The Girl with the Paper Crane

Chapter 5: Lab rat

Today is my first day at the manor and I'm freaked out. People are shuffling around everywhere, I've heard my name a few times, and I looked out the window next to my bed to find armed guards standing on a large porch below me. They weren't tense or anything, one was slouched over in one of those metal spinny chairs, but it scared me to think why they were there. This place was so dead last night and now there were vehicles running up and down a hill next to a field stocked with corn. Drones dipping down over a small pond like birds. I almost laughed when one got tangled in the large weeping willow until I saw a man angrily scream and chase the pilot up the tree to retrieve it. I even noticed a few dogs running around with handlers. This wasn't some testing sight. It was either a military base or a maximum security holding facility, but what had she ever done to deserve that? It must be some sort of army camp, training ground, or something. A knock came loud and demanding and I couldn't help but slide down the wall behind my bed, hopefully, whoever it was would just go away if they couldn't see me. I curled up tight, laying my head on my knees just wanting this nightmare to be over. Footsteps soundly came across the floor, making the old boards squeal at Will's weight, even though I didn't really know it was him till he spoke.

"Hey there, what's going on," he said calmly, the boards creaked as he crouched down to be at her level.

"It's hard to breathe." I barely choked out the words as everything began shaking and I could feel my stomach rising in my throat.

"Elin, you're panicking. Deep breath." I tried but my chest only got tighter, then the world started spinning and I had to close my eyes to make it stop.

"Elin, I'm going to move you into a position that will make it easier for you to breathe. Try to relax." His arms quickly moved me away from the wall, but it only made the nausea worse and I tried to curl up into a ball. He wouldn't let me though, moving my feet to rest on the floor and my arms above my head.

"Breath in," he commanded, taking a deep steady breath. I followed his lead, taking slow deep breaths and releasing them. I didn't notice Will had my hands pinned until he released them, and I was glad I hadn't noticed, it would have made the whole situation worse.

"Do you feel stable?" Stable? I'm not losing my mind, am I?

"Let me rephrase. Do you feel like you're going to have another attack?" What is he talking about, was my body attacking itself? Is why it felt that way?

"Elin, you had a panic attack, do you feel like another one is going to come on?" 'A panic attack'? I thought those were just things in legends. It was easier to push people together if one had to take care of the other, and there was no physical harm done.

"Elin," he said slowly, putting a hand just under my jaw, probably to check my pulse. "You need to talk to me. I need to hear you confirm you understand what I'm saying." I shook my head trying to loosen my lips but everything was just numb. At the moment I was content to sit there in silence. He removed his hand and pulled it through his hair before sitting down beside me.

"Fine then blink once for yes and twice for no. Are you ready?" I didn't really feel like processing what he was saying, but I didn't know what had just happened, maybe he could help.

One blink.

"Do you feel any nausea?"

Two blinks.

"Is your head spinning?"

Two blinks.

"Do you feel like it's going to happen again?" I didn't blink. I honestly didn't know. I didn't know what brought on the 'attack'. I didn't know how to stop it. I don't know if it will start again.