Letting in Light ✔️ [Completed] [Book two]

Chapter 43

The pain in my head makes me feel like my skull will crack with the unrelenting pressure. I try to open my eyes, but the brightness of the room sends razorblades slicing through my brain.

I lie as still as a corpse waiting for the pain to subside a little. Oh God, I'm so thirsty. I can't even swallow.

"Ben." I attempt to shout, but it leaves my mouth like a strangled whisper. My throat is so dry that I can't force out a louder noise.

When he doesn't come because he can't hear me, I know I have no choice but to get up. I open one eye, followed by the other and wait for what seems an eternity for my vision to clear. I'm able to see that the water jug on the table in the middle of the room is thankfully still there.

I remain unmoving as I work out a way to get there. The water is only around five steps away... just five steps... you can do it.

Slowly, I roll onto my side and a wave of nausea rises up. Any dignity that I have left is now lost as I vomit repeatedly onto the floor beside the bed.

"Ben!" I attempt to call again, but this time I make no sound at all.

Painfully, I swing my heavy legs out of bed and force myself to stand up. On shaky legs, I tentatively begin the five steps across the room.

One... two... the room begins to spin as though I am sat on the waltzers... three... I reach out for the glass... four... suddenly the ground comes up to meet me, and I try to grasp the edge of the table. Instead of steadying me, the table plummets to the floor with me.

The sound of glass smashing fills my sensitive ears completely as the darkness begins to haul me under. I fight to stay awake, but I feel like I'm in quicksand and the more I battle, the faster I slip.

"Lizzie?... Shit! Lizzie!" I hear Ben shouting as he rushes into the room, dropping to his knees beside me.

I try to respond, but the only sound is a gargling from deep within my throat that I can't seem to control. I lift my hand, which I gratefully feel Ben immediately grasp in his.

"Ambulance please..." Ben says desperately before I drift away.

****

"What do you mean, they don't know what's wrong with her?" I hear Sarah ask from the never ending darkness.

I try to open my eyes, but they are just too heavy. What the hell is happening to me? I can't move!

"They are running more tests as we speak, but at the moment they don't know what's wrong... they don't know what to treat her for... but Sarah..." I hear Caroline wail loudly. "...all they will say is that she's deteriorating." Caroline sniffs before she continues to cry.

I attempt to reach out but nothing happens. I want to scream in frustration but although my mind is awake, my body is still asleep.

"This is bullshit! I'm going to find the doctor." I hear a heavy chair scrape across the floor before the sound of the door opening and closing.

"Don't you leave me, you hear me? You hold on..." Caroline rests her head on my useless arm, and I wish so desperately that I could comfort her.

****

I feel the bed dip beside me as though someone is lying alongside me. I attempt to open my eyes again, but I can't make them move. My limbs won't cooperate as I try to stir them back to life. Am I dreaming? I wonder. Am I dead?

"I'm here." Daniel whispers into my left ear. My heart suddenly feels like it's going to beat out of my chest at the sound of his voice. Oh, Daniel! I want so desperately to cry out.