Love Bites *Sequel to Insanity Bites*

Z

Once my body had recovered from shock, an all consuming pain started to drown out everything else. A deep throb erupted from within my chest and across my arms and legs from where my wounds were, slowly spreading throughout my body.

We reached land and I was immediately rushed to a nearby infirmary where a mask was placed over my nose. I glanced at my arms and my eyes widened in shock when I saw the wounds the nurse was attending to. 

I didn't expect them to look so severe, I could barely see my skin over all the blisters and blood. My chest constricted violently and I jerked forwards nearly knocking the nurse off the bed.

She stood up and rushed somewhere while I fell back onto the soft mattress. There was a loud thrumming sound in my ears like I was surrounded by a thousand bees and then I realized the wheezing was coming from my mouth as I struggled to breathe.

My hands went up to my chest and pressed on my bones hoping some air would go in and stop this excruciating struggle. 

Through blurry eyes I saw the nurse return with a few other people dressed in white coats. One of them fastened the mask tightly around my nose and I was able to breathe in some air finally. I barely felt the sharp prick in my toe among st the stinging from the rest of my wounds but relief washed over me when the pain subsided right after. 

In fact, I started to feel numb all over and my eyelids were extremely heavy. I clenched my hands tightly hoping for some feeling to return to my body. It was as if I was losing control and I hated it. I didn't want to die like this. In fact, after making it this far I wasn't sure if I wanted to die anymore. 

My hands began to sting and the tears in my eyes made me smile tightly. At least some feeling had returned to me. 

A soft voice caressed my ear in a language I didn't understand as I felt a hand stroke my shoulder. 

The voice was sweet and youthful, full of caution and remorse. It reminded me of the night Arabella had snuck out of her house to give me food. I remembered her delicate voice lying to her parents that the left overs were finished and the milk had gone bad when in fact she had given it to me.

My chest throbbed in pain and fresh tears ran down my face. In my eyes I saw the smooth outline of the skin above her chest where a gold pendant hung marking her as someone else's and then I saw the same chest only this time the skin was grey. 

When I looked up I saw blackened blood crusted lips below lifeless eyes. Black edged itself into her fingers and her feet and then into the edges of my eyes, threatening to erase my memory of her. I tried to fight it but it's spindle like fingers extended towards the center meeting each other until eventually it colored over everything else.

"Do you think he's going to wake up today?" I heard a young boy's voice.

"Don't you have any other better questions to ask? It doesn't affect you in any way," An older voice snapped back.

"I want to eat his food before they take it away again," The boy said.

"Well then you'd better take it now. It's been three days already, I doubt he's going to wake up."

My body felt heavy, like my blood had been filled with lead. I shifted slightly and I heard the boy gasp. After struggling for a few seconds I was finally able to open my eyes. I sat up slowly and took in my surroundings.

There was a small boy with one hand in a sling standing in front of the bed I was in and around me where rows and rows of the same white beds, nearly all of them occupied. Most of their occupants were unconscious while the others were sitting up and staring into space.