Rise

Chapter 14

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She lived with hurricane eyes

and he fell in love with the way

the waves collapsed onto her cheeks.

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My nightmares are bloody and dark.

I'm running, running from his voice.

 I hear Stephan's footsteps coming after me and I'm trying to catch my breath as I run. Fear is giving me strength. We're underground, dashing through strange tunnels. I feel as if the tunnels are about to cave in on my and suffocate me, and terror rushes through me as I ponder this. I turn a corner, and suddenly it's a dead end. 

My heart is hammering in my chest and I whip around, hearing Stephan's voice coming closer. There's nowhere to run.

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I'm gasping for air when I wake up. My eyes blink open, and I realize that I'm in the hospital bed, in the Medical Room, once again. 

Everything is blurry, and I look around, my heart pounding furiously in my chest. Taking a deep breath, I try to calm down as I remember the events at the Hexa Cantina.

How long had I been out, since the fight?

With a pang in my ribs, I recall more of the horrific scene.

Stephan. The gun. Han being thrown against the wall. Me, getting beaten up. Han shooting Stephan. Han, carrying me to the Falcon.

Everything is sore--my arms, my legs, my neck, my ribs. Everytime I breathe my ribs give a twinge of pain; nothing too severe, but it hurts.

My breathing is ragged, but steady. I can feel the bruises that Stephan left on my neck, and as I gulp, I feel them hurt even more. I had to get up and find Han, Luke, and Leia. I had to get up and find them, because if I didn't then I'd be forced to sleep once again. Sleep. No, I couldn't sleep. Not after the nightmare I'd just had. 

Looking around, I make sure that there's no tubes or needles stuck in me. I slowly sit up, and put a hand to my chest as it flashes with pain. Closing my eyes briefly, I try to gather my breath. Sitting up is painful, but I'll make it. Slipping my legs off of the bed, I feel them come in contact with the floor and feel relief. I place my hands on the edges of the bed and get off, standing. I stagger, falling forwards. The wall is in front of me and I place both hands on it, steadying myself as I lean a shoulder on it. My heart is beating quickly, and I feel close to exhausted from the effort of standing.

No. I'll get used to it. This probably isn't good for me, this standing and walking around. I know it must be completely idiotic to get up when there was so much damage done to my ribs. But I'm determined to get out of bed; I can't stay bed-ridden for forever.

 One of the things I hated most was being stuck helplessly in bed, not being able to do anything. Gathering up my strength, I step away from the wall and start to walk. My feet drag slightly, and I stumble the first few steps. But I further I go, the easier it is to push the pain off to the side.

I lurch into the Lounge Room, and I see the table in the middle surrounded by the cushioned seats. My thinking is slow and groggy, but I stagger towards the the seats, half-falling and half-slipping into the seat.

Why did I just get out of my bed, and walk all this way just to sit here? I think drowsily, for I've forgotten the reason already. My head is swimming slightly, and I place my elbows on the table and put my face in my hands, sighing.