Chapter Sixteen
Maya
Everything hurts.
What is happening? I can hear people talking around me, but I can’t register what they’re saying. Are they whispering? I don’t recognise any of the voices. And what the hell is all the banging? Oh wait, the banging is in my head.
Fuck, my head hurts.
“Her mum is on the way here. It was strange, she seemed shocked that we would call her.”
“Her mum? She won’t want her here,” A new voice says angrily.
“We have her down as Maya’s next of kin, it is protocol to call.”
I can hear them talking all around me, but I still can’t work out who’s speaking.
How do they know I wouldn’t want my mum here?
What is going on? I can feel apprehension start to set in.
Everything is so dark. I try with all my might to fight through the pain ricocheting around my head to open my eyes.
At first the brightness is too much, making me slam my eyes shut again.
I attempt to open my eyes two more times before finally succeeding.
Who are these people?
Why are they staring at me?
I clutch the blanket that’s laid over me, pushing myself up the bed, needing to be as far away as I possibly can. Only one of my hands is working, which results in me almost falling off the bed. The sting of tears prickle up my nose as pain shoots up the arm that I’ve leant on to catch myself.
My heart is beating so fast I’m surprised no one can see it bouncing from outside of my chest. The monitor next to me is beeping so fast and loud now and as I look down my body I realise it’s attached to me.
What the hell is going on?
Where has all the oxygen gone? I can’t breathe.
“Honey, you need to calm down. Just breathe. You’ve been in an accident and got banged up pretty badly,” The lady speaking comes closer to me, but I shrink away. She is acting like she knows me, but I have definitely never seen her before.
My whole body feels like it’s shaking. I try to get it under control but the pounding of my head and heart, I can’t do it. I look around the room at all the people who surround me and hit my limit. My breathing is still coming in rapid spurts.
“Blair, go and get a doctor! She’s having a panic attack.” An older man says, coming round to the side of the bed.
I try to move away from his reach, but as I do I lean on my arm again and cry out in pain. Why are these people so intent on crowding me? He’s even closer now, a woman at his side reaching for my shoulder.
I scream.
The staff must of heard the commotion as a few seconds later people dressed in uniform run into the room.
“What’s going on? Oh Maya, you’re awake!
” A young, handsome man says, coming to stand at the end of my bed.
“I’m Dr Smyth. I’ve been the doctor in charge of your care.
You have been unconscious for the past three days after being in an accident.
You have sustained injuries to your head and your arm.
Now, I know this is a lot of information to take in but I need to check you over to make sure you’re ok, will you allow me to do that?
Your heart rate monitor doesn’t seem too happy since you woke up,” He waits for me to nod and then walks around to the other side of the bed to check the monitors I’m strapped to, pressing buttons that I have no idea about.
They could be doing anything to me right now.
I feel like a caged animal, putting on a show for all to see.
I try speaking to him, but my throat is too tight. Which makes sense now I know I have been out of it for days.
“Who…” I cough to clear the cobwebs from my throat. “Who are all of these people?”
Dr Smyth studies me now, with a confused look on his face. His eyebrows drawing in close. He points to a woman stood near the open door across the room. I’m sure she wasn’t here when I first woke up, maybe she works here.
“Maya, do you know who this is?” he asks.
I study the woman. She is beautiful with long, curly blonde hair, staring at me hopefully.
“Erm, a nurse?” I ask confused.
How the hell would I know.
After I answer, I hear someone take a large intake of breathe. I look back at the woman in question, she now has tears streaming down her face. She isn’t the only one with a look of devastation and sympathy. Taking everyone’s expression in, I feel the panic rising again.
Wow, this is so uncomfortable.
“Please, can they leave? Why are there so many people here?” My own eyes are watering again, this whole situation is overwhelming me. There must be more than ten people in here.
“Can everyone please leave the room. I’d like to talk to Maya alone for a moment,” The doctor says.
Two of the girls start to protest but get dragged away by the older lady who approached me earlier. Once they’ve all left, Dr Smyth takes a seat beside me. Angling himself towards me as he speaks.
“Now Maya, can you tell me what the last thing you remember is?”
I frown as I concentrate, trying hard to remember what happened to me. To be honest though, I don’t remember anything at all. My eyes travel back to him, that calm and kind expression still in place. I shake my head.
“That’s fine, please don’t worry about that for now. Do you recognise anybody who was in the room with you?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Why would I know any of them? I don’t think I have ever seen them before.”
“That’s okay. With head injuries such as yours, a common side effect is struggling to remember certain things, places and people.
I’ll get a specialist doctor to come and see you shortly, they will be able to explain more about what’s happening.
This is nothing to worry about so please try to relax and I’ll keep everyone at bay for now.
How does that sound?” Like a fucking tornado is spinning around my brain, that’s what it sounds like to me.
The way he talks to me makes me believe in what he is saying though. He has this way about him that automatically eases any troubles.
“Now if it’s still okay with you, I’d like to go over your observations and check all is okay,” He smiles as he carries on doing whatever the hell it is he needs to do.
I nod my head in agreement, not really knowing what else there is to say.
“How is your pain doing?” he asks.
“Honestly, it’s bad. I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck,” I rub my eyes, exhaustion taking over me again.
“After what you have been through, I’m not surprised. I’ll go and get a new prescription for more pain relief for you. I imagine you’ll be feeling pain for a few more days before you start to feel better.”
“Could you tell me what happened?” My eyes leaking tears, yet again. God it’s frustrating, but the look he is giving me right now isn’t very reassuring.
“I think it’s best we wait until the specialist gets here, if that’s okay with you. I promise to speak to them straight away.”
As he is finishing up we hear a man shouting from the other side of the door, begging to be let inside.
“I need to see her! Move out of my way, she needs me!” The man roars. My head whips towards the doc, eyes wide and body trembling.
Who even was that?
“Please. I don’t want to face any more people I don’t know. I can’t,” I plead. I have honestly never felt so much fear before. Fear of the unknown. Fear of these people wanting to see me. Fear that they will keep expecting something I can’t give them.
“Of course. I will nip out and let them know. Sit tight, okay? His kind eyes lock with mine, making sure I know he’s there for me. I really do feel like he is. “I promise to make sure no one will come in other than the staff here at the hospital. Is that alright?”
Nodding carefully, trying not to cause my head to spin anymore than it is already. “Yes, that’s great… and Dr Smyth? Thanks for this.”
He waits a beat, making sure I’m not going to fall apart. Even I don’t know how I haven’t yet. There is so much I need to absorb right now.
I’ve been in an accident… of which kind I don’t know yet.
I’m in pain and can’t move my arm or head.
I can’t remember any of the people who clearly know me.
And lastly, there’s one man in particular that seems desperate to see me.
But there’s nothing. No recollection at all.
There are still raised voices coming from the outside of my room, but I don’t really care.
After all the theatrics from the short time I’ve been awake, my brain is struggling to function.
I give into the fight after a few minutes, drifting into a restless sleep, dreaming of the voice I heard on the other side of the door.