Page 3 of Ruin

A deep rumble followed by something softer.

His heart raced. He knew those voices, wanted to call out to them, but the names of the people talking died in his mind and his eyelids were so heavy. He was tempted to let go of the rope that had been thrown into the dark waters of his sleep, let himself sink into them again.

“Wait… look at that,” the woman said.

Images flashed in his mind (memory?): dark hair and a gap-toothed smile, freckles flung like constellations across a small nose, warm flesh and soft lips.

His mind cast for the name. It was right there, darting through the murky waters of his half sleep.

“I’ll go get somebody,” the deeper voice said.

Someone took his hand. “Roman… I’m here. Can you open your eyes?”

He tried. There was so much hope in the woman’s voice (yes, it was a woman, this much he knew) and there was something about it that made him want to do anything she asked.

But his eyelids felt like they’d been encased in lead.

Then there were more voices — the man’s voice and two others, brisk and purposeful.

“His heart rate shot up,” the man said.

“When did you notice it?”

“Maybe five minutes ago?” Ruby said.

Ruby.

That was her name. More flashes of memory: Ruby laughing on a busy sidewalk, pedestrians pushing past them, Ruby holding the hand of a small dark-haired girl on her way to the park, Ruby sitting across from him as the TV flickered in a dark room.

Ruby in his arms, her soft breath steady against his chest as she fell into sleep.

“Let’s check his vitals,” the stranger said.

Whoever was holding his hand (Ruby?) dropped it. He tried to tell her to come back, but his mouth wasn’t working either.

Someone pulled open one of his eyelids and a streak of blinding light burned into his brain.

He recoiled.

“Roman? Can you hear me?” the brisk-voiced woman said. Where was Ruby? He wanted her to come back. “Try to open your eyes.”

He followed the command, tried again.

He needed to see Ruby, to tell her something. He wasn’t sure what, but it was there, in the back of his mind, trying to float to the surface.

A sliver of light leaked into his brain and sent a stab of pain through his skull.

He closed his eyes again.

“Open your eyes, Roman.” Ruby, but not sweet and soft. Stern. “It’s time to fight.”

He opened his eyes, fought the ice pick of pain in his brain as the light hit him full force, then breathed a sigh of relief as it receded enough for him to breathe.

He took in the room — a hospital room filled with all the expected equipment — and Ruby, standing behind a doctor in a lab coat on one side. A nurse in scrubs stood on the other side of his bed. Max was behind them looking ridiculous in a hospital gown, his face pale and drawn, one hand on an IV pole dripping something into his arm.

Consciousness brought new awareness — pain in his chest, worse than the dull ache in his head.

Roman opened his mouth to speak, was annoyed when his voice emerged not with the authority on which he prided himself but with a weak croak.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com