Chapter 33 – Who are you?
Alex
“She’s alive.” The nurse responds and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“Can I see her?” I ask immediately, not wanting to waste another second. A part of me feels like I’m being pranked and can’t really be relieved unless I see and touch her.
“Yes, but first I suggest you speak to the doctor.” The nurse responds and I nod.
“Where is the doctor?” My voice is barely steady, impatient. I do have time for formalities.
The nurse motions toward a hallway. “Dr. Patel is in his office. Down the hall, third door on the right.”
I’m already moving before she finishes speaking. My len
feel heavy, my pulse still hammering, but I push forward.
When I reach it, the door is slightly ajar, so I don’t bother knocking I push it open, stepping inside. The doctor looks file, his eyes widening behind his glasses.
“Mr. King, why are you here personally? Did something happen?” le
Car wat
his seat.
I don’t even know the man and he already knows me. Sometimes, detest being so known.
“Please, sit doctor. I’m here for Athena Dawson.”
His eyes widen,
www
“She was brought in some hours ago. Is she someone you know?”
“Yes. How is she?”
up from a
“She’s stable,” Dr. Patel says, and I exhale sharply. But then he adds, “Physically, she’s out of immediate danger. However, she was underwater for a prolonged period. We’re monitoring for any complications, including secondary drowning or neurological
effects.”
Neurological effects.
My stomach twists.
“What does that mean?”
“She may experience confusion, memory gaps, or difficulty processing certain events. Trauma like this can also trigger long- term psychological effects.” He studies me for a moment before continuing. “Right now, she’s disoriented. She woke up briefly but didn’t seem fully aware of where she was. That’s normal, but it’s something to watch.”
Disoriented.
I grip the back of a chair, grounding myself.
“What psychological effects?”
He exhales, glancing at the file again before meeting my gaze.
“Because she was underwater for an extended period, there were concerns about hypoxia–lack of oxygen to the brain—which can sometimes cause memory impairment. She may have some memory gaps,” he explains carefully.
“In simple terms, Confusion. Possible difficulty recalling certain events leading up to the incident or even from her past. It’s hard to say how severe it is until she wakes up.”
“When will that be?”
He hesitates. “Her vitals are stable, and she’s breathing on her own, which is a good sign. But trauma like this… it’s
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impredictable She could wake up in an hour, or it could take longe
gor my teeth. “And when she does?”
Dr. Patel studies me for a moment before responding.
“Be patient with her. If she has memory issues, pushing too hard could make things worse. And one more thing…
I narrow my eyes.
“Given the circumstances of her drowning, she may develop PTSD Claustrophobia, panic attacks–especially in enclosed spaces or around water.”
Inod.
Not knowing what to do with that information. She was studying to be a surgeon, she will be heartbroken when something goes wrong and I can’t for the life of me handle that.
“Can you keep this between us? No one should know about how severe her condition is. Only you will attend to her, and you can’t tell her the complete truth either.”
“Mr. King-”
“I mean it. When the time is right, I’ll tell her if she will still be struggling. For now, let’s just focus on getting her better.
He sighs, sitting back in his chair, but he understands I’m not asking and if word goes out I won’t be kind about it.
“I understand.”
“Can I see her now?” My voice is rough from all the emotions I’m trying to keep sealed.
Patel nods.
“She’s in room 312. Just… be gentle with her, Mr. King.”
I don’t respond. I just turn on my heel and head for her room.
The sight of her nearly brings me to my knees.
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Athena looks so small in the hospital bed, her dark hair damp, strands sticking to her pale skin. An IV is hooked into her arm, the steady beep of the monitors the only proof that she’s still here!
My chest tightens.
This is my fault.
She’s here because I left her. Because I didn’t go back when I knew something was wrong.
I step closer, my fingers curling around the cold metal rail of the bed.
For the first time in years, I feel something foreign creeping into my chest–guilt.
I should have been there.
I should have protected her.
Her lips are parted slightly, her breathing even but too shallow for my liking. I reach out, hesitating for a fraction of a second before brushing a strand of hair from her forehead.
“Wake up, Athena,” I murmur. “Just open your damn eyes and glare at me like you always do.”
Nothing.
I sink into the chair beside the bed, my body tense.
Il wait. As long as it takes.
I don’t know how long has passed since I sent mum a text to notify her where we are when I feel a movement.
My heart jumps to my throat as I look at lier.
“Athena.” My voice is quiet, rough.
Her eyelashes flutter.
Then, slowly, hazily, her eyes open.
For a moment, she just stares, her gaze unfocused.
Then it lands on me, and something flickers confusion.
Wariness?
