A Complicated Web

Chapter Fifty Seven: Had Enough

Posting this only a few days later as a sort of "make up" for not posting two chapters last week.

Kally felt she now understood the expression she'd seen on Hiro's face back when she'd come in with a migraine and he'd looked about ready to pass out just from walking the few short feet over to watch her. She felt more than a little weak as she tried to walk around the room, even with the support of Dr. Bosch's arm keeping her from falling over. No more than what felt like forty-eight hours ago, give or take, she'd been more than capable of walking around without any help at all. But now she almost fell as her limbs tried to not feel like overworked taffy.

She blew her hair from her face in frustration. "This sucks!" she exclaimed. "Now I know what a chronic invalid feels." It wasn't that she felt out of breath, though there was some of that as well, but it was more than frustrating that her body seemed at odds with how she thought it should be behaving. If this continued, their escape plans were doomed.

"Just a few more steps," Dr. Bosch encouraged, still allowing her to hold firmly to his arm. He still had some bruises from her previous grabbing of the same appendage, but it would be well worth it if they could succeed. "After that, you can rest for a bit before we try again."

Kally's eyes went wide at that announcement. "Are you kidding me?!" but she continued to edge forward, one footstep at a time. She had to do this. She had to be ready to move when the time came.

After a few more steps, she gratefully sank into the chair next to Hiro's bed. She'd only walked across the room from one side to the other and felt exhausted. This was for the birds! Why couldn't her body recover from this already?! It wasn't like she'd had the same crap happen to her that Hiro had. He had a legit excuse for being out of commission.

Dr. Bosch let her sit, keeping careful note of her pallor and blood oxygen levels. He'd placed a finger cuff, similar to the one Hiro still wore, on one of her fingers. The leads that would normally be plugged into their respective machines trailed out from the sleeve of her gown, along with the IV catheter, temporarily disconnected from its usual tubing. He'd decided it would be too much for her to try and drag that round with her. At least for now. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but you're doing really well."

Something flashed out of the corner of his eye and he turned to face one of the monitor's Hiro was attached to. The teen's heart rate and respirations had changed, along with his brain activity. From all appearances, he was finally waking up. The doctor moved to stand to one side where he could watch Hiro's every reaction as he struggled to regain consciousness. Kally couldn't help but catch on to this sudden change and followed him with her eyes.

Hiro felt oddly heavy as he clawed his way back towards whatever waited him. He'd been floating in an inky blackness for so long he wasn't sure what might wait at the end of the pinprick of light he saw above him. It wasn't death, he felt pretty sure. He'd done that too many times not to know the difference. But it wasn't anything he felt confident in guessing at either.

Eye lids twitched as his facial muscles contracted. A slit opened to show the briefest of brown colors before it closed once more. Hiro gingerly lifted his right hand to cover his eyes. The light he'd emerged into was a lot brighter than he'd anticipated and it hurt. "Ugh," he groaned, his throat feeling like it was full of gravel.

He could feel fabric pressing against his body, the weight of the blanket keeping him anchored to the bed. Was he sick? Had something happened? Where was Tadashi? Aunt Cass? Why did he feel the pull of tape on the arm he'd raised? Had someone placed stickers on his chest and forehead? And what was with the pressure against his nose, like someone had stuck something up both nostrils? At least he didn't feel the uncomfortable pressure of something down his throat, though part of him wondered why he knew to think that was a good thing.