34. Captive
Louis
The strange sound of music playing in the background filtered through the haze of my mind. I know that I’m awake, but my eyes won’t open, and there is a phantom weight pressing onto my body as I try to move.
An incessant beat continued to drum on my side, but the familiar sound brought me back to the hospital. The same sound that monitored my brother’s heart lulled me to a sense of security. Am I with him? Is he awake now?
My eyes peeled open. The harsh light of the room blinded me, my hands felt for my brother’s hand on the blanket, but I only felt the mound of my stomach. No small hand under or over the sheets. No small body on the bed.
I blinked. My sight focused on the brown tapered ceilings and the unfamiliar room. There is a slight smell of chlorine with a head
