Opening her eyes did little to improve those feelings threatening to overwhelm her. The emptiness was wrong, not her normal state of being, and it was suffocating.
She came slowly aware of a increasing beeping off to her right and turning she saw the heart rate monitor sending out the unsteady rhythm of her heart. The monitor brought awareness of being in the hospital and she tried to focus to slow the erratic beating and shallow breaths.
The door creeped open quietly but suddenly, erasing her efforts on shutting up the incessant machine. A man slipped in the door, carrying a cup and a paper bag. He eased the door closed and then froze as he looked her direction for the first time.
"You're awake?!" He sounded incredulous and amazed and overwhelmed with just those two words.
She took in a breath and tried to respond but found her throat had dried up. Trying to clear her throat she looked around for a glass of water but stopped at the sharp pain down her back.
The man finally unfrozen and took to couple steps to the bed.
"We should tell the doctor" he said a bit breathlessly as he pushed to nurse call button above her bed. Then he handed her the cup of water she had been wishing for. She took a big gulp, relishing the coolness.
"Go slow, we'll have to ask how much you can have when the doctor gets here but I think a little bit can't hurt," he said as he sat in the chair to the left of her bed. It had a pillow and a blanket thrown over the back, like someone had slept there. Who is this man? He acts like he knows me. He keeps say 'we'll'. Why is he in my room? Why am I in this room?
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