Incredible Beauty (So Many Reasons 2)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Emma

God my head hurt. I hadn’t woken up with a headache this bad in ages, where every part of my body ached. I tried to reposition myself without opening my eyes.

“She moved!”

Simon? That was definitely Simon. I opened one eye half an inch, my head screaming in response as the light burned my eyes. I groaned and lifted my arm to cover my face. My arms felt so heavy, like they were made of cement.

I felt drugged, or extremely hung-over. Or maybe both. I tried to think back to before my sleep, but my mind was cloudy and I just could reach my memory.

What the hell had happened? Maybe I had some kind of bug?

“Em? Can you hear me?” Simon asked, clenching his hand over mine. God he was so warm and I was so cold.

“I…” One word was all I managed, trying to say anymore was near impossible with the tube shoved down my throat. I tried not to retch as the hard plastic rubbed against the back of my throat.

Shit. I gasped as it all came flooding back. That Derek being released, then killed.

Saving the girl. Thank god Simon and the police had arrived when they did.

I relaxed, the reality of remembering, calming me down. I was okay. Safe. I never had to worry about Derek hurting me ever again.

“Honey, I’m just going to get the doctor. I will be right back.” I watched, helpless as he raced from the room. Trying to gather my thoughts, I couldn’t seem to focus. It was like each thought was a piece of popping candy and they were all exploding randomly in my head. Simon came back in with a doctor and a nurse. The nurse smiled at me, I smiled back hesitantly.

“Emma,” the doctor smiled, “how are you feeling? Sore?”

I nodded. Ouch. Bad idea. My head was still throbbing and I’d given up trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

“Stay still, I’m going to take the tube out of your mouth, okay?” He gently reached into my mouth and loosened the tube before pulling it out. Pain ripped through my throat as it dislodged and slid out. “How’s the pain, Emma? Out of ten, ten being the worst.”

“A nine,” I rasped, not wanting to say ten in case it got worse. Not that I could imagine this getting any worse.

I felt as though my scalp had been ripped off my head. The pain was so intense, unlike any pain I had ever felt before. For me, that said a lot. I had experienced pain at its worst, or at least I thought I had. Reaching up, I tried to touch my head where the throbbing was at its worst. Simon reached out and grabbed my hand.

“Just relax Em,” he soothed. I let him guide my hand back down, his touch automatically making me feel better. The doctor and the nurse kept prodding at me, taking my temperature, checking my pupils.

“How long was I out?” I asked Simon, the words catching in my throat like splinters.

“Over three weeks. Shit Em, I was so scared, I thought we were going to lose you,” he said, his eyes glistening with tears.

We? My parents? I glanced around the room, but only saw Simon.

“We?” I repeated.

“Mirabella and I,’” he smiled at me. “I can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s amazing, just like her mother.”

I struggled to sit up. Mirabella? W

hat was he talking about? Who was Mirabella?

“Who?” I asked, panicked. Simon glanced at the doctor, who shook his head slightly.

“Shh, don’t worry Em,” Simon whispered, trying to hide the obvious concern on his face. Panic rose inside of me, as I desperately tried to piece together what the fuck was going on. I couldn’t remember past Derek’s death. How long ago was that? I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.

“Emma, I’ll be back in later to check on you. For now, the nurse will stay with you so just try to relax. Don’t try and remember, your memory should come back on its own.”

I nodded, knowing that I wouldn’t relax and that I would be trying to remember. He didn’t need to know that though.