I push the car door open, immediately hearing more bangs, but I know that these are in my head, so I don’t let them trouble me. I do keep jumping, but I keep strong for Clara’s sake. I drag her with me and we run inside the building.
The lights are so bright I can barely keep my eyes open. It’s a false, bright white light that glares. I guess I’ve been sitting in the dark all day long, so this is odd.
“We made it,” Clara gushes to me. “We’re here, inside.”
“Fuck, now we need to go and find Nova.”
I didn’t even realize how much I’ve pushed my fear about Nova down until I see the reception desk and I realize I’m not far away from finding out the truth. Now, it consumes me. It swallows me up and nearly spits me right back again.
I’m cold, in pain with it, yet somehow, my blood runs burning hot.
“We need to go and find out what room she’s in.”
“I’ll go and ask.” Clara bounds over to the desk, much keener than me.
I rock back and forth awkwardly on my heels, trying to calm my thoughts down. I can’t get too panicky or I won’t be able to handle this. I might be getting the worst news, and need to be able to hold it together if I do.
I will have to get the cops over and then tell them everything. I’ll need all my wits about me then. To get Nova the justice…
“She’s in room twenty-eight.” Clara grabs my hand. “Down the hall.”
“Did they say anything about her condition?”
“We’ll find out in a moment, come on, let’s go.”
Her impatience is confusing. I’m too frightened to see her… I probably wouldn’t if it wasn’t for Clara, so it’s good that she’s here.
“Twenty-eight.” The numbers on the door look huge and daunting. “Here she is.”
Without any more hesitation, Clara pushes the door open. I peer in, not sure what I’m going to see. It isn’t great. Nova is attached to many machines. Too many for words. I don’t like seeing all those wires fastened to her.
She’s breathing, I try to reassure myself. Her heart is beating. Focus on the positives.
Now all I need to do is get her to wake up. Then everything will be okay.
“It looks like surface wounds, doesn’t it? She doesn’t look too hurt.” Clara grabs Nova’s hand. “Oh, and she’s very warm. Feel her.”
I take a tentative step forward and touch her softly, my pulse kicking up a notch as I do. She is warm, that’s good, and I can’t see too much blood which is a plus.
“Wake up, Nova,” I mutter quietly. “Wake up, please.”
“I have a feeling that you’ll be saying that a lot.” Clara glances towards the door. “I might go and find a doctor, see if I can work out what’s going on.”
She’s much more confident in this place, no longer screaming and curled over, prepared to walk about on her own. She might be acting a little manic, but that’s to be expected. I just hope that isn’t a mistake.
“Okay, I’ll wait here, but please don’t be late.”
Once she goes I stare at Nova with a heaviness in my heart. Seeing her like this is horrible. Knowing that she’s had such a hard life so far and that she doesn’t deserve any of it kills me.
“Wake up, Nova. Then we can fight him. Together.”
21
Nova
It’s white and too bright. It’s very painful, burning my retinas. I want to wake up like everyone keeps telling me to, but how the hell can I do that when my eyes can’t hack it?
Come on, I try to convince myself. Power through it, there is so much to fight for.