Committed

Chapter 3

  Charlie

I peeled my eyes opened, gasped as the wash of morning light blinded me to my surroundings. I blinked rapidly, desperate to adjust to the stinging pain developing behind my lids.

“BOOM, BEEP, BOOM, BEEP, CRUNCH.” I jolted at the loud crashing noise, echoing in my throbbing head like a surround sound of an amphitheater. What the hell was that?

Pain exploded in my head as the sounds got louder as if that was possible. Valiantly I tried to cover my ears with my arms, however, they refused to budge. Sheer panic gripped me as I spied them tied to the bed rails. Along with my feet and head, I was strapped to a bed, unable to move.

What the fuck!

Why were my hands, feet, and head tied? Did I try to hurt someone? Frustrated tears welled up as the pain in my skull increase. I closed my eyes, mentally calming myself, counting to ten in my head, before I opened them once again. 

A quick perusal told me I was in a hospital room, white, washed walls, covered with several machines I couldn’t spell. I glance at my chest. There were small circular pads attached to thin wires running into a machine just above my head. I guess it was monitoring my heartbeat.

Exhausted, I tried to channel the last of my energy into moving any part of my body. My hands and feet felt so numb I just needed to know I could feel my hands move, hell even my finger would do at this point. I tried to twist my hands and feet a bit to dislodge the bandage they used. My feet were of no use I could feel the straps digging into my flesh. They were so tight but covered with a white thin sheet. Nothing happened. Exasperated with my efforts, I closed my eyes in defeat.

I was quickly losing my mind. The pain intensified. I just couldn’t take the sounds anymore. They were overpowering to the extent that a bullet to the head seemed like a welcomed end, to this intense blearing noise stabbing into my skull.

 It was like I could hear everything all at once with absolutely no filter or relief. If I listened close enough, I could isolate the sounds one by one. I had no idea how I knew this, but a silent voice in the back of my mind told me it was possible.

I close my eyes, trying to concentrate. Silence everything around you, the voice said. Flip through and sort everything like a page in a book or magazine. Choose what you wished to remain in the background and what you wish to hear. Focus on that sound alone, sister, until it fills your ear, lower the volume you wish it to be.

I did as the voice instructed, following each of her softly spoken words, as relief filled me when the sounds became quiet and the throbbing in my head ease a bit.

The relief didn’t last very long though, soon after I realized the drowning noise in my head had prevented me from focusing on the thick, long tube stuck down my throat, immediately I started struggling as the tube was blocking my ability to breathing, the stench of blood and cleaning supplies slabbed into me like a mac truck in a head-on collision, my stomach clenched, bile rose in my throat, thick and insistent, I was on the verge of choking on my own vomit. This could be how my story ended, it just could be.

The machines behind me became a chaotic mess, making even louder noises than before. The once tenuous hold I assumed I had on my poorly trained mind evaporated quickly. I was back to hearing everything at a surround stereo level.

I heard the footsteps of two people rushing down the hallway like atomic bombs dropping. I screamed. Overwhelmed wasn’t even a word I use. Death had to be quicker and better than this agony.

Breath, little sister, in through your nose, out through your mouth, help is on the way. The voice whispered. The smoothing note helped calm me as two nurses entered the room with haste, a tall, dark tattooed handsome guy and a petite middle age lady, who could be my mother. Stopping the machines, immediately the male nurse began the arduous task of pulling the long thick tube agonizingly slow from my aching throat. Tears leaked out of my eyes as I struggled to breathe. I gasped as the end of the tube was pulled free, taking in large gulps of precious air.

“Take a deep breath honey, you’re doing great,” the tattoo-wearing hunk said, patting me on the back, as I coughed, a low growled echoed inside my head, suddenly the male nurse snatched his hand away as if burnt by fire. Horror entered his eyes, strangely surveying me, holding his right hand protectively against his chest. I stared back at him with wide-eyed innocence.

Did I miss something my face said? He quizzically laughed, then turned away. That was weird.

“Rose, bring some water.” He barked to the middle age petite blond with grey sprinkled at the corners of her lackluster wheat blonde hair, who I assumed to be Rose, quickly sprang into action, rushing out of the room to do his bidding.

I notice they were both dressed in blue scrubs, although Mr handsome wore his a lot differently from Rose. Quite frankly, his physique was impressive. I never knew male nurses worked out. Considering my limited knowledge, I should be surprised.

Mr handsome gifted me with a cocky smirk when he caught me looking at him, embarrassed I glanced away.

He is a very handsome male little sister, but he is not our mate, the voice inside my head whispered.

Who are you, I whispered back?

I am the part of you that has been hidden, your inner warrior, who will keep you safe.

