TW: descriptions of panic attack
Y/N's POV
An icy chill runs down my spine and I pull the warm grey cardigan tighter around my shoulders. Towering Roman columns line the halls of the great library.
Books filled the tall walls, hundreds upon hundreds; each one perfectly preserved despite their age. There was a concave ceiling with an intricately painted mural.
The ever-burning fireplace cast a dim glow over the seating area in front of it. Figures with names long forgotten were carved into it's stone surface.
My description of the library could never do it enough justice, you would have to see it in person in order to grasp its true elegance.
I walked through the empty halls shutting the grand oak doors of the room behind me.
I made my way to the front office, and I said good bye to the librarian whom I had gotten close to over the past few months. She was a kind, gentle lady, and I enjoyed our little talks as I came to and from the library.
I hurried to my car, pulling my cardigan as tight as I could to preserve warmth.
I sat in my car for a bit to warm up before I decided to start driving home.
I was born and raised in New York City by my mother, and I loved to watch the city as I drove by. Looking at all the lights of the houses and apartments that illuminated the city was almost therapeutic, despite all of the traffic. I began thinking of how New York was the most beautiful in winter. The lights, the decorations, all of it was simply magical.
Growing up, my mother used to take me to the Rockefeller center every year to see that great big tree, completely lit up with Christmas lights. I hoped that we could see it again this year.
I was quickly pulled from my thoughts, when my car skidded across the black ice coating the street. I only lost control of the wheel for a brief few seconds, but before I knew it my car had already collided with the bus in front of me.
My whole body slammed into the steering wheel, and I heard the sound of bone striking metal. Apparently, my airbag was just a millisecond late setting off. When it did inflate, it struck me right in the face; causing my neck to whip backwards.
My eyes were only open for a few moments, but I could see the cuts and gashes on my legs and a few on my arms before everything went black, and I could no longer see or feel anything.
Around me I could hear the sounds of people running towards my car and the person in front me panicking; asking if I was okay. I could hear sirens coming from afar, and just like that I was unconscious.
I kept falling in and out of consciousness as I was taken away in an ambulance. the only thing I remember hearing was the voice of the paramedic trying to keep me from falling asleep.
I was out for a few hours, and when I came to, I was alone in a standard hospital room. When I looked at my arms and legs, they were completely intact. Not a single cut, bruise, or mark.
It was as if I wasn't even in the car when it crashed.
I sat up on the bed and pushed the nurse call button beside me, to see if anyone was around to tell me what had happened. More importantly, I wanted to know why there was nothing wrong with me.
When the nurse came in, he was accompanied by a doctor. Probably to update me on my 'situation'.
"Y/N how are you feeling?"
"Why aren't I dead?"
"Y/N, the paramedic on scene said you had suffered from major head trauma, and that your neck was broken. However, while in the ambulance, your body completely healed itself."
I was frozen with shock. I looked down at my legs again. Just to be sure.
"That can't be, there's no way that they're telling the truth."
"Unfortunately, they are. Given the state of your car, you would have at least gotten a few scratches. When you got to the hospital your wounds had closed, your pupils weren't as dilated as before, and when we ran an emergency CT scan we didn't pick up anything abnormal. We want to run some more tests to make sure that we didn't miss anything, I just need your consent. Then afterwards, we should be able release you if nothing comes up. There's not much we can do if there's nothing showing up."
"Yeah..... Yeah that's fine you can take the tests, take as many as you need to."
The doctor left, and nurses helped me to feet and took me to get my tests done.
I was scanned, examined and sampled, but all my results came back normal. It made absolutely no sense.
Worry coursed through me.
I had never been in a car accident, let alone gone to the hospital by myself. I had definitely never miraculously recovered from a serious injury, although, come to think of it, I'd never had a serious injury to begin with.
They must be missing something. They have to be.
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Once the doctors had finished taking the tests , they asked me to sign release papers and just like that I was out of the hospital and free to go about my night.
They told me that I was still in shock from the accident, and that I should try my best to relax when I got home. If anything unusual suddenly turned up, I was supposed to come back immediately.
I used the remaining change I had to take a bus to the car dealership.
Since the car was completely totaled from the accident, and I wouldn't be able to drive it anymore as the front half was completely crushed in.
The car company loaned me a rental and I was back on my way home as if nothing happened.
I arrived at my house and pulled into my drive way and headed inside. I quickly checked the mail and found a variety of envelopes that I decided I would just have to open in the morning.
I hung all my stuff up and walked up the stairs to turn on the tap to start filling up the bathtub.
As it was filling up I got out all my clothes for the next day and made sure to tidy up anything that I hadn't put away in the morning because I did not want to do anything else but go to bed after my relaxing bath.
The water had finally filled up and I slowly took off my clothes and got in. It was warm and relaxing just as I had hoped it would be.
I couldn't help but wonder what had actually happened in the ambulance and at the hospital. How can injuries magically just disappear from someones body in less than 10 minutes? I started to feel around my legs and my arms to see if anything felt weird but I felt the same, but then again I had no idea what that felt like.
I got out of the tub and that's when the soreness started to kick in. I stumbled a bit while reaching for my towel and had to steady myself so I wouldn't fall over from exhaustion.
I was mentally and physically exhausted and needed to get in bed as soon as possible. I didn't even bother washing my face considering I barely had any makeup on in the first place.
I shuffled over to my dresser and slowly put my pajamas on. Which consisted of an oversized tee and some plain black pajama shorts.
I went over to my bed and carefully got in. As soon as I laid down it felt like a weight had fallen over top of me making me fall asleep instantly.
I had only been asleep a few hours before I woke up with my rib cage feeling like it was being fused together and a heavy weight in my lungs causing me to have trouble breathing.
I was having another panic attack, and I couldn't lay down or sit up without feeling like my lungs were filled with lead causing me to not be able to breathe well enough to take deep breaths.
My mother was out of town and would be getting in tomorrow afternoon so I decided to lay down and try my best to fall asleep and breathe as best as I could knowing soon I'd just pass out from mental exhaustion.
I didn't want to worry her about the accident considering nothing was wrong so I decided I would tell her the next day when she has arrived home safely rather than to worry her.
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How was the first chapter?? I know it was slow, but I needed to get a little bit of the backstory and the less important stuff out of the way before the more important stuff.
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