Annalise

Chapter 32: The Unfolding Of A Midnight Tragedy

TRIGGER WARNING: Talk Of Suicide

The darkness I was swept into released me from its grip, letting me slowly regain consciousness. A white light flashes before my my left eye then it traveled over to my right one moments after. I knew whatever it was, it was bright and blinding to my vision. My senses switched back on as my body began to power up.

My hearing was the first out of the five senses to return, immediately did I hear a strong woman's voice.

"She's waking up, Mrs. Saint. There's nothing to fear. It was just a panic attack."

I groaned softly as I felt something tug my eyelids open, causing the light to directly hit my pupils. I turned my head slightly, hoping to get away from whatever was touching my skin.

"Mom?" I questioned, my voice scratchy at the lack of salvia coating my mouth.

"Annalise, angel, I'm right here. It's ok," I heard my mother's calming voice, using a soft tone to respond back to me.

I began to open my eyes, no longer feeling anyone stretching or pulling at the skin on my eyelids. Everything was blurry through my squinted eyes, brighter and less detailed than normal. I closed them once again, more tightly than last time in hopes of adjusting my vision that was out of focus.

"Everything is fine physically. I replaced the wrap on her hand with stitches that would stop the bleeding. However, witnessing such a tragic event, I fear it's her mental health we should be cautious about," the woman, who I believe is a doctor, warns my mom.

My vision finally shifts to crystal clear, making me now able to discern my surroundings and those who are presented before me. I noticed a young woman flickering off a cylinder shaped flashlight in her hand, sliding it into her white coat breast pocket. Her brown hair was straight and at shoulder-length, I think she was Asian but I couldn't tell. I could tell for sure that underneath her white coat were dark blue scrubs.

I'm in.. a hospital? What happened?

"Hello, I'm Dr. Chen," the young doctor smiles kindly. "Can you tell me how you're feeling?"

I immediately shot up from the hospital bed I was resting on, looking down at myself to see I still had my regular clothes on. I couldn't have been here for long. I took a deep breath, feeling utterly confused and so very drained of energy. I brought my sight to my hand, finding stitches closing a wound that had left my skin sliced apart.

My hand, right, it got cut when the punch bowl at school broke and the glass sliced me. I could remember that much. Apparently my confusion leaked out of me and onto my face, conveying to the doctor that I had no idea how I ended up here.

She cautiously fills me in. "You seem confused, Annalise. You're here because you had a panic attack and fainted. Do you remember having the panic attack? Do you remember what happened?"

Panic... attack? I had a panic attack?

I shook my head, my eyebrows crunching at her words. Maybe she's mistaken, possibly mixing me up with a different patient. I've never had a panic attack in my entire life.

"You don't remember that you were trembling and having shortness of breath? Perhaps feeling a tightness in your throat or chest? Symptoms include getting chills, a pounding heart that can make an individual feel like they're having a heart attack, possibly a sense of impending doom. You can even start to dissociate, as if you're detached from reality, or just feel completely dizzy. Did you feel something like that?" Dr. Chen queries me, listing multiple things out.

I never...

Then suddenly I felt like realization took the form of a bat and swung at my head, reminding me of what occurred hours ago. I did feel like that. I felt detached, like I was in a void of blackness and away from earth, like I couldn't breath, or stop myself from shaking as chills ran up and down my back– I had a panic attack. A real panic attack... and now that I think about it, I'm sure it wasn't the first one to happen.