8

Recovery process

I shot up.
It was a nightmare. I'm okay.
That felt so realistic, I could still hear her panicked breathing, the howls. I could still see the blood, her tears. The sheets beside me rustled as Aurel stirred.
"May, what's wrong?" Her low voice was sleepy and slow, but laced with concern. I turned to her and smiled, trying to play it off.
"No, nothing. I had a bad dream, that's all. Don't worry." I couldn't stop thinking of the blood. It was there now. I could feel it.
"It can't have been just a bad dream. You're bleeding."
I reached up to touch my forehead, where I thought I could feel the blood. My hairline was damp and sticky, my hair clumped together. My fingers came back stained red.
"Come on, get up. We need to see how bad your head is," her voice had become careful, she was business like. I was vaguely aware of Aurel pulling me up and taking me to the community bathroom. I hazily remember her sitting me down on one of the stools by the mirror and dabbing gingerly at my head, my neck, my arms and even my collarbones. I was too busy remembering the girl. I had her blood on me, I had the same marks. Was I involved? Had the stress of moving made me sleepwalk?
We returned to her bed and I lay there staring at the ceiling as Aurel woke Skye. They both came over to Aurel's bed, Skye crouched down so her head was resting on her arms next to my face while Aurel climbed back into bed. She was whispering to me, things I didn't hear. Skye slapped me.
"Skye! She's a person!"
"She's in shock, it's how you help them."
At the time, I never picked up their strange wording but now, I know I should've realised. Aurel nudged me gently.
"May, are you listening?"
I nodded.
"You're going to go back to sleep now, just forget about this. It doesn't matter." Her voice was soothing but her words made no sense. Just forget? I woke up covered in blood.
She started humming gently and pulled the covers up to my neck. I felt two hands on my head, Aurel's stroking my hair and Skye had her hand on my forehead. The skin under her hand went ice cold, so cold it burned. She muttered one word.
"Somnium."
Aurel pulled me closer, her arms were warm and I soon fell asleep.