Accolade

chapitre trente

trigger warning: trauma, harm 

My right leg hurt something fierce. 

It had started to ache on my way to the bathroom but I had ignored it because it felt like another flare-up. Perhaps I needed to increase my medication dosage again. I hated that I had become so reliant on the painkillers these days but there truly wasn't anything else that could be done. I just had to accept it. But I didn't want to think about it because my heart felt happy for once. 

River had set my heart straight.

He had infected me with the will to do the impossible again. 

I would beat this cancer if it was the last thing I did. 

I gingerly undressed and paused when my leg continued to hurt. I held my breath for a second, biting my lip. It felt like someone was driving a nail directly into the bone. My thigh was on fire. For a moment, I wondered if I should let one of my brothers know something wasn't right, but then I managed to step into the shower. The hot water would help.

Little did I know that my instinct had been right. 

Something was not right. 

I only managed to stand under the hot water for another minute or so before I tried to take the pressure off my leg. I couldn't stand on it. The very bone of my leg felt like it was threatening to break. I didn't consider that by shifting my weight, I'd slip. Without a thought, I put my hurting leg back to catch my weight. 

My vision went white. 

It was as if I had left the world for a moment and when my vision came back, I was aware I had fallen. Excruciating pain radiated through my right leg and I almost passed out again. I couldn't feel the water streaming from the showerhead but I knew it was because I hadn't shut it off. 

I felt like I couldn't speak, as if hands were squeezing my throat. My chest wouldn't rise with a breath because I was in shock.

After a second, I was brave enough to glance down at my leg. My vision flickered but I needed to know what happened. My shaking hands came to hover over my thigh as I saw an odd bump protruding out of my skin, which was quickly turning ugly shades of purple and blue. I hissed through clenched teeth when I barely grazed the bump and I immediately withdrew my hands.

Suddenly, I heard a loud crash. Through blurry peripheral vision, I saw a shadow approach me. Warm hands encased my face, pulling my vision away from my leg. As if electricity shocked me, I could hear again. Voices flooded the room but I only heard one. 

"Aida," the voice called to me, "Aida, baby."

I met a familiar gaze. River had a thousand emotions flickering across his face but plausible concern and fear were the two I could relate with right then. We both didn't know what the hell was going on and we were scared to death.

"I--I...don't--" know what happened, is what I wanted to tell him but a harsh sob cut me off. My chest continued to tighten, restricting my breath until I was sure panic had consumed every cell in my godforsaken body. I realized he had turned off the shower but not before his fresh white shirt had gotten soaked.

"Shh, it's okay," He told me, although nothing had been okay lately--and certainly not this--"We're gonna get you to the hospital, alright?" As he said that, his gaze left my face and went to my leg. He grimaced before telling me, "This is gonna hurt but I have to pick you up."