Page 89 of All Your Tomorrows
“Don’t forget,” he continued. “When she comes to, don’t bombard her with too much information. There’s plenty of time to get information from her and give information to her.”
What does that mean? What information do I have? And what information do they have?
Sleep pulled me back under and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
* * *
“Nora?” a woman said. “Are you awake?”
My eyes cracked, but the light was too bright and they quickly snapped shut. I wanted to ask where I was, but my cotton mouth prevented me from speaking.
“You’ve had a lot of visitors wanting to see you,” she continued. “So many people love you.”
Her voice echoed as if distant, but I knew she was nearby. I tried to turn my head, but it was a weight that I couldn’t quite lift.
“Oh, honey. Don’t try to move,” she said. “I’ll go get the doctor.”
I had no clue if the doctor ever arrived because sleep pulled me back under, and I didn’t even try to fight it.
* * *
I opened my eyes, an easier feat now that darkness surrounded me. My eyes shifted slowly around me. I was in a hospital room. I was in a bed attached to wires and tubes. Machines beeped around me. “Hello?” I whispered since it was all I could manage.
No one responded.
“Kyler?” I tried again.
Silence.
“Are you here?” I asked.
Silence.
For the first time since he walked into the café, I couldn’t feel his presence. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.
My heart monitor accelerated, mirroring the pounding in my chest.
A nurse burst into the room, bringing a gust of air and blinding light from the hallway that caused my eyes to squeeze nearly shut. “Nora?”
“Why am I here?” I asked.
“You need to calm down,” she said. “Your heart rate is accelerated.” She pushed something into the IV that I now realized was in the back of my hand. The heart monitor slowed along with my racing heart. “You’ve been through a lot. You need to keep your heart rate normal. We don’t want you to overexert yourself.”
“Where’s my mom?” I asked.
“It’s three in the morning,” she informed me. “I’m sure she’ll be back in the morning like she has been every day this week.”
“Week?” I croaked.
“Get some rest. We’ll explain everything in the morning,” she said, before walking out of my room and closing me in the darkness once again.
I turned my head to the side where I saw my phone and a cup of water on the nearby table. Using all the strength I could gather, I reached over and slipped my phone off the table. A pain throbbed in the center of my chest. I pressed my other hand over the spot, feeling a bandage beneath my hospital gown. I pointed my phone at my face and it powered on, lighting up the dark room and causing me to squint.
Texts from Izzy, Daci, Rick, and Zoe filled my screen. All asking how I was. All asking me to call when I felt up to it.
What the hell had happened?
And where was Kyler?