The Underworld

chapter forty two

Alaina

Everything was awfully quiet. That's how it usually was at the residence with the occasional sound of muffled voices and footsteps coming from the maids and guards. Only the silence felt wrong this time. Like in horror movies before the main character came face to face with the monster or the worst possible thing that could happen to them happened.

I currently had the worst headache. To add to that, my body felt sluggish, heavy. I was so tired even thought I was just waking up from however long I had slept for.

Sleep. I didn't remember falling asleep.

I slowly opened my eyes. I shut my eyelids when it became too bright and gave myself a moment before taking another look at my surroundings. Plain beige walls greeted me. There was a small grey leather sofa beside my bed. A white board with scribbles I didn't bother reading hung on the wall beside it.

I was in a hospital? The repeating beep from the machine I was hooked to confirmed my suspicions. I was getting a mix of IV and blood transfusions. Why was I here? I took another glance around with the barest movement possible.

I was alone. There was no trace of a jacket or any other personal belonging that would tell me who had come to see me. Where had mom and dad gone? The hospital would've called them. My parents would've then called Dean and Hayley. Did they come too?

Maybe they went to grab something to eat. Or home. I'm sure the nurses told them to rest at home before coming back. Knowing my parents, they would've insisted staying overnight without getting much sleep.

I clenched my fists. They'll be back. What I wanted to know was what the hell happened to end up here. My hand instinctively touched my face. I didn't feel any cuts and didn't wince due to bruising. Maybe whatever they're pumping into me was keeping me pain free and tired.

Placing my hand on my stomach, I frowned. Something was itching me there. I tried scratching myself through the hospital gown and blanket, but it only made it worse.

"Goddammit," I hissed. As soon as I pealed the blanket off of me, a chill coursed my body. The source was the two stains on my breasts. What the fuck?

And then it hit me. The memories surfaced one after another. Everyone of them felt like a punch to my guts and heart. One after another. Breathing was becoming harder to do. The thought of doing so left me. I wanted to cry and yet only a tear or two fell. I wanted to hit something. I wanted to pull my hairs out. I wanted to run out the door. My mind was sending different commands at once, all I could do was lay there and just take the pain from the incoming memories.

I was stressed that morning. Louis was going to join me at my doctors appointment. I was getting ready with Hayley when all of a sudden the baby had been very active throughout the day. It was impossible to move.

"Alaina! What's wrong? Talk to me."

"The baby is moving so much," I groaned. "It's just another false alarm." They can't come out yet.

"Can you sit down? Would that help? Do you need anything?" Hayley was firing questions at me. Words were becoming harder and harder to form as my throat felt dried by the second. I either nodded or shook my head while I took in deep breaths and exhales.

I don't remember how long we stayed in my room as I waited for the contractions to go away. They were false ones, I thought. The doctor said it was something normal.