Shield - A New Species Fanfiction (Wild at Heart Chronicles, Book 1)

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Something pinched the back of Paige's hand, causing her fingers to twitch and curl into a fist. The motion added pressure to the source of her discomfort, and in doing so that small flicker of pain sharpened her dulled senses. An incessant beeping reached her ears first, a loud, abrasive sound that made her cringe. After an interminable period of silence, its presence was intrusive. She burrowed her head beneath something soft to muffle the sound and waited, taking deep breaths to calm the sudden urge to vomit. As the seconds ticked by, the volume receded to something less grating and she sighed with relief.

Awareness began to seep into her body the longer Paige remained alert beneath her cover, but she knew she couldn't linger there for long. Blankness clouded her memory, like a swirling black void.

She had no beginning, no end.

Save for her name, Paige couldn't remember a thing.

Pushing the pillow from her head, her eyes squinted to stare up at a paneled ceiling. The unfamiliar room was dimly lit, but she could tell it was painted a sky blue. Following the source of light, she surveyed the area with growing unease. It was a hospital setting, no doubt. Not even the subtle trace of lavender in the bedding could mask the sterile odor of antiseptic, and the longer she inhaled the unwelcomed scent the less she was inclined to remain in the room.

It triggered a flight response in her, though Paige couldn't understand why, only it was imperative that she escape at once.

In the corner of the room, she saw a reclining chair next to a curtained window. A white blanket had been abandoned, draped over the seat. Beside it, its occupant had left a paperback over the nightstand. A mystery novel, by what she could discern from its cover. The person hadn't bothered to turn off the reading lamp, a clear indication his or her absence would only be temporary.

Run.

Paige scrambled to a sitting position in a panic and groaned, doubling over. Her body felt tender and oversensitive, as though every inch of her skin were covered in cuts and bruises. Pain jolted up her left arm when she tried to lift it, though she refrained from removing the bandage to assess the injury. Sometimes, ignorance was bliss. But the scalding pain between her shoulder blades couldn't be overlooked. Lifting her right arm, she angled it to her back where her hand touched bare skin. She strained her arm down further until her fingertips grazed the textured surface of adhesive gauze.

Another wound.

Another puzzle.

Raking a hand through her hair in frustration, Paige kicked the bed sheets to the floor. The sudden movement sent a shock down her spine, but she gritted her teeth against the pain and took a deep breath. She turned to her left and narrowed her eyes at the heart monitor beside the bed, the source of the incessant beeping from before, taking notice for the first time of the wires snaking their way from the machine to beneath her hospital gown. Paige pulled on the collar and discovered not a stitch of clothing covered her modesty. She also realized the lavender scent wasn't coming from the bedding, but from her skin. Paige grabbed a fistful of her hair and sniffed. The scent was there, too.

Someone had bathed her while she was unconscious.

Pushing that unsettling thought to the farthest corner of her mind, she focused on something practical and less conducive to a panic attack.