Hade's Rose

Chapter 12: Shouldn't Have Left the Window Open

Stinging pain and grogginess met me as I woke up. Whilst I drifted slowly back into consciousness, I felt a myriad of sensations: firstly, something light and springy beneath my back and head, a mattress and pillow; secondly, my left arm was constricted by a tight bandage above my elbow, sealing in the soft ebbing discomfort of a recent incision; thirdly, rain still pelted against nearby windows, but now the crack of thunder rolled over the hospital's roof, turning this night into a deeper rendition of a nightmare.

The implant was out, of that I instinctively knew. I didn't bare to think of the ramifications just now, as I tried to blink my reluctant eyes open and move my weighted limbs. Glancing around the room, there was hardly any light. Whoever had been in here last, probably assumed I'd be asleep for longer. At a guess, looking out into the stormy night through the window near me, it was probably three or four in the morning.

I was in another hospital room, a small bay with the same wooden aesthetic I saw everywhere in Ardel. My single bed was tucked against one wall, with the only door about eight feet away on the opposite wall. A chair was next to the bed, probably there for a family member or a doctor to sit. The sheets covering me were glimmering white and cool, smelling of floral soap. Despite my enforced surgery, I could not complain of being placed in a rat-infested dungeon (yet).

Most shockingly of all, I was alone. No guards. No officials. No doctors. Perhaps they were outside the door, but I couldn't see a shadow beneath the frame. For whatever merciful reason, I was not being watched and I knew this might be my only chance.

Swinging my body carefully out of the bed in tiny increments lasting over several minutes, I half stood with my weight pressed lightly on the balls of my feet and my hands still touching the mattress. Gingerly I got fully off of the bed, moving incredibly slowly in case anyone was listening. My heartbeat was too fast, but that couldn't be helped.

Limping towards the window, I thanked the storm for masking me. My feet were bare, but my clothes were unchanged: the linen tunic I was given earlier and my original trousers. Casting a furtive eye back at the door, I stood beneath the window. These rooms were clearly built for wolfpeople, as the ledge was just level with my face. The frame was made of a black looking metal, a handle jutted out half-way up the pane. Reaching up, I stretched my whole body and arm to get to it. Not daring to breathe, I pulled down on the handle which I couldn't even grip with my whole hand: only the tips of my fingers.

The latch moved down. A light push. The pane slid open.

If it opened with any sound, I couldn't hear it; the rain was beating like a drum, covering up the noise. Whoever the human's goddess was, she was surely on my side tonight.

Moving more quickly now, as I knew they'd be checking on me eventually, I went and lifted the chair to bring it to the window. Careful not to drag it on the ground, I moved it as gently as I could. My arms shaking with its weight (which was probably not particularly heavy) and I positioned it beneath the ledge.

Looking back again, I still saw no shadow beneath the door. Perhaps they underestimated me? Perhaps they gave me the wrong amount of sleeping draught? Whatever the reason, I heeded it little thought as I clambered up onto the chair, using the window as a balance support.

Lightening flashed, momentarily eliminating the shadows and casting the room in white light. Desperation to get away hastened my movements. I pushed the window fully open and peered out. Bushes sat outside the window providing a scratchy bed to land on. Without bothering to look back, as I didn't want to lose my nerve, I heaved myself up over the ledge. My limbs trembling. Breath panting.

My escape was not graceful. I had very little upper body strength, and it was only by sheer force of will that I was able to force my little body over the sill. As I scraped over the edge, it tore up my shirt and the iron edge cut into my belly leaving a blood streak.