Trapped In (2)

◦ e l e v e n ◦

Dedicated to TheScarlettMartin because she's begging for an update haha. This one's for you, love. ☀︎☺︎

My eyes open tiredly to the sound of a monotonous beeping to my right and a pressure on my left index finger. Lifting my head as high as I can, I scan the small room to find nothing but a couple of chairs, a television playing the News, this bed and it's equipment.

I squint at the light coming through the slightly drawn curtains and instinctively raise my hand to cover them. My mouth opens to call for someone but I don't know who I'd call for. I'm obviously in the hospital but how long have I been here? By the looks of the blinding sunset, I'm guessing it must be late in the afternoon. I silently wonder what time it was that they found us. How long had we really slept?

How did they even find us? It's the weekend and I doubt it was Amelia's first choice to come to work. I wouldn't have ever admitted this to Dakota, but I secretly doubted that anyone would have come for us all weekend.

Then how did they realize we were gone?

"Hey, Lilybug." My dad pops his head into the room suddenly with a bright smile on his lips. A comforting warmth spreads through me at the sight of his salt and pepper hair and deep brown eyes.

"Dad." I breathe happily, my eyes taking in the delicately wrapped sunflowers in his hands as their held out to me. A grin spreads over my lips as I reach out to take them gingerly into my hands. "Wow." I laugh, "They're beautiful, thank you."

He shrugs, shoving his worn hands into his denim jeans pockets. "How are you feeling?"

I consider this, moving about slightly to gage the pain in my side but all I experience is a feeling of normalcy. "I feel great. What happened? How did they find us?" My questions spill out, one still lingering on my tongue: where is Dakota.

He scratches his dark brow, pulling a chair up to the bed, the legs screeching on the floor reminding me of the elevator being scraped against the sides of the shaft. I wince as he begins speaking, taking a seat. "Well...when I went home after work around nine, I thought you were in your room or hanging out at the book store after hours. I'm sorry, Lily, I should have just checked in with you sooner." His eyes plead with me.

I reach out for his hand, resting the bouquet in my right arm. "Dad...it's really not your fault. We're all safe now and that's what matters."

He pauses, his eyes glancing over to the open door, nurses bustling about outside with stern expressions and quick smiles as they pass by. "You're right." He sighs, "But when I woke up this morning and you weren't there..." His voice cracks as he places my hand against his forehead, squeezing it tightly.

"I'm sorry I worried you." Guilt sinks into my stomach as I realize the feeling he experienced. It's the same feeling I felt when I couldn't find Baxter or my mom and sat at the window for hours before realizing, with a deep sadness, that I was abandoned. "Did you think I left?" My voice hitches in my throat.

His lips press together and his eyes close before he shakes his head. "No...no I knew you wouldn't do that. I just thought you were hurt and I felt that I was to blame."

"Dad." I say sternly, squeezing his hand. "I'm okay. Look, I'm fine." I gesture to myself with a light laugh, "So let's just go home and forget this ever happened, okay?"

My dad studies me, his brown eyes searching mine. "Okay." He offers me a sad smile and I return it with ease.

I gently pull my hand from his to touch the soft petals of the bright flowers in my arms, admiring them. "I bet Amelia almost had a heart attack with the way she worries over things." My lips mumble lowly, feeling guilty all over again.

"Hey." My dad says, "I thought we were going to forget all about it."

"Right." I laugh with a single nod, my eyes locking on the television screen. "Oh my gosh." I whisper, slowly setting aside my flowers and sitting up, my mouth falling open.

"What? What is it?" My dad asks quickly,

"Could you turn this up?" I ask him absentmindedly, my eyes glued to the screen as I watch myself being lifted into an ambulance vehicle, a team of paramedics around me.

"This morning at six twenty one AM, an eighteen year old female employee and a boy around the age of seventeen, who is believed to have been a customer of the book store, Books and Bagels on Main Street downtown, were found in a faulty elevator that the owner conveniently forgot to have checked on the required dates. Luckily, there are no injuries. However, the two young adults have been taken to Saint Peterson hospital for further inspection. Let's hope they've been returned to their families and are having a heart warming reunion as we speak. Back to you, Hank."

My eyes remain widened as they show one last picture of Dakota being assisted into the vehicle and hooked up to an IV, his expression filled with worry before switching to some story about a dog show taking place next week. My heart tugs with concern.

"Do you know where they took him?" I ask my dad hastily.

"Who?" He blinks at me, "The kid you were with?" I nod, "They took him here but he was just lacking some water so I'm pretty sure they sent him home with his family...why?"

My eyes cast downward as he turns the volume back down. It's not that I expected Dakota to come and visit me or anything. I mean, he had his own family to see and he needs rest. I just wish I could have seen him for myself one last time. As if my seeing him insures that he's really okay. There's something about being in a potential life or death situation with someone that makes you feel solely responsible for them.

"No reason. Just wondering is all." I mutter.