Huh, this was nuts I was having an internal monologue with myself. Get a grip Charlie, no wonder they restrained me like a crazy person. They probably heard me arguing with myself.

Clearly, I was losing my shit. A soft giggle in my head confirmed it. The soft, willowy voice singsonged.

No sister, you are not crazy, just changed. What did that say, yeah I was definitely losing my mind.

A moment later Rose entered the room holding a plastic blue cup with a striped green and white straw. Carefully Mr handsome took the cup and held it tenderly to my lips.  A few sips were all my sore throat could endure, after the huge sip, I shook my head indicating no more. He held my eyes for several seconds until I relented and took one more sip and only then did he rest the cup next to the bed on a small side table.

“Wh---Wh—” exasperated with the efforts I give up trying to speak, instead I eyed my wrist then peer up at him. 

“Your wrist,” he asked.

I nodded in agreement. He smiled when I confirmed his assessment.

“That’s for your safety. We restrain all our new patients for their own safety until we can assess that they are not a danger to themselves or others.”

I frowned. I was confused. What did he mean, to my knowledge, only psychiatric patients were treated this way? A few months ago, Maria Sanchez, a student at my school, overdosed on oxy. This led to an investigation by the Principal Mr. Michaels, who discovered students were being sold over-the-counter pills at house parties.

Mr.Stork, the psychiatrist at my school, suggested the entire senior class help at the local hospital in the psych ward to see the dangers of substance abuse. I heard he told the principal it was the only thing to shake the students into understanding and compliance. I guess it worked there were no other reports when the students came back after the summer.

But I wasn’t in a psych ward, so why was I being restrained like this. Not like I could ask any of this. My throat ached more than it did before. I sigh. To hell with it, I thought. I had to try, even if it hurt like hell.

“Wh—Why,” I smile in relief when I completed the word.

The male nurse didn’t return my smile this time. He frowned instead. My smile instantly fell.

“When they brought you into the emergency room after your accident, you were saying a wolf save you from hunters. Basically, you were in shock and making no sense. I shouldn’t be telling you any of this, but fuck it. Sorry, excuse my language.”

I rolled my eyes at his apology; he give me a genuine smile then continued.

“Ok, I get it sassy pants. Well, when the two highway patrol officers discovered your R. V parked near a national forest for endangered wolves they alerted the park police of your disappearance, your family was apparently camping in an area where extinct wolves lived and are forbidden to tourists.”

My eyes widened what the hell was he talking about, that couldn’t be.

“Wh—Where.”

“Colorado mountains.” He said nonchalantly. I stared dubiously. I closed my eyes, trying to recall anything. No memory emerged I was completely in the dark.

I opened my eyes valiantly trying to digest what I just heard, nothing made sense why would we camp in such a remote place. Could it have been my idea I know I was the only one fascinated with the wilderness, particularly the Colorado mountains, but my parents always said no, did I somehow convince them to go this time, no that seemed ridiculous?

My mom was right I really did have an overactive imagination at times. Then the realization hit me, my family.

Paralyzed by fear I jolted upright “Mom, Dad, the boys oh god, where is my family,” I croaked, fear overriding my aching throat. For the first time, I felt my fingers moved, when I glance at my wrist, the bandaged straps were broken. I must have thorn them somehow in my haste. Mr handsome saw where my eyes were staring at the broken straps. He gulped. Immediately he caught my hand in his, twisting it, checking it as though he expected it to produce some poisonous substance or a weapon to explain my escape.

“How did you do that,” he thundered, indignation filling his eyes.

I yanked my hand away and sank back from the anger clouding his eyes. Not that I had far to go my head and feet were literally tied me to the soft lumpy mattress. I was taken aback by his anger. I had done nothing wrong, yet his demeanor had morphed from downright pleasant to outrage in a heartbeat, all because I unknowingly tore my bandages.

“Sweety you need to relax,” Mr handsome said as he placatingly placed a gentle hand on my shoulders, preventing me from moving, my wrist still clutched in his big rough hands. I stared at his gentle, almost reverent voice. Thunderstruck, what the hell did I just imagined his behavior a few minutes ago. I swallowed the thick lump that gathered in my throat as real fear struck a chord in my heart. Something was wrong.

“You don’t understand I have to find my parents and brothers. I need to know they are ok.”

“How about you stay here and I will find out where they are, deal,” He said. His eyes sparkling with glee, as my eyelids became heavy, I couldn’t be tired so soon could I, the corner of my eye I saw Rose with an empty syringe, she was placing my nightgown back in place, I hadn't even felt the needle as it penetrated my skin.

“Ok.”  I slurred as darkness took me, prisoner, yet again.