Caldiria chapter 5 preview

Veredel awoke to a blinding light above her and a stabbing pain in her mind. Countless voices filled her head, threating to suffocate her. “Where am I?

“My leg! I can’t lose my leg!”

“I need to get back there and see my son now!”

The voices and pain kept coming and coming. Veredel lost herself in the unrelenting tide. She screamed, clawing at her head. The light above her head flickered for a moment. She could then faintly hear voices, real voices, as strong arms pulled her hands from her head.

“Get her restrained before she hurts herself.” Two strong male nurses pulled her arms down as a third female stood at what appeared to be the foot of a bed preparing a needle. Veredel caught a quick look at them before she started thrashing her head, trying to deal with the pain in her skull.

“Keep her down and give her the sedative. We can’t waste time here.” Veredel felt a sharp poke in her arm. Then all her pain faded away, and more importantly the voices started to quiet in her mind. She took a few deep breaths; she had never felt pain like that in her life.

“Thank yo…” Veredel stopped herself as she noticed the nurses were already gone, leaving her alone. Where are they off to in such a hurry? They didn’t even bother to take my vitals. She looked around the room. It was small, the bed she was in taking up over half the space.  At the foot of her bed a screen divided her room from what she assumed was the rest of the hospital. Next to her bed an IV drip tube that connected to arm. For the first time she also saw the bandages on her shoulder as if for the first time.

What happened to me? As soon as she asked the question the memories ebbed back into her mind. Sean, he had shot her father, and then her. Though highly sedated, she could feel the pain of her little brother shooting her all over again. How could he do such a thing?