The Confession Of Zakary Jameson

Chapter 30

Agent Alexander Donovan

"Police have spent the last two days investigating the tragic explosion of Union Station that claimed the lives of forty-two people, including a Federal Agent. The source of the explosion has not been found as of this morning, and it is beginning to look like a faulty gas line was the cause."

The fog that was clouding my mind slowly began to clear as the sharp voice from across the room reached my ears, making my head pound. I twitched, and immediately regretted it. My skin felt stretched thin and burned, making it feel like every move made it tear apart.

I inhaled sharply though my nose, sending a burning fire down my throat that made me choke and cough repeatedly. My next attempts to breathe only came in the form of a pathetic wheezing that only drew in a sliver of oxygen. I began to panic and squirmed.

A hand touched my right hand.

"Help! He can't breathe! Someone!"

Samantha.

There was the pattering of feet against linoleum as several people came to my rescue.

"What happened?" A man asked my wife.

"I don't know! He's awake and he just started choking! Help him!" She pleaded. I felt my head growing foggy again. I was losing consciousness fast. Sam's hand tightened on mine.

"I need to you back away, ma'am. We will take care of him," the man's voice replied.

Her hand hesitantly pulled away, and I heard her back off.

I continued to choke and fall asleep.

A pair of hands grasped both sides of my head and turned it upright. "Alexander, I need you to stay awake and still. This isn't going to be comfortable, but it will help."

Something metal cranked my mouth open, and just as I was beginning to process what was about to happen, I felt a plastic tube being forced down my windpipe. I involuntarily gagged and tried to eject the foreign object from my throat, but the tube continued to move further down. My body spasmed once, forcing two people to hold me down.

"Nurse, put him under!" The man called. A sharp needle pricked the inside of my left arm, and within seconds I was out.

*

Beep

Beep

Air trickled through my nose steadily and filled my lungs. I took as deep of a breath as I could, relieved to find the discomfort of the tube was gone, though the fire in my throat was still there.

I was confused, unsure if it was safe to move. I tried, and was able to twitch my right fingers. Warm hands enveloped my freezing hand. My lips twitched into a small smile that was painful to hold steady.

"Alex?" Her voice was smooth and warm.

After some effort, I was able to crack open my right eye. For some reason, my left wouldn't cooperate. My vision cleared and focused on my wife's tired face, which was lit by an equally exhausted smile. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a messy bun.

I opened my mouth, finding that it wouldn't open all the way on the left side.

"Sam." It hurt to talk, like acid was being applied to my raw throat, but I forced out the syllable. She smiled wider, tearing up, and kissed my hand.

"I'm so glad you're okay! You scared me." She told me. I weakly squeezed her fingers.

"I wouldn't leave you," I croaked.