Closing Time

65.

I woke with a start.

My head was pounding and my breathing was heavy. Within a few blinks, my blurry vision sharpened to focus on the concrete my hand was resting on. Considering how messed up my body was, it felt odd how awake I felt. An urgency formed in me once again, breaking my my chain of thought as memories started snapping back into my mind within the span of seconds.

Get up. I need to get up. "Mike? Lou?" I rasped out, tasting blood in my mouth. My hand curled against the cement as I tried to regain some feeling.

"Good morning, Ryleigh. Had a good night's sleep? Do you want breakfast in bed?"

I ignored Lou's taunt, only one thought in my mind.

Move. Fucking. Move.

Pulling my unresponsive arm to me, I started to push myself up. "Food sounds so good right now." I gritted out, feeling my arm shake under my body weight.

"Sustenance is a privilege granted only to beings who are alive."

"You should savour how it feels to be hungry, feathers. I don't think you have long left to feel it anyway."

I laughed at that, finally getting onto my knees. My vision swam. I'd given up on the pounding head those two gave me everytime they spoke. It was the only thing keeping me awake at the moment. "Glad you're enjoying the-agh-joyride." I gasped in pain as placed weight on my injured foot. "How long was I... out?"

"We aren't sure." Mike spoke up. "When you hit the ground, we both lost consciousness for a while too."

Lou sighed in my head. I could feel their tension. "We just... 'woke up' a bit before you."

"Great, great." I swayed on my feet. "Had a good... sleep?" My mouth felt dry. I was so... thirsty.

"Sure. But I'd rather not make it permanent."

"Move, Ryleigh."

"I'm trying, Mike." I hissed as I forced my feet to move. One step in front of the other. Come on.

"Hearing you having to baby yourself to walk is not very reassuring if you don't mind me saying."

I rolled my eyes. It sent a twinge of pain up my head. "You can take over any fucking time, Lou." My left side hurt. I think I fell on it. "I'm not exactly taking a walk in the park." I was moving so slow. So very slow.

"We've tried." Mike sounded tense. "We can't control you. Either of us."

"What do you mean?" I winced as I forced myself to take a longer step.

"We can't control you. I tried to give the demon the reins when we gained consciousness." My head would hurt just a bit harder everytime either of them used a long word. "It seems-uh-very unviable."

"Did you try?"

"Yes. We were just arguing about what to do next when you woke up."

I laughed. Arguing. They were arguing. We were all arguing right now. "I don't know if this means anything, but your efforts probably helped me wake up. Maybe even react and get on my feet faster."

"I don't know how much of that I can corroborate." Lou mumbled, but it sounded like his normal voice in my head anyway. "I was considering leaving by myself."

"Can you?" I asked grimly. It would seriously lighten the burden in my body.

"Gee, thanks, love being called a burden."