

My head snaps around the room until I see a window directly over my bed. Without hesitation, I climb on the bed and slide myself out the window.