She’s trying to tell me something. She’s disappearing, the brightness taking over, washing out her face, her lips. She’s speaking fast, but there’s no sound. No words. I have so much to ask her. I have so many questions. But I can’t talk. There’s nothing here. No sound. No pain.
“Ange. Ange.”
I’m being torn away. The pull overwhelms me, tearing at my ribs, my legs. No. Please.
“Can you hear me?”
I like the emptiness. Let me stay. Just a little while longer. The brightness is gone now. Cold bombards my skin, seeping into my blood. I’m aware of my hands. They’re shaking.
“Ange. That’s it. Come on.”
Through the blinding haze, there are shadows, and through these shadows, there is Jackson. He’s gently resting his hand on my neck, feeling my pulse. There’s genuine concern in his eyes.
Blinking a few times, I feel the solid, hard linoleum floor on my back. I’m in the bathroom again. Jackson breathes deeply. “Man, Ange. I swear…” His voice trails off.
Beth and Elliot appear beside him. Rough paper scratches the skin under my nose. Beth presses toilet paper to my nostrils, trying to stem the bleeding.
The bleeding. I’m bleeding. Slowly, I sit up.
Elliot places a hand on my back for support. “Careful,” Elliot says.
“Here,” Beth says, handing me another wad of tissues. I struggle to get my bearings as Jackson studies me.
“What happened?” he asks.
I try to stand taller so everyone won’t look so worried, but the room keeps spinning.
“You need to sit down?” Jackson asks.
“I’m…”
Jackson cracks his knuckles. He nods to Elliot. “So, what is this? Don’t keep us in the dark. She was on the ground. Hardly breathing.”
Elliot thinks about this, then he shrugs. “Said she heard something. And then she just…I don’t know. Cashed out.”
“I’m okay,” I say, wobbling on my feet. Elliot catches me, and our eyes lock for a fleeting moment.
“Look,” Elliot says. “Maybe we should come back another time.”
“She said she’s fine,” Jackson says.
“She just passed out,” Elliot counters.
Jackson doesn’t say anything.
“Just got a little woozy,” I say. “When I saw my own blood. Seriously. I’m okay.” I force a smile. Although I know Jackson doesn’t believe me for a second, he still claps his hands, ready for business.
“Okay. Good,” Jackson says. “Let’s get back to it then.”
“We should talk about this,” Elliot replies.
“She said she’s fine.” With one last look to me, Jackson disappears out the door. Beth hesitates like she’s going to say something, but then stops herself. “You know he loves you, right?”
I shrug. “Sure.”
She takes in my standoffish stance and then follows Jackson out the door.