Panic ensues, crawling through my chest slowly tightening around my throat as I struggle to speak. Damn, that hurts.
Why is my throat so scratchy?
My chest begins to heave with anxiety as the nightmare replays through my mind. I try to sit up but a cold steel grip keeps me pressed firmly to the bed. Looking down, I see a coal covered hand wrapped tightly around my stomach and I relax into the bed knowing that I’m safe.
“Lay still, darlin’. Rest.” He whispers against my ear. I try to speak but my throat is so tight I can’t force the words to break free. I need to pee…bad…like really frickin’ bad. I tap Colton’s hand, gauging his attention then motion towards the bathroom. He springs up, makes his way around the bed and helps me sit up to gain my bearings.
The room tilts and spins. Colorful spots flash in my field of vision and my body trembles.
My eyes flutter shut and I pull in a deep, ragged breath. “Take a sip.” He instructs pressing a straw to my lips. The cool liquid trails down my throat and the restricted feeling slowly dissipates. Finally feeling confident enough to stand, Colton unsnaps the fetal monitor from the band around my waist before he gently pulls me up to my feet. I slowly shuffle to the bathroom.
Relieving my bladder, I sway lightly from side to side, but Colton keeps his hands firmly on my shoulders to keep me sliding from the toilet. When he gets me back in the bed, I try to speak and my voice finally forms a small whisper.
“Drink, please.” My throat burns, but at least I can form words now. Colton presses the straw to my lips and I can’t seem to quench my thirst. It feels like I’ve been sucking on cotton for days, and each sip I take, I crave more.
“How long have I been out?” I whisper.
“Bout eighteen hours, baby.”
“Is Savannah okay?”
Colton rakes his hand over his face roughly and replies, “She’s hangin’ in there.”
I hear a light knock, then the door opens filtering a streak of light into the room.
“Well, would you look at that…she finally decides to roll her lazy ass outta bed.” A bubbly Kaylee sings through the room. “You look terrible, but seeing you sitting up makes me very happy. It’s progress, so I’ll take it.”
I smile weakly to Kaylee. She repositions the fetal monitor on my stomach, then wraps a cuff around my arm and begins to check my vitals. The loud swooshing sound fills the room and I smile to myself, ecstatic that my little monkey is thriving. Such a strong little fighter. Kaylee flashes a small flash light over my eyes, marking my chart as she goes.
“Alright sweets, everything is looking great. Well except you. You look like hell.” She shrugs. Thanks, Kaylee. “The police have been impatiently waiting for you to wake up, so they can get your statement. When you feel like talking to them let me know, ‘kay?” I nod. “Do you need anything before I go?”
“Savannah.” I whisper. She looks to me sadly, then glances up at Colton. He nods at her as his eyes drift closed.
“I’ll get you a wheel chair. Sit tight.” She replies, patting my hand lightly.
A few short minutes later she pushes a wheelchair into the room, then disconnects me from all of the monitors, damn lines leadin’ everywhere. “I called downstairs and let the nurse know you would be down shortly. It’s not visiting hours, but they’re understanding.” She says as she helps Colton seat me in the wheel chair. After Kaylee leaves the room, Colton kneels beside me and laces his fingers in mine.
“Baby, listen closely. Savannah don’t look so good right now. Are you sure you wanna see her?” His eyes soften as he speaks. I nod and fight back the hiccup in my chest. He kisses my forehead then stands tall on his feet and pushes me out of the room into the brightly lit hallway. We take the elevator down a few floors then exit in front of large double doors with a keypad and intercom on the wall. Colton speaks into the intercom, giving the nurse our names and after the doors swing open, he pushes me down a long sterile hallway. Loud beeping shrills from every direction. Stopping in the hallway, Colton peeks into the dark window then rakes his k
nuckles over the heavy steel door before entering. My eyes fall upon Luke first as his eyes widen in surprise when Colton wheels me into the room. A heavy sigh falls from his lips and after gazing at me for a few seconds, he smiles.
“How’re ya feelin’ beauts?” He says quietly.
“Te-terrible. How’s my sister?” I ask, then look to the body that lays lifelessly in the bed. I gasp, covering my mouth with my hands and I choke on a ragged sob. Tears fall quickly and all air seems to have escaped my body. Colton wraps his arms around my shoulders, blanketing me in his protection as he shushes my cries.
“Darlin’, I told ya she wasn’t well. She’s sedated right now, but she’ll wake up once the medication wears off and her body’s no longer in shock. It’s just gonna take time Carly Jo. But she’s gonna make it.”
Guilt grips me, shaking the ever-lovin’ shit outta me. This is all my fault. I tried to protect Savannah by hiding the truth, and here she lies on death’s bed. I could have protected my sister from so many beatings if only I had the courage to be honest about Daddy’s secrets. I should have told Savannah about Drew to begin with, but I was so ashamed of the hidden family secret.
“How bad did he hurt her?” I mutter. Luke looks up to Colton, shaking his head.
“Beauts, she’s alive. She’s got a long road of recovery ahead of her, but we’ll see her through it.” He pauses, pinching the bridge of his nose. His piercing blue eyes are softer, filled with exhaustion and worry. “I promise you this, Carly. She’ll never be hurt again.” Standing up quickly, Luke charges out of the room trying to hide his ever present emotions.
Luke has a strange visibility of empathizing with people. Somehow, he can see every emotion a person evokes and I often wonder if he sees a person’s pain, recognizing it before they do. People are prideful. I think Savannah lied to herself for so long, pretending to lead the perfect fairytale life that she began to believe it. She believed that she deserved to suffer at Josh’s hand. She believed that she was unworthy of love. But Luke saw through her façade and that’s when she began to crack. She knew that her mask had slipped and someone saw her pain in the rawest form. Not only did Luke see Savannah’s pain, but he felt it.
It pains me that I was oblivious to Savannah’s plight for so long. Had it not been for Luke, I probably never would have known. I was too busy in my own life and trying to protect Savannah from Drew, when she was literally sleeping with the Devil himself.
I just want to embrace her and wash away all of her pain, but I’m terrified to touch her because of her frail state. So many thoughts flood my mind at once that I begin to ramble endlessly. Apologies for my mistakes, things that should have been said well before now. But then I remember, she may not even hear me and she ain’t able to respond. I flinch in pain when reality strikes me like the bitch that it is. Savannah may never recover from this and it’s all my fault.