“Athena,” I repeat, leaning closer.
She blinks.
And then she speaks-
“Who… who are you?”
2 Jade Knight Author
Thank you for reading!
15
Cha ?
ATHENA
My chest aches.
I can’t breathe.
Everything feels wrong. Too loud. Too bright.
I blink, and the world feels… foreign. Unfamiliar. My head spins, like I’m coming back from somewhere far away, somewhere cold, and the weight of the air is too thick. I try to move, but my body doesn’t respond. It’s like I’m trapped under something, unable to get out.
The feeling of drowning is still in my throat, in my lungs, like I tiever really care up for air.
Am I dead?
I try to focus, to make sense of what’s around me.
The loud beeping sound of the machine and a deep voice that keeps calling me pulls
But the weight in my chest, it’s not just the air.
It’s the memory.
me back.
The bubbles, lack of oxygen, and the pain I felt from my nose go all the way to my chest.
I don’t know where I am.
I don’t know how I got here.
My heart races, and I try to breathe, but the air feels like it’s suffocating me. I gasp, my body jerking with panic, desperate for a full breath.
I feel like I’m falling. Sinking deep in the water, making it hard for me to breathe.
I gasp, but it doesn’t feel like it’s enough. The air is there, I know it is, but my lungs won’t take it in. My throat burns, my body seizes, and for a terrifying second, I swear I’m still underwater.
The weight of the water crushes me, pressing down on my chest, filling my lungs with nothing but panic. My fingers claw at the sheets, gripping them like a lifeline, but they slip through my hands like water. Like I’m sinking all over again.
No. No. I can’t go through this again please!
A loud beeping sound fills my ears, but it’s drowned out by the rush of water in my head. My pulse hammers, the sound loud, distorted. The memory swallows me whole.
I see it.
The water.
Dark, endless, pulling me down.
I can feel it. The way it burned as it forced itself into my lungs, the way my body fought, then slowed, then gave up.
A strangled sound leaves my throat–half a sob, half a desperate gasp for air that won’t come.
Hands grip my shoulders. Warm, firm. They shake me, grounding me in the present, but I can’t focus. I can’t breathe.
I hear a voice, deep and commanding, but the words don’t make sense.
I’m still drowning.
Stullost in that cold, black abyss
† 25 BONU
The pressure in my chest builds. My heart slams against my ribs, and frantic, like it’s trying to escape.
Then suddenly, my lips feel like they’re being pressed against something soft that tastes like mint. My brain wrecks as I try to figure out what it is when I realize I’m being kissed.
My eyes fly open, the world tilting violently. The too bright lights The blurred figure above me. The air, thick and suffocating. but there.
I choke, gasping as reality crashes in. I’m not underwater.
I’m not dying
But he kissed me!
Why is he kissing me?
I feel hands gentle, but firm on my arm, pulling me back from the edge of panic.
I blink again, trying to make sense of the face in front of me. But the edges of the man’s features are blurry, his green eyes too intense, too demanding and he’s fucking tall!
Who is he?
He looks familiar, too familiar but I can’t place him. His jaw is sharp, blonde hair and his eyes are so green it feels like when you look at him for so long you’ll get lost in them.
Even as he pulls me to him, I can feel how well built he is. I bet he’s as hard as a rock under that Shirt.
But… nothing clicks. Nothing fits.
Why would such a hot guy be hugging me?
“Athena.” His voice is soft, but it cuts through the fog in my brain. It’s like he’s trying to pull me toward him, like I’m tethered to him somehow.
And he smells so good, I’m tempted to smell him. When I remember he’s a complete stranger making me back away and shrink away from him.
How does this stranger know my name?
Hurt crosses his features, but he recovers so quickly I wonder if I imagined it.
I blink again, trying to focus on him while creating as much distance between us as possible.
“Who…”
I swallow, my throat dry, scratchy.
Who… is he?
He leans closer, his eyes searching mine, as though he’s waiting for me to know.
But I don’t.
I don’t know him.
“Who… who are you?” I croak, the words coming out slightly broken from how dry my throat is.
His eyes flash, something flickering again.
Frustration?
JeAvittell.
But I don’t know him.
If I knew a guy as good looking as him, I’d never forget it.
“I’m not going to hurt you. Please don’t pull away from me.” His deep voice pulls me back.
“Do you know me?” I ask.
He nods.
I bite my lip, not knowing what to say.
“What happened?” I ask.
Well if he knows me and I don’t remember him then it’s only fair he tells me what I’m missing.
But a part of my brain keeps nagging and wondering if I can really trust him.
Jade Knight Author
Double update like I promised. 🙂
