Forever Mine

2. Andrea

It's pain that keeps me company with every turn. I feel like so many needles are pricking me all at the same time. I try to remember what could have happened but I feel like my thoughts are as thick as cold porridge. Just trying to think nearly drains me and I succumb to the intense pain and the yawning darkness. I think I hear some voices in the distance before I'm swallowed by the darkness.

                         * * *
The pain and heaviness that have been my constant companions have worn off a bit I guess that's why I can open my eyes. I have to blink my eyes severally before my eyes adjust to the bright light. I scan my surroundings and discover that it must be late morning say  9:00am. There are windows on both my sides. Drawers on both sides of the bed. On the left drawer there is a clear glass jug that has water and on its side there rests a small glass . I'm in hospital it seems. I take a few deep breaths and as I am doing so the sounds around me slowly come to life . I can hear the faint hooting of vehicles outside, footsteps outside my room. It's generally quiet and there's not much noise . I prop myself upright and wince at the unexpected pain that courses through my body. I must be bruised. I force myself to sit upright . I reach out to the jug and pour myself some water.  Apparently I'm thirstier than I know and I come close to draining the jug . The door opens and a female doctor  walks in. She looks to be in her mid thirties . Her ash brown hair is neatly tied at the nape of her neck. Her browner eyes are smiling along with her mouth as she takes in my tiny form in the huge bed .
" Good morning I'm Dr. Ines . How are you feeling today ? " If she smiles any wider she might blind me with her white shiny teeth.
" Better," I say my voice a bit rusty from disuse.
" The pain ?"
" It's mostly gone I feel great," I lie through my teeth. She stares at me for a while like she doesn't believe what I'm saying and then uses her stethoscope to listen to my heartbeat.
She checks my temperature and a bunch of other things that doctors do.
" Your vitals are good I think you are ready to leave."
That coaxes a smile from me. Finally I would leave this place . Still I had some questions I wanted to ask.
" Um Dr. Ines do you know how I ended up here ?"
" Well you were brought in here  on Friday at around  midnight unconscious and badly bruised."
" Who brought me in ?" I ask hopefully maybe this person might be able to shed light on what might have happened to me .
"I don't know who brought you in I wasn't here on that night but I'll ask around see what I get."
" I would appreciate that so much doctor ," I say . There's not much I can remember. All I remember is that I was walking out of the grocery store when someone put a handkerchief over my nose from behind and I was trying to fight and scream but I got a few hits on my back and the pain managed to paralyse me until I was carried into a vehicle and then I succumbed to darkness. I look upto the doctor as realization hits me harder than a brick wall.
" When is today ?"
" Today is Friday," she replies innocently unaware of the havoc that she has caused inside me by just uttering those three words. I have been in hospital for a whole damn week . Oh no this was so bad on so many levels. What was my mother thinking I'm sure she was worried not knowing where I was. I would have to make up a good excuse as to why I was not responding for a whole damn week because there was no way in hell I would tell her what had happened. Not unless I wanted to give a heart attack .Well with Miguel it would be different but I would know how to handle him. Ines says something about taking care of my release and it dawns on me that I don't have a ride home. I call her just before she makes it to the door and I make sure none of my anxieties or worries bleed into my honey sweet voice.
" Doctor not to be a bother but can you please do me a favour ?"
Okay so maybe I might have batted my eyelashes just a bit.
                     
                              * * *
I used Ines's phone to call my best friend Lily to come pick me up. She was so relieved  she cried from the relief of hearing my voice after she had believed that the worst had probably happened.  I was outside the hospital sitted on the bench waiting for her. I had nothing on me all I had were bruises and a big bandage on the left side of my forehead and some prescribed painkillers. Ines told me that the person who brought me in was unknown. All she was told was that it was a young male who disappeared as soon as he dropped me . I was also worried about the hospital bills and even the medicine she was giving me . She told me that everything had been paid for . When I  asked who it was she told me she didn't know. Something else was weird besides that. Under normal circumstances my broken body would be floating on some river but as the situation would have it I was alive and free. There were a lot of things that were not right with my kidnapping but I choose to look at it from a positive point . How many people get kidnapped and live to tell the tale not many of course. I was thankful to be alive.
" Andrea ," I hear Lily's voice a few feet from where I'm seated. I raise my head and I meet her worried hazel eyes scanning me . All I manage to do is stand up before she engulfs me in a fierce hug . I hold on to her like a lifeline and the familiar scent of chocolate tickles my nose. Yes my best friend smells like chocolate. She smelled like sweets majority of the time. Her hugs are amazing but only second to my mother's. After a few minutes we let each other go and we both have tears in our eyes and the relief we both feel is expressed in a light laughter .
" I thought I would never see you again Andy," she says happiness clearly dominating over her worry.
" Happy to see you to bubbles," I say.
It's a nickname I have for her due to her bubbly and fun nature. We enter her black Honda fit and we are off.

                            * * *
After a long day with Lily I'm finally at home on my bed staring at my ceiling littered with many glowing stars. She took me out for brunch where I told her as much as I could remember. She was also puzzled and didn't know what to make of it. I remember her saying
"Maybe the idiots realised they had the wrong person and returned you," even as she said the words I'm sure she didn't believe them .
I said " Why would they go through all this trouble while all they would need to do was just kill me and dispose my body ?"
There wasn't much we could say on the topic so we moved on to brighter things . She spoilt me with clothes and shoes despite my protests. I then called my mom using Lily's phone and my mom was worried . She had been frantic. I told her I was fine which was a blatant lie and that I had lost my phone. It was the crappiest excuse in the history of excuses but in my defense it was the best I could come up with in just a matter of seconds. She didn't believe me one bit and said she would fly all the way from California to New York just to see me . I just hoped she wouldn't drag me along with her for giving her the shock of a life time. I could only pray that she wouldn't do it.

Thank you so much for reading. Tell me what you think so far and any suggestions are welcome
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