*
The fuzziness in her brain started to ease as she woke. Chloe regained consciousness once more, having no idea how long she had been at the hospital or how many times she had woken up, only for it to end in screams and pain. This time, she lay unmoving, afraid to even open her eyes.
The pain on her face had her wanting to relieve it.
Don’t move.
The memories of the man …
Don’t cry.
Chloe had to fight her instincts and to think smart about how to keep them from continuing to drug her. Otherwise, there will be nothing left of me … if there is anything left.
Even with her eyes closed, she could feel a presence in the room, and considering her father had been there every time she had awakened, it was safe to say he was that presence. She wasn’t even sure if he had ever left the room, but the question was, why?
Her father had wanted to talk, but the moment she’d become hysterical, he wouldn’t even give her a chance to cry it out, making her feel as if she were crazy.
Why?
Hearing a movement come from the far corner of the hospital room, she knew he was awake, so she decided to take the distance between them to her advantage.
Chloe didn’t open her eyes as she began to open her mouth, afraid if she did, her hysteria would take over, and the cruel cycle would start again.
“I-I don’t like to be touched anymore,” she whispered as best she could.
She heard what sounded like her father starting to get up.
A face flashed in her mind as she felt invisible hands wrap around her throat.
“No!” Her eyes shot open to reveal the dim hospital room. Chloe took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice even, to remain calm. “Don’t come closer … please.”
After a moment, her father sat back in his chair.
The room was eerily quiet. She didn’t understand why he wasn’t asking her questions, wondering what had happened or, more importantly, who had done this to her.
Does Dad already know? Is the man locked up forever?
She figured she would start with that first.
“You know what happened to me, don’t you?”
The look on his worn out face gave her the answer.
Her father held up his hands and slowly stood. “I’m not going to touch you. I just want to come closer. Is that all right?”
Trying her best to stay strong, she nodded her head, holding her breath as he slowly walked toward her. She only slightly relaxed as he stood by the bed, making no attempts to touch her.
He looked down upon her, taking in this new sight of his daughter.
When her silent questions still went unanswered, she forced herself to whisper the words, “Did you catch him?”
A bushy eyebrow rose as he stared at her blankly. “Catch who?”
Shocked, Chloe blinked a few times, wondering if she were in a dream before the stinging on her face told her it wasn’t.
“Who did this to me?” she choked out.
“Chloe, you were in a car accident.” It sounded as if it were rehearsed.
“There was no car—”
“You were in a car wreck; that’s all you know.” His voice was calm and collected.
Chloe began shaking her head violently, her eyes brimming with tears. “No, I wasn’t. He hurt—”
“You were in a car wreck. No one hurt you.”
“N-no!” she screamed as her cheeks started to burn again from the tears.
“You were in a car wreck; that’s all you know. You were in a car wreck. No one hurt you.” He was beginning to sound hypnotic.
Not only her head, but her body began to violently shake. “NO! NO! NO!”
This time, a lone nurse came in the room with a needle, closing the door behind her.
Her father stepped forward, holding her down, as Chloe tried to scream as loudly as her throat allowed, fighting off their hands as much as she could before the needle pricked her skin in the sore spot of her arm.
He spoke over her with the same, melodic sound in his voice. “You were in a car wreck; that’s all you know. You were in a car wreck. No one hurt you …”
Three
Does The Sight of Her Just Sicken You?
Sitting up in the hospital bed, she hadn’t moved, hadn’t spoken. She merely sat there, doing the same thing for hours: staring. The white wall in front of her was the only thing she stared at. It showed her past, her nightmares.
I was in a car wreck.
Hearing the click of kitten heels getting closer and closer to the door didn’t bring her out of her trance.
A woman with short black hair and dressed in business attire entered the room. Not a hair on her head was out of place, and the pearls wrapped around her neck perfectly gleamed. It was the first time she had seen Chloe since the “accident,” so she took a few moments to look her over.
“It’s a shame they—I mean, she got her face marked. I think we could use it to our advantage and turn this situation into something better.” Her beady eyes travelled down. “However, I think she should keep her arms covered; we don’t want people to feel too sorry for us.”