Nothing Super [COMPLETED]

Chapter 29 - "Get in the car, Taylor."

Pain ripped Taylor from her sleep and she jolted awake, gasping, tears streaming down her face. When the shock of rolling onto her injured arm subsided, she blinked and gazed around, trying to remember where she was.

From her blurry vision, her room took form. She was at home. Faint gray light seeped in from beneath the edge of her blinds. After wiping her face, she dragged her hand up to touch her arm, limply feeling the bandage that covered the stitches. Her arm throbbed painfully but the intense agony of the previous night was gone. Thoroughly exhausted, Taylor sank back onto her mattress and closed her eyes.

Just as she was slipping back into sleep, her alarm went off.

She let it run, unable to find enough strength to turn it off. When she heard the patter of her mother's footsteps, Taylor shut off the alarm and hid her wound under the blankets. A light knock sounded, but Taylor didn't reply. There was nothing left in her, she couldn't face the day, let alone get out of bed.

When her mother opened the door and whispered her name, Taylor stayed unresponsive. Her mother crossed the room and peered down at her daughter.

"Taylor," she said. "Sweetheart, are you up?"

"No," croaked Taylor.

Her mother sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed a hand over Taylor's brow. Taylor wanted to cry, the touch was gentle and comforting when at that moment she felt as if she had been run over and was paralyzed with fatigue.

"Rough night?" her mother asked.

"The worst." At least this was a truth she could admit.

Her mother stroked her cheek, murmuring her sympathies. Taylor felt her head fall to the side as sleep called to her.

"Go back to sleep," her mother said.

The words traveled to Taylor from a great distance as she fell back into her dreams.

******

Taylor slept for more than a day. Her mother woke her up periodically to see if she was sick, but once convinced she suffered only from exhaustion, she let Taylor sleep.

When her mother woke Taylor the next day in the early afternoon, Taylor felt more put together. She murmured that she would get up and it was enough that her mother slipped out. Eyes still half-closed, Taylor pushed herself up. Her arm throbbed but it was bearable. When she managed to fully open her eyes, she noticed a bottle of pills and a note tucked behind her lamp on her nightstand. She grabbed both items.

Taylor, take two of these every six hours. It will help with the pain. - Naomi.

Taylor read the message three times before it penetrated her mind. Foregoing water, she swallowed two of the pills dry. They left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she hardly cared. Looking at the note again, pieces of two nights before returned. Weston carrying her to a car. Clint driving both of them to her house. Weston tugging off her shoes and tucking her into bed.

Taylor glanced down at her clothes and noticed she was in her jeans and the tank top she wore underneath her long-sleeved shirt. She vaguely wondered if it had been Naomi or Weston that took off the bloody garment.

Gathering her strength, Taylor swung her legs off the bed and paused there, building herself up to the next task, standing up. She was given a reprieve from the daunting mission by the ding of her phone. When she took it from her nightstand, she saw she had nine messages and a missed call from Dominic.

"I'm ready."

"Taylor?"

"Tay?"