тєars ín тнє raín (wєєknd ғan-ғíc)

奇妙な表情 (Odd Look)

The smell of bleach woke me up. I couldn't stand the smell of bleach. 

I opened my eyes but was unable to move the rest of my body. Just to move my finger caused a jolt of pain to go throughout my whole right arm. I tried moving a finger on my left arm, but couldn't. At least I thought I couldn't. I wasn't able to feel anything on my left arm. I looked down and saw my arm on my side in some sort of cast. I let out a sigh of relief.

A nurse came in and gasped when she saw me.

"You're awake! It's a miracle!"

Before I was able to respond, she ran out the room. I bit my lip in confusion. Was I suppose to not be awake? I closed my eyes, the moments of near death flashing before my eye lids. The bullet piercing my arm and stomach. The blood exiting my mouth. I cringed just thinking about it. I opened my eyes to see the same nurse and a doctor next to me. 

"Hello I'm Dr. Balken. Do you know why you're here?" 

"I got shot." I tried to sit up, but a pain shot up my back to my neck. 

"Here let me help you with that." He sat me up as carefully as he could, putting a pillow behind me. 

"Amber you got shot in your left arm, and on the left side of your stomach. You're a very lucky person. The bullet missed your pancreas by exactly an inch so no nerve wrecking damage there. We did extract the bullet from your stomach, so you will have stitches there."

"And my arm?"

"Your arm is a different story. The bullet hit a nerve so you are paralyzed ... that is until we do the surgery to fix the nerve but that itself is a risky procedure. We thought you would stay in your coma for a few more days to let you rest from the surgery in your stomach to continue on to the nerve surgery."

A coma? I was in a fucking coma?  What the hell is today then?

"A coma ... but how? And what day is today?"

"Lack of oxygen to the brain and constant seizures. And today is August 5th."

August 5th?!?! I was in a coma for two months! I couldn't believe it. 

"Amber?" I looked up and there was Abel at the door. 

"Abel! I was in a coma for two months, could you believe it? How much did I miss? Is Valerie okay? ..." I could've went on and on but I was stopped with Abel's soft lips on top of mine. Gosh how much I missed it. 

"Valerie is doing just fine. She's under the care of her boyfriend. You missed  two single drops of mine, and the chance to model in the Victoria's Secret fashion show." 

My eyes widened. I got the chance to model and I fucking missed it!

"Buttt I did talk to the management department of the fashion show and they're allowing you to audition as soon as you get out the hospital." I was going to scream but then I realized there was a problem,

My arm. 

"Abel I can't. My arm is paralyzed. How could I model with a paralyzed arm?"

"Just fine. They know, and still want you to participate. There's a first time for everything."

I was ecstatic about this! I will finally be able to model, something I've been trying to do for some time. Abel said he had some work coming for me to do soon, once he gets his merchandise ready to go. 

Then it hit me.

Aiko.

I was still confused on the connection she had to Abel ... Well I wouldn't say confused. I was well aware of how they were connected being that there is only one way Abel could possibly be connected to her. I just didn't want to accept it. I was well confused on how and why she was connected to my "stepmother". I would definitely remember a Japanese girl in my childhood neighborhood, so she must've met her along the way. It's a shame she was still getting vulnerable girls and taking advantage of them.