Chapter 11- Eyes Wide Shut

STOP!!! THIS IS PART 2 OF A SPLIT CHAPTER WITH ARIA RAPTURES 100 BABY CHALLENGE.
PLEASE READ PART 1 HERE FIRST:http://rapture100baby.blogspot.com/2013/04/33-only-if-for-night.html?zx=bc48669ed071452e

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Beep… Beep... Beep... A noise was going off in the distance. Slow. Rhythmic. Sounds of feet moving about came into my hearing.  

‘Shit’ I thought to myself. ‘The kids are up I must have over slept. I have to get out of bed. Have to open my eyes.’

Why did my eyes feel so heavy? It was as if my eyelashes had been glued together making sure no real light could pass them. My limbs felt like cinderblocks as I willed myself to move my arm so I could rub the sleep from my face. They wouldn’t budge. My nose filled with sterile scents of too much cleaner. Voices were now becoming clearer and all at once I could hear the sniffles of someone nearby. Where the hell was I… I was not home in bed. 

Visions of a knife flashed through my mind and my eyes flew open as I sat up and tried to scream. Nothing came, instead I choked and gagged. My eyes wide open in panic as people rushed in around me laying me back down. Tubes and needles were passed back and forth and I heard the voice of my sister begging to know what was going on. 

Lights out once again.

I had been in the hospital a few days now. Aria was there any time my eyes were open, which had never been very long, I wondered if she had been sleeping at all. 

“Ar” My voice came out hushed and croaked. “Why am I here?” I said wincing as a pain shot through my neck. Had I been in a car accident, why was that hurting?

I watched as tears immediately filled my sisters pink eyes once again. The look on her face grew distant just for a moment and in that moment I knew she had debated how much to tell me, how much she thought I would be able to handle. 

“Your kids are fine firstly.” She said knowing I would worry about them. “There… well… someone tried very hard to hurt you Mila. Your throat was slashed and you lost a lot of blood.” She paused as Carter entered the room and placed his hand on her shoulder. His other hand found mine for a moment and gave it a soft squeeze. He leaned down and whispered something into Aria’s ear and she nodded her head. It was funny to see him in his uniform, Mr. Police officer. I had witnessed him in it before but this time just seemed funnier than normal. Maybe it was the meds.

“You have been in the hospital for a few days now and they were able to put stitches in and replace the blood loss. You have been on strong antibiotics.” She said as a few tears slipped over her bottom eyelid and stained her cheeks. She seemed so oddly composed. It was as if she had almost practiced what she would say, was I really that fragile… what happened that was so bad that I was unable to know the whole truth right now.

My head swam with information and my eyes grew heavy again.

“I am going to rest for a minute Ar…. I love you.” My voice was but a whisper. 

The last thing I heard before I finally drifted off was Carter saying a police officer would be by later on to take my statement. 

The nurses helped me into a sitting position as I waited for the officer to enter the room. I had finally asked them for a mirror so I could see the damage that had been done. A nasty red line covered my neck from one end to the other and I bit back tears. Pulling my blanket up to hide myself I looked to the door as the officer came in.

“Mila Autumn?” He asked his tone professional as he looked from his note pad to meet my eyes. Intriguing eyes is what he had, blue with violet tones to them. I lowered my gaze from his. 

“I am office Night and I need to ask you a few questions if you are up to it.”

I nodded towards him letting him know I would

“Can you please tell me what happened that night that you were attacked? As much information as you can remember?” He asked his pen in hand ready to write. “Take your time.” He added softly as he watched my face crinkle in thought. 

“Rene! Wait up.” I heard one of the nurses yell to another as she ran down the hallway. 

A chill ran down my spine and my breath caught in my throat causing me to drop the blanket I had clutched to myself. 

What seemed like hours passed in a matter of seconds as that whole day made its way back to me… each detail. 

“I remember…” I whispered

It was a sunny day in Riverview. Aria and I had found out some time ago that we had another sister. I did not like her at first nor had I done anything to help our relationship. I did not trust her and there was just something so off about her. Aria had begged me a few times to give her a chance that maybe having another sister was not so bad after all. 

I had been in Riverview already when I received a call from Rene asking if I wanted to hang out. I had blown her off a few times before and I could almost hear Aria in my head telling me to go. I agreed and we decided on grabbing lunch and a movie and then having a drink at her place. 

I had just gone through picking a donor and the process of becoming pregnant. I was only a month away from popping and I knew this trip was cutting it close to what doctors found to be safe to fly. I closed my phone and took in the park that surrounded me. 

Later that afternoon I drove to meet Rene at the restaurant she recommended and found her waiting. Her smile beaming and I made my face contort into one of its own. Mindless chit chat of how life was going and how my challenge was going were talked about. We played bouts of 20 questions as I attempted to get to know this girl who was related to me. An eerie feeling stayed with me the whole time. After a filling lunch we walked the short distance to the movie theater and bought tickets to see “Olympus Has Fallen.” I was glad to know I would not be dragged into a girly chick flick like I would have with Aria. I gave her shit for it but that was my sister, the hopeless romantic. 

I followed Rene to her house after the movie let out. Glad to be away from her for the car ride. She had asked so many questions. Questions about Aria and I. Lots about Aria. I half wondered why she did not ask Aria herself, maybe she was trying to see a sister’s perspective as well. I shook my head, trying to remember I was giving her a chance. 

Her house surprised me, I was not sure what I had expected when I walked inside but something definitely shocked me. I stood for a moment just taking it all in. Then I was grabbed from behind.

I slowly fazed back into the hospital room, I knew I had been talking but I also knew I had not entirely been there as I spoke. I looked over to find Officer Night waiting for me to continue. My hand reached for my neck as it hit the light bandage the nurse had put on after showing me the wound. 

“Rene grabbed me and I felt something cold pressed against my throat and a slight pain. She moved me from the door into her living room as she finished sliding the blade across my throat… she left me there to die.”

A tissue was being handed to me by the officer and I started to wipe up tears I did not know had fallen. 

Pain started in my swollen stomach and I let out a small scream. I knew my babies were not going to make it to term. 

The officer yelled for the doctor as I felt wetness around me. Labor was upon us.

Back at home, a place away from Riverview but also away from my family I settled in with my 4 new bundles of joy. A scarf was my friend around my children as I did not want to scare them. I was surprised when I had the quads to find out the father must have had green skin. I had 2 green skinned babies. My amazing babies who made it through with their mom. They kept me occupied in times when I needed it most. Food had become unappealing to me but I ate what little they tried to feed me when I sat to feed each of them. Sleep was another story, I was not sure if I would ever sleep again… I did not feel safe. 

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