Alex's Revenge Chapter two

A few days later Alex wakes up dazed and confused, the bright lights and white walls making her already blurry vision worse. After rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she looks around and notices she’s no longer at the base, but in a hospital. With what little strength she has, she presses the nurse call button and waits, drifting in and out of consciousness.

Alex barely hears the door open, her eyes fluttering open as her head turns towards the noise. The nurse speaks, but his voice simply echoes in the background as if she is back on the battlefield, guns firing off all around her. She stares at his mouth hoping to make out the words, but the tunnel vision hasn’t faded, her body still coming out of the coma.

Alex tries to muster all of her energy into talking, but something is preventing her. It’s like her throat has closed up, and she can’t move her tongue or even her mouth at all. She quickly realizes that she has a tube obstructing the words from coming out.

She manages to point towards it, the nurse now understanding her confusion, and calls for the doctor. Within minutes the doctor walks into the room holding Alex’s chart just like in every doctor show she’s ever seen.

After much deliberation the doctor decides Alex’s condition has improved enough to remove the intubation tube. Once it’s out Alex manages to force out a few rough sounding words, “doc, how bad?”

She smiles softly before replying “well now that you’re awake and the tube is out, you’re going to be just fine.”

Alex nods understandingly, not wanting to speak more than she absolutely has to. Seconds after the doctor walks out Alex’s right hand wanders up to her left shoulder, her fingertips brushing a bit hard against her bandage covered wound. She hisses in agony, the injury being more painful than she expected.

Her eyes close as she tries to will the pain away, but she sees his face instead, which causes a different kind of pain. He’s laughing at her pain, at the injury he inflicted upon her. She can’t force herself to open her eyes. She’s stuck staring at him, at his amused smirk, at his dark soulless eyes. She’s trapped watching herself get stabbed over and over, unable to do anything about it.

Back in the real world Alex’s heart rate monitor begins spiking, as the nightmare continues on loop. Her nurse rushes in to see what is causing such a significant spike. He sees her body semi-violently shaking as sweat drips from her forehead, knuckles white from gripping the sheets much too hard. As soon as he touches Alex’s arm her eyes burst wide open, her breathing harsh and rapid.

She thanks him quietly, as her palms press against her eyes trying to rub the image of Abdullah’s face from her vision. Before she even has a chance to think there is a knock at the door. Her hands drop down as she glances towards the doorway. Alex smiles seeing not only her team but her family as well.

For a while she is able to be distracted from his face and the pain. For a while she is able to just be herself again as if she isn’t in the hospital. She likes the way being able to laugh at stupid jokes feels even if the movements pull at her stitches and cause discomfort. Everyone just simply being there, keeping her company and talking amongst themselves soothes her mind, body, and soul.

Hours go by, and yet no one has left. Everyone seems a bit scared to leave, afraid of what could happen if they do. Alex reassures them that she is fine, but they stay firm on not leaving for more than a few minutes at a time. She isn’t even sure who seems more anxious, her mom or T.J.

Days go by and Alex is finally feeling the effects of the coma wearing off. She is now able to get up and walk around without almost collapsing. She is even having meetings with a physical therapist to set up a workout plan for her to be able to use her arm the way she used to. The only problem is she still sees his face, he follows her throughout the hospital, lingers in the background when she is distracted just waiting for her to be alone or asleep.

Alex wishes she could sleep without seeing his face, without the nightmares, without the emotional pain of what his eyes do to her, but she can’t manage to get rid of any of it. She refuses to tell anyone though. She knows they will make a bigger deal out of it than it is. She knows that it’s her battle to fight.

After a week in the hospital Alex feels like she is going crazy. Nothing to do but wander around and watch crappy T.V. Luckily both her doctor and Physical Therapist agree she is ready to start light work on her shoulder. She is able to lift the three and five pound weights with only minimal pain, and tries to talk her physical therapist into letting her lift the heavier weights.

            Another week goes by and Alex has been informed she is being discharged the next morning. She is doing well with her exercises and as long as she checks in every couple of weeks she is allowed to do the workouts from home. Alex is thrilled to finally be getting out of there.

            “I have a surprise for you,” Alex’s mom says, as soon as the doc leaves the room.

            “And that is?” Alex says with a real smile on her face.

