Power is Power

4

Everything was completely black. I was trapped, isolated; there was no escape from the darkness that engulfed me. Faint whispers could be heard all around me, yet there was no source of noise, no evidence that what I thought I heard was truly there.

I'm going crazy, hearing voices, but only specific sentences stuck in my mind. My mum's gentle voice rippled through the air and my eyes began to cloud with tears, "Come sweetheart, we miss you."

 "Mum?" I attempted to mutter, but no noise was audible.

Almost instantly, another recognisable voice echoed through my mind, "Lili, you are a beautiful young woman and you are stronger than you believe." My dad's compliments resulted in the tears soaking my cold cheeks.

Next was Tony, "You can't split up the super Stark siblings." His voice was cheery and jokey which made me smile very deeply. I tried to shake my head, but it was almost as if I was paralysed.

Suddenly the voices stopped, and everything remained eerily silent. A bright, single spotlight illuminated a patch of the dark room and a tall figure stepped out of the shadows; Obadiah Stane. "Well, well, well... Lil." He slowly began to saunter forwards as I struggled to move. "It would be a shame if you were caught up in an unfortunate accident now, wouldn't it?"

The sound of his voice disgusted me, and as he got closer, I realised that he was holding something in his right hand. A slither of light caught a glimpse of a reflective surface; it was a knife. Standing right in front of me, he rose the sharp knife into the air and plunged it straight into my flat stomach. There was absolutely no pain, I was numb, completely numb. I stared up at him in despair, "Look out Lil, I will come for you."

And with that I was pulled out of the horrifying dream and I woke up with heaving breaths. 

"Woah, calm down Lili. You're okay, I've got you." Tony's soft words ran through my brain like warm honey, slowly calming me down as he held my trembling body against his. I was in my room on the soft bed with a monitor attached to me. 

It looked like he hired a private doctor which was probably for the best as we both hate hospitals. I've hated them ever since I was six and I broke my arm after falling off a wall at the park. The hospital was so cold, colourless and smelt purely of disinfectant; I then vowed to myself that I'd never go there again.

"You really scared me Lili. I thought I'd lost you as well." A warm drop splashed onto my head; Tony was crying. I hugged him tighter and eventually the shaking subsided. "I'm sorry I worried you," I murmured into his chest before pulling back to lay on my bed.

He smiled lovingly, "I'm so glad you're okay. What happened?" Tony looked very concerned and it almost killed me to have to lie to him, but otherwise it could put both him and I in more imminent danger. "Armed robbery gone wrong, I guess." I spluttered, reciting Obadiah's stern words.

He looked unsure, but he nodded nonetheless, "I'll get the security upgraded as soon as possible." I smiled and squeezed his hand, "How long have I been out?" I asked him whilst tracing his grazed knuckles with my thumb. He sighed deeply before I looked him dead in the eyes, "6 days."

 What? How have I been unconscious for six days? Did I miss the funeral?

Obviously, the worry was evident in my eyes as Tony quickly responded, "Don't worry, the funeral isn't for another day. You should have enough time to recover or you don't even have to go if you don't feel up to it."

I quickly shook my head, "I'm definitely going, I need to say a proper goodbye. It's the least they deserve." I sniffed and pulled my knotted hair out of my face. I must have looked a complete utter mess because I haven't washed my hair or showered in a week.

"How long until I can be on my feet again?" I asked curiously but Tony just shrugged, "Doctor Lloyds said that you should be fine to walk whenever you feel up to it. However, he needs to run a few tests first."

I smiled gently and slumped back into the soft, luxurious pillow. We sat in a comfortable silence until a young, brunette nurse came in. "Hi Lilian, it is great to see you awake. My name is Heather and myself and Doctor Lloyds are here to assist you in your recovery. If you need anything, please give me a shout. Doctor Lloyds will be along shortly to check your condition." She smiled kindly before leaving. She was a very pretty woman and surprisingly, she didn't try to flirt with my brother unlike almost all other women usually did. She didn't even show him any interest whatsoever.

"Any news on what happened that night?" I questioned Tony lightly, referring to the night our parents died. "No, apparently it was just dark, and they swerved into a tree. The car caught alight and they were unconscious." I nodded, yet I was unsure. "You really believe that?" I turned to him intrigued, "Not a word," He shook his head and looked away, deep in thought.

A little while later Doctor Lloyds entered the room and offered a warm smile. He was a middle-aged man with brown, spiky hair. "I've checked all of your vitals and everything seems to be fine. It seems you had mild concussion, but that will go away over time, though you may sometimes become light headed. We managed to close the cut on your head and it has almost healed and the scratches on your legs have also healed well. You are free to walk about, just try not to put yourself under any stress and remember to sit down frequently." He turned off the machine beside me after deciding that I no longer needed to be under such close analysis.

"Thank you," I replied, and he smiled, "It is my pleasure, I'm glad you have recovered well Miss Stark." With that, he left the room and Tony looked over happily, "Well that all sounded good, do you want anything?" He asked, rising to his feet. I shook my head as he opened the door, "Where are you going?"

"I need to do a quick design in the lab, I just thought of something. I'll be back soon, and perhaps we can order a takeaway or something?" He looked hopeful and smiled when I nodded. "See you later then,"

When the door had closed softly, I slumped back into my pillows. My head was throbbing and my whole body felt weak; though I couldn't tell Tony that or else I wouldn't be allowed to attend the funeral and there is no way that I am missing it. I don't care how bad I feel; I will be there.

As promised, Tony returned around an hour later holding a bag of food. Chinese takeaway to be exact; my ultimate favourite. Dad loved it too, we'd always share a huge pot of egg fried rice, chips and chicken noodles. I never knew something so small as a Chinese takeaway could bring back so many memories. I guess I'll have to learn to make new ones now.

Pulling my legs up into a crossed position, I thanked Tony as he laid out a variety of food on the flat bed sheets. He had ordered too much as he always did, but it was great because we chatted and laughed whilst eating. We didn't dwell on the funeral that loomed in less than 24 hours.

Later that evening, I began to feel drowsy and I couldn't help but close my eyes as Tony chatted away beside me. When he noticed my sleepiness, he rose from the chair, kissed my forehead and headed for the door. "Night Tony," I whispered as he was about to leave, "Night Lili."