Ruby's Heart, A Blue Moon Coven Chronicle

31. Quis Ego Sum ~ {Who Am I?}

The sizzling of skin on Ruby's shoulder was a horrifying sound. It was reminiscent of cold steak being set on a hot grill, even the sounds of fat drippings hitting the fire could be incorporated into the sound of Ryan's mark being obliterated from her flesh. The witch who was casting the remotionem spell was mumbling with his hand over Ruby's shoulder while the Dr. sat on a stool beneath, lightly dabbing at the mark as it began to ooze and then dissolve. 

The usually calm and constant sound of beeping that was Ruby's heart monitor was not present in these moments. Ruby's heart rate had increased drastically as the mark was being removed. Her body attempted to curl in seeming pain as her face contorted to grimaces and frowns. She suffered through the removal, her heart racing, and her body shaking through it. 

"Help! Help me, please! Heart?"  Ruby looked around the forest that she usually found her wolf standing in. She was aware of something happening, something was pulling her away from this place. She was afraid to go.

"Heart? Where are you? I need you! It hurts. It hurts so bad." Ruby whimpered and she thought she heard Heart whimpering as well.

"Yes Ruby, I know." Heart whined softly before fading into nothingness as the forest in Ruby's mind began to bleed through to white light.

"She's waking up!" The voice is excited, and she could not open her eyes but she felt the need to. She was vaguely aware of the pain that radiated through her body. 

Something was gagging her. Her arms were restrained. She could feel tape pulling at her skin as she began to try to move. She started coughing. The gagging thing was causing it. She turned her head as her body attempted to rid itself of the gagging thing in her throat.

"She's choking on the feeding tube, get it out of her." A very deep and authoritative voice spoke. 

The voice made her want to open her eyes to see who was speaking. Who was that person? It felt like pushing, to lift her eyelids. They were so heavy. She tried to remember all the muscles in the face that were needed just to open your eyelids. Why weren't those muscles working? She groaned with the effort of trying. She felt a hand then, a hand that was moving from her shoulder and down her arm. The hand was petting slowly, attempting to soothe perhaps?

"Just remain calm my pet, your doctor will take the tube out now. Breathe through it, you can do this pet." The voice continued to speak softly. 

She began to cough as the tube was being removed. The doctor encouraged the coughing and after a minute the tube was out of her nose and throat and she was gasping at air while her eyelids fluttered, still trying to open. She wanted to move her hand, to touch her throat where it burned. 

"Do you want to sip some water, pet?" The voice was offering, yes water would help.

"Yes, please." She spoke and startled at her own voice. She did not recognize it as being herself. 

"I will put the straw to your lips my pet. Just suckle when you are ready." The voice was eerily calm and the words gave her pause. She felt odd that there was no recognition even though the voice was clearly familiar.

She drank through the straw until the cup was empty. She opened her lips only to let her hungry gasps spill out while she wrestled for quick air.

"Thank, Thank you."  She spoke as finally, her eyelids managed to fly up without much effort at all.

She was met with the face of a stranger. She looked into his dark eyes and her eyebrows leaned together in her frown. He had dark hair and his skin was lightly tanned, but he looked so very foreign to her. She blinked her eyelashes quickly as she saw his hand approach her cheek, the back of his knuckles grazed the side of her face almost reverently.