            “Well we aren’t going home, we are going to South Carolina for a party,” her mom replies. Alex attention is now caught with intrigue. She waits patiently for her mom to continue.

            “Well I’ve been talking with Lucy and we’ve decide to throw you and your team a welcome home party, but none of the guests know that’s what it’s for, we have everything all set up and ready to go,” Alison finishes.

            Alex practically tackles her mom in a hug, repeatedly saying thank you. Alison just laughs at her daughter’s enthusiasm, happy to see she is feeling better emotionally too. Alex is practically bouncing off the walls with excitement, ready to leave the mission behind. She just has one more thing to get rid of, Abdullah. She can hear him laughing in the background as her mom and her discuss all the party details.

“Do you think I’m that easy to get rid of Alex dear?” he asks in his native tongue.

Part of her wishes she couldn’t speak Arabic fluently, then maybe she could easily ignore him. If she couldn’t understand him, then how would she be able to focus on him? He would just simply go away. At least that’s what she likes to tell herself. She’s not fully sure it would be that easy though.

            The next day they are headed back to South Carolina, back to something sane, back to before everything became a nightmare. Well at least that what Alex hopes. It doesn’t quite work out that way though. On the flight down to Charleston whenever Alex glances out the window she sees him sitting on the wing of the plane, along for the ride.

            Looking in the bathroom mirror of the hotel room, Alex debates if she should wear something over her tank top, unsure if she wants people to know about her wound or not. Shaking her head she grabs a button up from the suitcase that lays open on her bed, and heads out the door, putting it on as she walks down the hall.

            Once downstairs she leans against the wall just outside the ballroom doors, waiting for her cue to enter. She quickly becomes nervous, thinking back to how she left in such a rush, hoping this time she can just enjoy the night. Just as her thoughts begin to consume her, Alex hears Lucy talking about someone who hasn’t arrived yet.

            Smirking a bit, Alex turns and opens both doors and walks in as if she owns the place. Looking at the crowd on her right, she can see the shock, relief, and excitement on their faces. She scans the sea of people looking for one certain boy, their eyes quickly locking on one another’s. Chase hurries over to her, instantly kissing her, his arms pulling her as close as possible.

            “I told you I would come back to you,” Alex whispers, as they break from the kiss.

Chase simply responds with a smile, pulling her towards the dance floor just as the music starts. They dance for what seems like hours, but is really only forty minutes before finally taking a break.

            Chase heads off to get drinks, as Lucy walks up behind Alex and asks, “have you told him yet?”

            Alex shakes her head no and sighs before responding, “He’ll freak if he finds out I almost died, I just want to enjoy tonight, and not worry about that.”

            Lucy nods understandingly, before walking off to dance with Andrew. Alex heads over to sit her with her mom thanking her again for making tonight happen.

            Alison smiles and laughs a bit. “Well I can tell Chase and you are both clearly enjoying yourselves,” She teases, watching her daughter smile happily.

            “You’re right about that one,” Alex says unable to stop the grin from forming.

            Alex looks towards the dance floor to see her brother and his girlfriend dancing away, laughing at whatever stupid joke her brother just told. She points it out to her mom, grabbing her camera from the table to quickly capture the cute moment. Alex sighs contently, happy to be with everyone, happy to finally relax. In the back of her mind though she wonders how long this will last before she is off on another mission.

            Chase comes back and sits behind Alex, setting her drink down next to her. He leans forward and whispers in her ear, “I’m so glad you’re back.” Alex turns her head and smiles at Chase, kissing his cheek.

            Just as Alex thinks everything is back to normal, her phone starts ringing, the caller I.D. showing her commanding officer’s name. Her breathing hitches in her throat as she mumbles something about being right back.

            Alex heads for the hallway, answering the phone, hoping for anything but bad news. As her commanding officer informs her of what they have received in her name, her body practically falls against the wall, her mind not thinking enough to catch it.

            After hanging up, Alex turns pressing her palms against the wall. Before she has time to think, she brings her right arm back and throws it forward at full force. The impact with the wall causes her knuckles to bleed. She doesn’t care about that right now though. She has much more serious matters to deal with.

            As she heads back into the ballroom, blood drips from her fingertips. Walking right up to the mic, she asks for her team to meet her in the hall, her voice sounding strained. Everyone in the room notices the blood, but doesn’t mention it yet.