The paranoia didn't creep in slowly, not really. Rather, it had likely been present since the accident, and it simply drew power from the moments where she was left with nothing but her thoughts.
Dangerous, dark thoughts. Anxiety-ridden, horrifying thoughts.
Every noise reminded her of the crash. Every beeping of a machine took her back to waking up on the plane amidst chaos, and every whisper of a healthcare worker sent her heart racing, certain their quiet words would suddenly turn to screams at any moment.
Her nurse the previous day had been a female, but she'd had bright blue eyes.
Liza had started shaking and had spent the entire twelve hours of the nurse's shift facing the window, tucked under her blankets and pretending she was anywhere else.
She didn't want to remember. She didn't want to see those blue eyes, hear those beeps, or listen to whispers become screams.
She'd survived the crash, for whatever reason, but she wasn't sure if she could survive this hellish aftermath.
*****