The Fake Nerd | Book One of the Fake Series

Cнapтer 19

(Ana's POV)

December 16, 2015

"Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I need you because I love you." - Erich Fromm

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I'm floating on air. I feel nothing, I see nothing. Am I dead? My eyelids crusted together, I am helpless. My body is lead. I can't move anything. I want to scream, but what for? The pain is gone, and for that, I am grateful. I can't remember much, all I know is that someone found me. Thank you, whoever you are. A finger twitched. What's happening to me? Another finger twitched, and another, until I could move my whole hand. I opened my eyes, and saw white. A ringing started in my ears. Screaming started. I couldn't make it out. I covered my ears and everything became clear.

"I-is she in pain?" Was that Mom? WHERE AM I?

"No, we drugged her so that she can't feel it. She should be waking up soon." A strange voice said. Who is that?

"Please, tell us what she is suffering from." Dad said. Daddy's here? But he should be at work!

"Her left arm and right leg are broken, and from what I can tell, she's suffered through at least 12 other broken bones. She has a concussion and lots of blood loss. She won't be able to properly talk for a few days. Her intestines are bruised, and she had light whip marks on her back and barbed wire markings. I also found.... letters carved into her waist." The strange voice said. I heard gasps and a strangled cry.

"W-what did they read?" Mum said, I could hear her sobs.

"Eh," The person hesitated. "S. L. U. T."

"Oh my god!" I heard a thud. What happened? SLUT is carved into my skin?

"W-will the scars be bad?" Dad asked, sadness in his words.

"No, we hired a plastic surgeon when we did the surgeries, and she fixed as much as she could, but we couldn't do much to the word... SLUT. The wound would have reopened and caused her pain, and we needed yours, and her permission." The voice said.

"Doctor, if we hadn't found her, what would her injuries have done to her?" A new voice said, and I recognized it as Thomas.

"Bluntly, she would have died." The voice said.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Ethan's voice said.

A sigh echoed through my head. "It's up to her, she can physically wake up, but psychologically, it's up to her."

"Doctor? You're needed." A new voice said.

"Call me if anything changes." The Doctor said, and I heard the door shut. Was I in a hospital?

I felt my body bounce a bit and something cold touch my cheek. "I'm so sorry this happened to you baby. I should have been with you. We all were worried sick. That boy, Josh, hasn't left the waiting room since they brought you in. He's the one who found you, you know. Please come back to us baby. I miss you. I love you." Mum said, and I felt something wet hit my cheek. A tear.

Oh mom, I want to! I just don't know how. I tried to figure it out but my brain hurt. I don't have all of my memories yet, I think that's what's keeping me from coming back, maybe if I unlock them.... Josh found me? But how? Nobody knew except Jazzy and Mar- oh my god. Marcus! THAT'S WHAT HE MEANT! My eyes drew wide as I suddenly remembered a previous experience.

It was a week before they left. I hung from the ceiling, wallowing in self misery when Marcus came in. I was broken, and in pain. I didn't bother to look up. He gave me a drink of water, and I wanted to throw up. It burnt my throat. I managed to look at him, and glared at the pity and sympathy covering his face. He helped put me here.