𝓢𝓮𝓮 𝓜𝓮

Chapter 36

ੈ✩‧₊˚
𝔼𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕚𝕝𝕒 𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕣
ੈ✩‧₊˚

As consciousness slowly seeped back into my awareness, I felt a sense of disorientation wash over me. My eyelids fluttered open, the harsh glare of fluorescent lights causing me to squint against the brightness. Blinking several times to clear the fog from my mind, I struggled to make sense of my surroundings.

Where was I? Why did everything feel so... sterile?

As my vision adjusted to the harsh lighting, the sight of unfamiliar medical equipment and sterile white walls greeted me. Panic surged through me as fragmented memories flooded back – the sound of gunfire, the sensation of falling, the searing pain that had consumed me.

Then there was nothing. Pure darkness.

But now I didn't feel any sort of pain, was I in a hospital? This room feels like a hospital one. I took in a deep breath before I became aware of my surroundings, frowning and gazing down at the feel of something pressing against my wrist.

He's here.

He was sleeping with his fingers pinned on my wrist. He slept checking my pulse.

I took in a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment to gather what happened. I don't know if we're in a hospital or back at the base or where exactly, but I knew it was safe wherever we are. If my family was there then I know they got us out.

I opened my eyes and tried to move my hand out of his grip, feeling him tense before taking a sharp breath, slowly looking up while blinking until his brown eyes fell on mine, rubbing his hand over them once before they widened as he whispered, "Emmaline."

"Hey," my voice was hoarse, barely audible as I reached out to touch his face, feeling the smoothness of his skin beneath my fingertips, "Ivan, hi."

His expression faltered, confusion clouding his features. I could see the pang of unease shot through him and quickly corrected myself, a small smile tugging at my lips, "I'm kidding. It's Atlas, right?"

A faint smile ghosted across his lips, but the tension in his posture remained, "it was funnier the first time," he replied dryly.

A giggle slipped out of me until I watched his expression soften, "hi, Kai," I finally managed, my thumb tracing a gentle path over his cheek.

"Hey, sunshine," he murmured, gently enveloping my hand with his own, pressing a tender kiss to my palm before placing it back against his cheek, "I missed you, habibti."

My gaze swept across the room, taking in the sterile surroundings and the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor, before returning to Kai's comforting presence.

"What happened?" I inquired, my voice tinged with concern as I met his eyes.

"Nothing," he reassured me with a soft smile, his warm gaze unwavering, "you're okay."