Chapter 11: I Probably Looked Like the Walking Dead
I peeled my eyes open and was greeted by darkness and a searing pain in my head. I gingerly touched my face and whimpered when the pain flared and found my fingers were coated in something wet. Blood. My pulse jumped but I could do nothing but very slowly inch myself up into a sitting position. Tears cut trails down my face. I had grazes and cuts here and there blood trickling out from them. I painfully reached for my back pack and carefully reached in for my drink bottle. I tipped the bottle back and allowed the cool liquid to hydrate me.
How long I sat there for waiting for the pain to subside I don’t know. I finally hauled myself up biting down on my tongue hard to prevent the cries of pain from escaping. I checked my phone. It was 1:07 am. I very slowly limped to my car and drove home.
I forced myself into the shower finally allowing myself to cry out in pain. Tears mixed with water as I forced myself to endure the pain and washed and cleaned the wounds. I flinched. The bruise on my temple from the previous attack, had begun to fade but had now blossomed back to life and a disgusting gash, long and wide decorated the side of my face. Smaller cuts covered my arms and legs. I gritted my teeth as I cleaned my face wound with something my mum kept in the bathroom, I let out another horrible cry. I bandaged it and other cuts which were still bleeding.
I changed into sweat pants and a baggy shirt and finally let myself rest.
**
I jolted upright, my phone ringing insistently. It was only 3:28am. I groaned. “What?” I snapped annoyed. My heart went cold when Izzy and Chels’ voices came through, urgent and almost hysterical. “Come to the hospital!” Iz shrieked. “Now!” Chels added. I scrambled and groaned when I fell out of my bed. “Why?” I asked anxiously as I kicked my sheets off.
“It’s Alex. Hurry!”
My blood ran cold and I tossed my phone aside as I hurried to my closet. I shimmied into a pair of jeans and threw on a sweater, I shoved my feet into a pair of converse and bolted out to my car.
**
“There you are!” Iz and Chels ran over to me, they stopped and their eyes widened and hands flew to their mouths. “What happened to you?!”
My hand flew to my face and grimaced, remembering I had a huge bandage on the side of my face and a hideous bruise on the other, along with other minor cuts. I probably looked like the walking dead.
“I...I, uh, fell down the stairs because I was in a hurry...”
“We need to get you a doctor! You look like you got into a fist fight.” Chels gasped.
I shook them off. “I’m fine. What happened to Alex??”
Iz and Chels exchanged worried glances. “Well, he was riding his motorcycle, he must of been speeding and he hit a tree, the motorcycle blew up.”
I stared in shock, dread and horror washing over my body like a wave of icy water. “What?”
“It’s okay. He was thrown off his motorcycle when he hit the tree so he wasn’t in the explosion and luckily he landed on grass. He broke a leg and dislocated his left arm but according to the doctors he’ll be alright.”
I slumped into a chair and buried my face in my hands allowing it to sink in. “Where is he?”
“3rd floor room 257 but they’re only allowing family in so far.”
I stood up and hurried to the elevator and jabbed the button to the 3rd floor.
“Laurel! Wait!” but the door slid shut and I shifted impatiently.
