Chapter Fourteen

“She will also experience possible gaps in her memory, but for any patient, the recovery rate is different, so it’s hard to say how she’ll be feeling when she wakes up. But I don’t need to emphasize this, she needs to take it easy. Understand?” Your fingers flexed, looking for anything to grab onto. A warmth filled your palm, you closed your hand around that warmth, letting it seep into your skin. The sensation spread like wildfire as the heat spread. You can feel your cheeks flush, but you refused to let go.

Opening your eyes again you saw Helena from under your lashes. Your right eye was of no use as a bandage covered it. From what you can see, albeit hazy like this was all some form of foggy dream, you watched as Helena turned away to look at the mirror. Her reflection was stricken with pain, her hair was a tumble weave of wayward strands all fighting to escape to somewhere. Helena brought the heel of her palm up to her forehead and squeezed her eyes closed. She looked pained, like she was forcing herself to forget something.

“I’ll be the judge of that. You don’t understand Nel. Not like I do. If I were you she’d better not hear you tell her to take it easy.” She turned with a wide smile, all teeth like a predator. Her weight dipped the bed as she sat next to you, her eyes roaming over your white blanket shield.

“Otherwise she’ll make you know what it feels like to have your testicles shoved down your throat.” Looking back at the Doctor, like a page to a book being torn out, she opened herself to Dr.Lyle.

“I could have lost her, Doc. Really lost her. I was scared and confused.” Helena’s gorgeous blue eyes twinkled with unshed tears as she looked back down at your battered form. “She would be dead right now if she didn’t fight to get a message out. She fought with everything she had and then some. But, I wasn’t there. I couldn’t help her. I feel like I’ve let her down, Doc.” Her voice faded to a mere whisper. It tore at your heart to hear Helena sound so fragile, so vulnerable that the need to hold her and tell her she was by you every step of the way clawed at your rapidly beating heart like a rabid wolverine.

“Helena you’re bleeding.” with your one good eye you looked down at her hand that’s balled up on the bed on her lap. Her knuckles were ghost white, her fingernails digging into her palm as droplets of blood hit the white sheet.

“Thank you, Dr. Lyle, for helping her. Can you give us a moment?” She asks without taking her eyes off of you.

“Of course, I’m glad she’s back. You’re a better person when she’s around.”

Helena scowls, her glare could melt snow caps. “It’s true. I’ll give you two time to yourselves. She’s free to go as soon as she wakes up, but stay close, she might experience sudden fatigue and we don’t want her to blackout, especially after a head injury like that. Just to be safe.” Helena nodded and the good doctor left. The overhead lights were bright, almost too bright that you're glad your unusually long lashes did smother the light somewhat. Cabinets and a counter sat against the walls. The bed you are on is the med bed which is sort of like an incubator. It can transition to place you within a cocoon of nanites that work tirelessly to mend broken bodies. Some beeping machinery echoed somewhere in the room out of sight.

“I know you’re awake. You’re so beautiful, but why the long face?” Helena asked curiously.

You chuckled like a child being caught sneaking around. “Sorry. I’m still loopy, wasn’t all that sure this wasn’t a dream. I’m glad it isn’t.” You whisper.

It feels like it’s been days since your rescue. Ever since Helena rescued you from the Sandarians, you’ve been undergoing tests. From what you’ve gathered you took quite a hit to the head, though you don’t remember that part, you do remember everything else though, such as Helena’s words in the medical bay, while she sat next to you holding your hand. Though you’ve experienced some gaps in your memory, and some were simply fuzzy that needed a better reception, and those slowly cleared up with enough bed rest. It’s like looking at a broken mirror, the image is there but distorted.

Slowly you swing your legs over the edge of the bed. The soft mattress beneath you was made of cotton and was soft like a star cloud. You’re surprised that the medical wing would have such amazingly comfortable beds. Physically you feel fine, better even with the nanites coursing through your blood currently. Ground breaking in the medical field, the pharmaceutical companies managed to develop a healing liquid that they were able to implement with some tech and they found out that they were able to heal grave injuries within a matter of days. Essentially it speeds up the body's natural healing process but also induces it like steroids, increasing your body's ability to heal itself. That’s not the only thing it does though, through the nanites they were able to inject that into the patients blood stream and the nanites would attach themselves to your blood cells and organs, and bones. To everything inside and outside your body like a million baby spiders. Explains why your ribs don’t hurt as much, more like a bad bruise and your breathing is bearable. It doesn’t hurt to take in oxygen, as you take a large gulp of fresh air coming from the units A/C.

“Does it still hurt? I hope you killed whatever did that.” Your hand skates across the nanite bandages secured to your side. The blue nanites line the bandage like an aquarium lit up with the spiders visible within the tubes. Looking down at yourself you realized you’re quite exposed with only your sports bra and shorts. Which does nothing to cover your injuries.

“Had a fracture, but it’s healed now just very bruised.” She says matter of factly.

“Yep, got that part down. Thanks.” You couldn’t refrain from rolling your eyes at the obvious.

“No need to be a smart ass.” Helena tosses a napkin, hitting you square in the face. You sputter trying to swat the offending tissue away. You scowl at Helena’s mile wide smile.

“What was that for?”

“That I’m sure my girl is pretty hungry right about now.” Like a marionette, Helena as the master, your stomach and your heart growl on cue. Embarrassed you wrap your arms around your stomach and look away with heated cheeks. To be fair, it has been awhile since you last ate.

Helena stood close, very close. The scent of her body wash, floral rose with a hint of lavender teased your nostrils. The heat in your cheeks intensified along with traveling to the tip of your ears when you realized you just sniffed your friend.

Helena quirks one finely shaped brow. Her scrumptious looking lips curve at the corners seductively. Her eyes sparkling a vibrant turquoise, like the bluest ocean being greeted by a planet's rising suns.

“Despite everything, you still somehow manage to be as beautiful as the nebulas solar storm.” Her words were nearly breathless.

“God, sometimes I hate you for the things you say.” You try to laugh her words away to avoid further damage to your bones as your heart thumps erratically fast.

Leaning in, a coy smirk playing across her features, “I think you ‘Love’ my cheesiness.”

Swallowing with a now parched throat, you find your words to reply, “You’ll never let me live that down, will you?” She moves towards the medical bay door and waits expectantly.