Deal • REWRITE • BOOK 1

20; Never Be the Same

"I can't let him want things as much as he does now when he knows half the story."

A R I A

Pain. Like cold ice water soaking into my veins I could feel it steadily take over my body, the ache in my muscles a lot more present as the cool air in the room I was in took its toll and made my skin feel tight and dry.

The strain in my throat was numbed with the icy oxygen that was being passed through it as I stirred and tried to groan quietly but failed, the lack of voice I had making its appearance as my nose wrinkled at the smell of disinfectant whilst my fingers gripped over slightly scratchy sheets.

"She's waking up..." I heard a voice say, my instinct to move falling through when pain shot through my leg as the light above me made my already closed eyes screw shut, the intensity of it leaving me in a mood worse for wear as I inhaled a breath that made my throat tickle. "She doesn't like hospitals so she's going to-"

The rest of the words I was hearing suddenly muted when I registered them and felt my chest cave, my consciousness filtering through quicker than it wanted to as I made a pained breath when I tried to take a bigger breath, the tightness in my chest suddenly a lot more noticeable.

Second by second I was regaining clearer thoughts, my senses no longer as impaired as they were when I felt the bandage that was tied across my right hand, an IV stuck in the top of my other as the steady beat of my heart echoed in my head and pulled me through the fuzzy line of consciousness.

"Aria."

My eyes blinked open slowly, the adjustment to the bright white lighting leaving me to frown as I breathed the slightly weird tasting oxygen that was being pumped through the mask over my mouth and nose.

"Aria, hi I'm Dr Smith. I'm here to-"

His words were completely muffled in my head when I blinked at him a few times, his appearance being in the form of a middle aged man as I looked behind him to see Aaron, the worried look on his face looking a lot more emphasised in the bright lights I could see.

The sudden sight of him made everything piece together until the distorted edges of my reality met to form a focus, the panic that hit me suddenly overwhelming my body when a sense of unforgettable and unwanted memories hit me right in the face.

"Miss Moretti you can't take that off-"

Dr Smith's words were completely ignored when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand, my heavy arms heaving my hands up to move the mask away from my face as I sat up abruptly and breathed in a wheezed breath that my chest burn.

"Miss Moretti, your injuries are-"

"Get off me," I choked out, my hatred for being a patient in a hospital hitting me hard as the previously steady beat of my heart picked up in speed, my hands pushing away Dr Smith's as I ignored the pain in my body and breathed burning breaths.

"Aria, I know you hate being here but you have to let them do what they have to do," I heard Aaron's voice explain in sympathy, the lack of able breathing I was doing only made the next few moments blurry as I made a pained sound when I moved my leg. The panic in my system overwhelmed my body as I tried to get out of the bed I was in whilst the sound of buttons being pressed echoed in my ears along with shouting, the heaviness of my muscles ignored once again until I felt myself being restrained and being put back to the bed I'd been sitting up on.

"Let me fücking go..." I wheezed as the door opened whilst Aaron told me that he was sorry, my chest caving in with every panicked and struggled breath I took before another familiar voice spoke loudly whilst my heartbeat skyrocketed.