Reality feels like a distant memory and dreams seem more real. Things in Sutton's life don't seem to be right. Why does she seem more connected to the five strangers she just met than to her roommate and boyfriend she's known all her life?
Why does...
Sutton bit into her turkey on rye wishing it was something else. Something more hearty. Real comfort food with fat, starch, and carbohydrates. She'd slept a day away but somehow she felt like she hadn't had a complete meal in a week. She was hungry. No. Starving and a sandwich and soup wasn't getting the job done.
"I can't do this." She placed the sandwich back down, a slice of tomato falling out and touching the four celery sticks that came with the meal. "I want that."
She pointed to Krishna's plate. The cheese and butter melted perfectly with the scallop potatoes as the creamy sauce it made inched closer and closer to her smothered T-bone steak topped with soft onions and bell peppers.
"And that," She then gestured to Miles' plate with bunching brows. His eyes went to hers but his hand was still around the base of the chicken drum, which was marinated in a spicy sauce concocted from cayenne and habaneros. Her mouth watered at the sight of the still warm mound of waffle fries. She wouldn't even have to dip them in a dollop of aioli. The salt was all she need to devour every last one of them.
"I'm reordering." She pushed the plate away knocking it against the bowl, shaking the herbed chicken wild rice soup.
Before her arm rose fulling in the air Krishna interjected, "You can't. You know what the nurse said."
Although she may have yawn once or twice, she comprehended all the rules and guidelines she was supposed to follow after being inflicted with a concussion.
"I'm not nauseated," Sutton affirmed. "No nausea. No upset stomach. Other being deliriously hungry, I feel completely fine."
"You should at least try the soup," Miles said pushing the bowl back towards her. "It might surprise you."
"You try it." She pushed the bowl away again. "I want the four cheese nachos and maybe a side of waffle fries. You think they'll do that combo." She poised the latter statement to Krishna.
"They might." She shrugged then gave Miles a subtle look before plunging her fork in the thick slice of potato, that had to be from the end of the vegetable.
"What was that?" Sutton asked looking from her friend to her boyfriend. "Are ya'll trying to parent me?"
"No, baby." Miles humorously quipped. He grabbed a napkin from the stack the waiter piled in the middle of the butcher block table to clean the red sauce from his hands before holding hers. "We're just looking out for you. We were both scared when you were in that bed and I don't want you to go back."
"Neither do I," Krishna added. "You were on medications to help your brain heal while you were sleep and they might counteract with the food you eat."
"What type of medicines?"
"Just the kind to help pain and reduce swelling."
"Hmm." Sutton sat back with a tilt to her head, "My brain was swollen?"
"Here." Miles handed her a widely cut waffle fry. "If I let you gave five will you try the soup?"
She scowled at him even though her mouth desperately wanted the golden fried treat in her mouth.
"Just for tonight at least," Miles added with a hopeful grin. "Tomorrow, I'll buy you anything you want on the menu."
"Times two."
"You're that hungry?" Krishna asked no longer slicing into the tender steak.
"I haven't eaten in a day. I'm that hungry."
"Of course," Miles uttered with a stroke against the palm of her hand. "I'll do anything for you."
A smile grew on her face. A caring friend and a loving boyfriend, what more could a girl ask for.
"Fine." She slipped her hand from his grasp and held it out flatly, "I'll take five with sauce."
He smiled as he scooped the five waffle fries from his plate. It took less than a minute for him to transfer the food to her plate but at that time eating was erased from her mind. All of her attention was on the guy that strolled through the door behind two equally fit dudes. Her eyes followed the trio as they traversed to the last remaining empty table. It had to be a phenomenon the way all the sounds; chatter, clicking of utensils against ceramic plates, bustling of feet to the bar for drinks, waiters darting from the kitchen with pipping hot food for eager coeds. It all went silent on his face.
"I know him," She whispered watching the mysterious guy lower himself in the sturdy mahogany chair. "He was in my dream or...my..." She bothered her temple trying to remember where she saw him from.
His face was familiar. She felt like she met him. Talked to him. The sensation of knowing him was strong in the pit of her stomach but her mind couldn't bring a tangible memory of him forward.
"Who?" Krishna asked twisting in the chair to search who she was referring to. Once she scanned her eyes on all the faces behind her she turned back around and cleared stated, "We don't know anyone in here."
"We might not but I do." She stood from her chair.
Miles' hand quickly latched around her forearm, "Where are you going?"
"To go ask him something." Her sight went back to the guy who was now peering back at her with a placid face.
She proceeded to move assuming her words gave him the answer he needed. She was wrong and the halt in her steps as evidence. The abrupt jerk of her shoulder created lines in her forehead and a scowl to her face as she whipped her sight back to him.
"Let me go," She tried to free her arm from his grasp with a hard tug of her limb.
"Just sit down and listen to me."
"You're making a scene." Krishna hissed, her eyes darting towards the faces angled to their table.
"I don't care." Sutton fumed. "Let me go!" She tugged her arm again getting the same response.
Her chest rapidly rose and fell from the hurried breaths she took. There was something building in her body like pure electricity coursing through her veins. She couldn't cite a particular emotion or desire but her eyes went from glaring at him to landing on the steak knife on Krishna's plate.
Pick up the knife. Slice his hand. Free yourself. The words blazed in her mind like a neon sign. The fingers of her free hand tingled at the revelation as blood pulsated around her eardrum. How could she think such a thing, inflict physical harm? He was preventing her from moving but his force wasn't causing her pain. So, why did she want to inflict it on him?
With every second that ticked, the words shined brighter until she heard the authoritative voice at her side.
"Let her go!"
What 'medicines' do you think they administered to her while at the University Clinic?
Why are Krishna and Miles so against her eating hearty foods? Is it only because of the concussion?
'Pick up the knife. Slice his hand. Free yourself,' Why do you think those words were so strong in Sutton's/Asia's mind?
Who do you think is the authoritative voice at her side?
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