Chapter 17
It was the brightness that woke me. Even behind my eyes I could see the bright, white light. It intruded into the darkness, pulling me up to where I didn’t want to be.
I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar room; a medicine smell invaded my nostrils. I knew it was a hospital even before I saw the clear tubes in my arms.
Random memories came to me. I could see my room. I could hear the storm. I saw things as that other me as I tied the stocking around my neck and jumped. I could see…Alastor.
I closed my eyes again, trying to sense the air around me. Was he near me?
“Alastor?”
Nothing.
“Are you there?”
Nothing.
I opened my eyes again and focused on the room. I wasn’t sure what it was I was looking for, but I was hoping to see something that would tell me Alastor was there.
It was just a plain white room with some sort of ugly grey tile on the floor. The blinds were open, casting bars of sunlight over me and revealing windows that looked out over a rooftop of vents and air conditioners. By the windows, unshaved and stretched out in the recliner, my Dad was sleeping deeply.
“Dad?” I called to him. His eyes snapped open and he jumped to his feet. He was at my side, covering my hand with his huge, hot fingers.
“You’re awake!” He whispered and kissed my forehead.
“What happened?” I asked, remembering very little and most of it was in the wrong time.
“The storm. Lightening hit the tree out front and one of the branches came through your window.”
I remembered the storm. I remembered seeing flashes of lightening across Alastor’s face. I remember him coming towards me and then everything got muddled.
Shifting in the bed, pain shot through my right shoulder and my head began to pound. What had happened to me?
I raised my left hand and felt the hard brace and sling covering my arm. My fingers went to my forehead and felt the bandages; there was a dull ache there.
“What is all of this?” I asked.
Dad held my hand, “You have a concussion and a dislocated shoulder. Your forehead had to be stitched up, but it could have been so much worse.”
I heard the note of panic in his voice. I patted his hand, “I’ll be good as new in no time.”
He looked at me with misty eyes, “I just came so close to losing you too.”
There was still one detail that I was confused about.
“How did you get to me so fast?” I asked. “You were supposed to be on your way to Indianapolis.”
“I was,” Dad admitted. “I was on my way there and then I just had this overwhelming feeling that I needed to come home.”
I tried to remember how long I lay on the floor, but all that came to mind was the sound of Alastor’s voice and the feeling of his lips on mine. It hurt to think of Alastor, a gnawing ache that settled somewhere deep in me.
“I don’t know what it was,” Dad said, going on with his story. “I just knew that I had to get back home to you. Isn’t that the strangest thing?”
“Yeah,” I agreed, trying to breathe past the iron ball in my chest. “That’s pretty strange.”
Dad noticed my pained expression, “Do you need me to call the nurse? Are you in pain?”
“I’m fine,” I lied.
“You sure? I’ll have them bring you something for the pain if you need it.”
“No, I’m okay,” I said. “How long have I been here?”
Dad sat on the edge of the bed, his stomach growling loudly. “Just two days.”
“Really?” I was shocked. “It doesn’t seem like two days.”
“The pain medicine makes you sleep a lot.” Dad explained.
“So, I’ve slept all this time.” If that was true, why was I so exhausted?
Dad smoothed my hair back; there was a twinge of pain as his fingers grazed the bandage.
“As much as you could,” he said with a smile. “You must be pretty miserable because you haven’t slept well since the accident. You toss and turn; I’ve even heard you talk in your sleep a few times.”
“What did I say?”
Dad shrugged, “Just nonsense mostly. I never could really make any of it out.”
He may not have been able to make it out, but I knew. I could feel the tears building up behind my eyes. The ache in my chest was getting stronger and I didn’t want to cry in front of him. Somewhere inside of me, deep down, I could feel a scream trying to bubble up to the surface.
Alastor. I wanted Alastor.
“Why don’t you go down and get something to eat?” I asked, wanting to be alone. “I’m getting sleepy anyway.”
“You sure?”
I could only nod. If I opened my mouth to speak, I knew the only thing that would come out would be Alastor’s name over and over.
Dad was easily fooled, “Okay. I’ll be back in a little while. Do you need anything?”
I shook my head and let him kiss my forehead. I gave him a weak smile and watched him walk out the door.
Once I was sure he was gone, I lay back and closed my eyes.
“Alastor?” I whispered.
Nothing.
“Alastor?” I called slightly louder.
Only silence.
I closed my eyes and listened. I listened with that deeper, primal part of myself that could sense everything. I strained to feel a disturbance in the air or to hear the vibration of his non-breathing presence.
Nothing.
The room was empty. Really empty. There was only me, poor miserable me, in that room.
“Alastor,” I hissed out into the nothingness. “Show yourself.”
Nothing.
“I know you’re there,” I lied.
There was a knock at my door. I mumbled a quick prayer as I heard it open.
Let it be him…Let it be him…
It was only a nurse in bright purple scrubs with syringe in hand.
“Hello there,” She said with a warm smile. “Starting to feel a little uncomfortable?”
I said nothing, but felt a single tear fall down my cheek.
“No need to be so brave,” She said sympathetically as she injected the syringe’s clear contents into my I.V. “When you need medicine, hit the call button.”
I nodded, feeling the numbness already starting to spread.
“That will make you feel better,” She said, patted my hand, and left me.
I opened my eyes when I heard the door shut. I was still in the hospital room. I was still alone.
The darkness was reaching up for me. I didn’t fight it. I wanted it to come and take me away.
As I sank deeper, I saw my long ago face in the gilded mirror that used to hang in the hall. Alastor was standing behind me smiling, his blue eyes so beautiful it made my heart hurt.
I went deeper into the darkness still and I was back in my room. I was ordering Alastor away. He was rushing towards me, swelling and filling the room. Then it all went away.
Alastor’s voice crossed into the darkness, “You have been loved in this world and the next. Please, never forget that.”
Somewhere, inside the walls of my brain, I was screaming. I made a mistake. I wanted Alastor back, but I knew that he was gone.
Just before the darkness completely overtook me, I turned over onto my side.
“Alastor….”
Spiritus, a Paranormal Romance (Spiritus Series Book#1) Page 19
