ENTRY # 06

ARIA

I woke up, yet again, like my entire body was doused in freezing water.

Just how many times would I wake up in this damn place?!

This time, though, the surroundings seemed very familiar. White and beige painted ceilings and walls, the sounds of life support machines beeping nearby; I felt myself unable to move as I seemed to be restricted by a bunch of bandages, cement, and tubes from the hospital trying to keep me alive.

I groaned as I tried to get the feeling of my limbs back. Strangely enough, every part of me felt okay. I didn't feel like I'd been burned half to death and crushed under rubble like my appearance portrays. I wiggled my fingers and toes from their casts and splints, and they worked perfectly fine for me.

I reached beside me, where the reclining button on the bed was, and pressed it. As I started moving up, I saw three more hospital beds in the same room—just divided by curtains. Like me, my friends were also inclined, conscious, and were exchanging shocked expressions.

Their injuries were the same as my earlier...dream? Nightmare? Delusion? And unlike them, my body seemed to be in a perfect good situation because I was the only one not moaning in pain.

I opened my mouth; no voice came out. I cleared my throat and tried again, sounded a bit hoarse but otherwise okay. "Wow. That was intense."

Teagan, on the bed beside me, groaned, "Oh, for god's sake."

"Am I crazy or did I just get hit by a plant by Carter raging out at me like some kind of Juggernaut mutant?" I asked.

"Nope," Carter answered, sheepish. "I can confirm that's exactly what happened. Sorry about that."

"Where are we now? Weren't we just in some kind of constitutionalized garden of sorts?"

Across from me, Austin attempted to move his head and groaned. "Guys...every part of me hurts like hell."

Teagan lets out a cough, "That's what I thought too as well. I just woke up early enough to catch a glimpse of what seems to be a significant hint that my sanity has finally buried itself underground."

"What'd you see?"

"Some kind of power? I know that sounds crazy, but it looked like the one I saw on Carter where he looked like he teleported before he did..." Teagan paused, shooting Carter a look. "You know, the thing."

"You mean the blue aura-like thingy?"

"Yes. But this one was a different color. It was crimson. Dark red, kind of reminded me of blood"

"Can somebody up my morphine?" Austin butted in and whined, "I'm like really hurting right now."

Carter groaned as he lifted himself up from the mattress and awkwardly shuffled towards Austin, "Here you go, man. Does that feel alright?" he asked as he adjusted the line.

"Oh yes, much better. Thanks dude."

"Guys," I cut in. "No one still answered how the hell we ended up in the hospital."

"Truth to be told, I have no idea," Teagan answered.

"Great." I muttered, "I guess our next stop is a mental institution. Does anyone else develop mutant powers like that guy who bashed my head in?"

"Hey! Wasn't the whole thing just an accident?" Carter exclaimed, "Even I had no idea what came over me! I'm not that aggressive, you know that. Hurting women is against my principles!"

I snorted, "Yeah right. Evidence begs to differ."

"Guys, just shut up!" Teagan shouted, throwing us a glare. "Both of you!"

Her scolding, as always, worked like a treat. We both clammed up at once.

Although, in that silence, I managed to remember what I thought I forgot the moment I woke up. That person wasn't there in that strange place, nor in the hospital room that we shared.

"Hang on, where's Livia?" I said. It was not until I voiced out the words that realization hit me. The same goes for the others, it seems.

The moment the words left my lips, our eyes widened in panic. Why did I just remember her now? I racked my brain for possible answers only to meet my own horror. I think I just forgot that I had a little sister. What on earth just happened?

I reached beside the bed, grabbed the remote and pressed the button which I think was the one to press when you call for a nurse.

A moment later, we all heard a rather huge commotion from the hallway behind the closed door before it burst open. More than five doctors and quite a number of nurses came flooding into the room—all wearing the same anxious expressions.

"Oh my god!" One of the doctors exclaimed. "It's a miracle!"

"Impossible!"

They came towards us like a huge wave. One by one, they began asking us a series of questions all while checking our vitals, collecting blood samples and the like. Afterwards, they began hauling us out of the room and straight towards the labs for all sorts of radiation scanning and more checkups.

It was no question that everyone of us were all confused by the sudden frantic attention. A few of the nurses seemed to have called our parents and some detectives because they were the ones who were next to come crashing. And for some reasons that none of us four knew, the news reporters had heard of the news and were now filing the entrance of the hospital demanding access.

My mother rushed towards me, crushing me with a tight hug as her tears released like a dam.

"Mom," I said, patting her arm gently to get her attention. "Mom?"

She sniffed and wiped her cheek, "Yes, sweetheart?"

"What's going on? Why is everyone being weird?"

"Oh! They were fussing because they couldn't believe you woke up, they all found you alive and breathing despite the fire and the meteor disaster that hit your cabin." She replied. "They hauled you into the hospital for immediate attention, all of you were in a coma for a year and they thought you were as good as dead!"

"What?!" I shrieked in disbelief, "A year? We were out for a year?!"

"Yes, dear." Once again, she enveloped me in a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, my baby! I thought you'd never wake up!"

"But Mom," I said, pulling her off. "Where's Liv? Is she in a separate room from us?"

"What?"

"Liv," I said again. "Where is she?"

My mother's brows furrowed in confusion, "Honey, what are you talking about? Who's Liv?"

We were both silent for a moment. I let out a laugh, "Come on, Mom! Why are you kidding around? I'm talking about Livia! You know, my sister...your youngest daughter."

"I'm being serious, Aria. What are you talking about? Who's Livia?"