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Silence. Had she not understood me? I was talking pretty slow, and I was slurring.
“Tiffany?”
Her head shook, and she couldn’t hide the tears filling her eyes.
“This is a shitty comparison, but remember that time we got really drunk and you passed out on my balcony, and then spent the night throwing up?”
“Day one. I went to work and got no sleep. Partied with you again the next day. And the next. Got sick almost every night.” I stopped, trying to find strength to continue. “You know I rarely drink anymore, and that’s why. It was the worst week of my life. Is it that bad?”
She winced. “I think this takes the cake, babygirl. You look like you went on a five-year bender.”
“It feels like it.” I hit the button, lifting the top of the bed. I almost cried out as the pain crept through the medication. “Truthfully. How bad is it? Do you have a mirror?”
Her hand rose to cover her mouth through the hesitation. Her dark skin was paler than normal, and her full lips were hiding behind her fingers as she refused to meet my eyes.
“Tiff?”
“Maybe we should wait a few days.” She sniffled, reaching out to grab my good hand. For the first time, I took in what I could see. I really looked. My broken hand looked like something out of a horror movie. There was a large contraption around it with countless pins pushing through the skin. Bandages nearly wrapped my entire forearm and bicep above it. My good arm wasn’t without bandages as well. From the colors I could see peeking out from the gown’s sleeve, it didn’t look real. I let go of her hand, reaching for the gauze.
“Kody, don’t.”
“I have to see.”
“You don’t. Please.”
Weakly, I peeled at the tape just outside of the contraption inches from my wrist. It was a chore, but I managed to get it unwrapped. My entire body jumped at the sight as I peeled back the gauze. All down my arm there was black stitching poking out just above the skin. Gouges from the cat were sewn up, some in a straight line, while other lacerations were jagged and puckered. I was bruised from my fingertips to the sleeve, and the colors spanned from yellow to a dark purple. The site was such a shock, I couldn’t stop myself from heaving. Screams filled my ears, and images flickered like a movie in hyper-speed. I barely even felt the warmth pool in my lap as I continued to gag.
If this was one arm, how was the rest of my body?
I couldn’t imagine. I wasn’t thinking straight. I wasn’t even here right now.
“Oh, shit. Hold on, girl. Hold on.” Beeping and voices echoed in my ears, but all I saw were headlights. They were blinding me. No…I was blinding myself as I stared into them. The man. When had the stranger put me in the car? I didn’t remember getting in. Only the light, then darkness. Then…being lifted and put down outside the store.
“Kody…Kody…It’s going to be okay now. No one will ever hurt you again. I promise. I’m going to keep you safe. Kody, look at me.”
“Yeah, hurry, she’s sick. She’s not okay. She’s freaking out!”
Tiffany brushed back my hair, and I couldn’t stop the way my body suddenly reacted to her contact. I ripped my hand free, shaking so violently that I was sure I was going to be sick again. My throat, it was on fire. Acid. All I tasted was bile.
“Shh. It’s okay. I got you. I’m here. You’re okay now.”
“Did they find him? Did they find David?”
“David?” Tiffany’s eyes went round. “You know his name?”
The door burst open, but I couldn’t focus on the doctor and nurse who rushed in.
“I…just remembered. Did they find him? I…” I scanned the strangers in the room, feeling the walls shift around me. I wanted to go home. I didn’t know these people. I needed to run. To leave. To do anything but be here. What if he found me? What if he came back because I was set free?
Time seemed to stop as I tried scouring my thoughts. Movement by my side had me screaming out in terror. The nurse was doing something. Taking orders from the doctor? Why was I free? Hadn’t the man who bought me wanted to kill me? Isn’t that why I’d been taken from the dungeon?
“Kody, my name is Doctor Landers. I’m stepping in to check you real quick.”
But I was already swinging my good hand in her direction. “Don’t touch me. Stop!”
“Nurse Linda, over there, is giving you something to calm you. I just need to make sure you’re okay.”
Calm? Yes. I needed to calm, but I couldn’t stop the hysteria as the doctor took hold of my free arm and stepped in to check me. Despite starting to get heavy, I managed to break free, but what I was doing, I didn’t understand. I patted the air in an odd rhythm as I searched for words. As I searched for some sort of sanity in the abyss of screams and cries. Nothing came but the questions and sobs.
