Abigail
It took just one whiff of antiseptic and I knew I was in a hospital. That was enough to make my eyelids fly open.
There was the low persistent beeping of a monitor, distant voices, and the soft squeak of shoes on the floor.
My eyes swept the white ceiling as I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what the hell I was doing here, and then the pain arrived all at once — horrible and total.
Oh my god, who set me on fire? My ribs, my shoulder, and the side of my head were screaming.
I turned my head slightly and found Annette half out of the chair beside my bed, her eyes red-rimmed and enormous.
"You absolute menace," she whispered and wailed at the same time, snatching my hand with both of hers. "Do you know how long you've been out? Do you have any idea—"
Her voice broke and she pressed my hand against her cheek.
"Hey," I rasped. My throat felt like sandpaper. "Don't cry. You'll ruin your makeup."
