Colin and Rosephanie (Book One)

Panic-Attack Activated

Everything was loud when I began to regain consciousness. I could hear the voices of strangers crowded around me; the sound of a machine beeping nearby; the clicking of a pen and the scratching against a clipboard.
Slowly opening my eyes, I blinked in the bright lights of our local hospital.

I was situated in one of the many rooms in Jersey-Central Hospital where everything was white except for the things brought in for the patient. About six doctors and nurses were crowded around me running tests and collecting data.

"What's going on...?" I managed to say through groggy words.

One of the doctors turned to me.

"She's awake." She said, motioning to her coworkers. Immediately, they began to ask me questions about how I felt and what I could remember before I passed out. The spectacle of it all was making my current migraine worse.

"That's enough testing for now." Said a strong voice by the door. A seventh person dressed in white entered the room: a young man about two years older than I, "We are already aware of the verdict. We won't charge her for information we already know."

The rest of the staff left me alone with the new doctor immediately.

"How are you feeling?" The man asked gently as he sat down on the side of my hospital bed. I observed his features quickly. Dark brown eyes, blonde hair,  deep voice, tall, average weight, seemingly intelligent.

"I've been better for sure," I answered weakly, "but I shouldn't complain. Others have it worse. When may I go home? I was supposed to go to London today and my friend needs me to bail her out..."

The dizziness returned moments later.

"I'm afraid you will need to stay here for some time, Miss..." The doctor checked his clipboard, "Fermin. I have some news that you may not take very well."

I sighed.

"As long as I'm not dying, I'll be fine." I said with a slight chuckle, noticing the doctor's face darken at my words, "I'm not...dying...am I...? This is just a temporary virus...?"

The doctor shook his head sadly.

"Shall I call your partner in for this?" He asked solemnly.

"My what...?" I questioned with curiosity.

"Your partner." He repeated, "The young man who brought you in earlier. He seemed to know you well and was concerned enough that I assumed that you two were together."

Colin. He was talking about Colin.

"He's...not my partner..." I answered quietly, "but if he wants to be a part of this, I won't step in his way..."

I doctor nodded and stepped outside my room. What could be wrong that he thinks that Colin should be in present to hear about it?

I was laying on my bed alone for a few minute before the doctor returned with Colin. Both of their faces displayed worry.

"Are you alright?" Colin asked me, taking a seat beside me. I nodded, but his gentle tone still wavered slightly, "After you didn't answer your phone, I came to see if you had blacked out again, which you had, and I brought you here once you didn't wake up at all..."

"Thank you." I managed silently, looking to the doctor, "So why am I here? Is it just a virus or an infection?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Fermin." The doctor answered as he pulled a chair over to the side of the bed, "When you first arrived, your most prominent feature was the excessive bruising all over your body. I myself have only seen such bruising from one thing, although the case I had seen was not nearly as bad as yours, unfortunately."

Colin shifted in place as he listened intently. I simply sat and stared at the doctor. What was he diagnosing me with?

"Normally," The doctor continued, "a bruise would disappear over a given course of time, but the bruising all over your body couldn't have come from being physically injured, surly."

I shook my head.

"Only the bruise on the left side of my face." I said, pointing to the dark purple spot on my left cheek, "I work at a cafe in a less civil environment and running into people that mean trouble isn't uncommon."

"What about your other bruises? Where did they come from?"

I shrugged.

"All I know is that I might have bumped into a countertop or something while walking, but that's about it."

The doctor nodded, scribbling down something on his clipboard.

"I'm afraid that you may have proven my theory, Miss Fermin." He said sadly, "I will return shortly to explain the details."

With that, the confusing doctor left Colin and I in the room alone. I could slowly feel myself falling into a panic- attack. My hands began to shake; my breathing became unsteady and strained; my throat felt as if it were closing up.
It was as if the moment finally caught up with me that I was covered in strange bruises that concerned the doctor and I didn't know why.

"*ATTENTION BYSTANDERS: PANIC-ATTACK NOW ACTIVATED.*" My brain seemed to scream.