Love and Revenge (Complete)

Chapter 5: Healing (EDITED)

Waking up that afternoon felt like swimming against crashing waves.  My mind kept trying to pull me under back to sleep but I heard this annoying noise calling out to me.  I wanted more than anything to make it stop, even more than I wanted to go back to sleep.  I finally forced my eyes open to see Will standing over me, his face very close to my own.  I could actually see the flecks of color dotting his brown eyes.

It took me a moment before I realized what he was saying.  "Annie, are you awake now?  You can stop staring at me any time."  A smirk was forming on his face.

I blushed in realization as he teased me, before shifting my gaze around the white hospital room, suddenly filled with people I didn't recognize.  Before I had a chance to panic at the presence of so many strangers, I felt Will's hand on my chin, guiding my line of sight back to him.  His teasing expression had dropped, leaving him looking serious.

"Hey, it's ok.  The people in the room aren't going to hurt you.  These detectives need your statement, and the doctor is here to inform them and you of the injuries.  You're going to be fine, alright?"

His voice was quiet as the buzz of conversation was still filling the room around us.  I felt extremely grateful that he seemed to know I didn't want the fact I was afraid to be broadcast to everyone.  I nodded gently and he gave me a small smile in return.  His hand fell to my own, gripping it tightly as he turned to the people in the room.

"Alright detectives, she's ready to talk to you now."

Two men stepped up to the left side of my hospital bed while Will was standing to my right, still holding my hand.  One was much heftier and older than the other, though they both had tired expressions on their faces.  The bigger man with gray hair spoke first, surprising me with his extremely calming, gentle voice.

"Miss Bloom, I'm Detective Hansen and this is Detective Barnes.  We're sorry to hear what happened to you.  In order to catch the people responsible, we need to know what happened from your perspective.  Do you feel up to talking about it?"

His kind eyes expressed sympathy and I felt at ease with this man.  I somehow knew he'd take everything I said seriously, and before I knew what was happening I was in tears.  It was like the show of kindness finally unlocked the terror and pain of what happened.

Will's grip on my hand tightened slightly as he leaned over and hugged me to him gently, trying not to hurt me.  I couldn't stop the sobbing for several minutes as I cried into Will's shirt with him stroking my tied-up hair with his free hand.  The memories came rushing back at me and I couldn't stop them from flooding my mind as I felt each hit over and over again.

"Maybe you should come back later."  I heard Will's muffled voice from my position against his chest.

I pulled away from him slightly and shook my head, taking deep breaths and trying to get control over myself.  I didn't want to put this off any longer.  The sooner I talked about it, the sooner I could start forgetting it.

"No.  I--I need to talk about it now,"  I paused, little hiccuping sobs still stealing my breath.  In a moment when I could breathe a little steadier, I continued, "I was walking away from the campus, toward the alleys behind it.  I'd just been in to talk to the dean because I found out this morning that two of my classmates had been expelled and one of them...died. I was really upset and took a walk.  I got lost in the streets and saw someone wearing a hoodie standing against a building, so I went to ask for directions.  They...hit me in the face, threw me against the wall, and hit me again. I noticed a second person in a hoodie and mask just standing by and watching. I managed to get one hit out before I fell to the ground.  They started kicking me and finally they got out a knife...and they stabbed me.  I just remember everything going black after that."  I struggled to get the words out, feeling like I was reliving every moment as I spoke.  The only thing that kept me grounded as I talked was Will's hand holding my own.