Tangled In Strings

Chapter Twenty-One

Thankfully, the doctor is more forceful, grabbing my atrophied limbs, urging me to the closest chair. Tears pour down my face, hoarse, shallow gasps coming from my throat, which is set on fire, burned by the lack of oxygen.

I can't see anymore. I hear her urges, her demands, although she sounds miles away.

"Scarlett. Place your head between your legs, breathe. Listen to my voice. Anne! Anne, come here!"

My head swells, and I realize blindly after a few moments that it's because I've done as she's told me to do, and my head is hanging. Her hand is on my back, rubbing hard in wide circles.

"That's right. Concentrate. Ground yourself to something. Your shoes."

"I-I can't," I hear myself finally say, through hysterics. The sound of my voice is a relief, for it makes me believe I'm not actually going to suffocate. A door slams open.

"What? What is it? Oh, shit. What happened to her?"

"Nothing. We've got it under control." I hear her saying something else about the cabinet but my ears drown out the rest. Her hands leave me but return moments later, urging me to sit up. I grip the sides of the chair with all my might as I try to regain control of my lungs, praying I don't pass out.

"Here. Take this."

She places a pill in my hand, covering it with my fingers so I won't fling it across the room. I don't even question her. I don't wonder how the hell I'm going to swallow it. I take back the pill, doing my best to urge it down my throat. When I think it's down, I go back to my original position, relieved when I am able to take my first clear breath in minutes. It's a process, and I'm not sure how long I sit in one place, but when I finally have the strength to open my eyes, I can see again.

I can't move, too weak to but I can see.

I blink a few times at the cold, sterile ground, as uneasiness drifts through my cold veins. One of my shoes is in the corner of the room. I must have not felt it come off. I sit up slowly, stunned by how calm I feel. And then I remember taking the pill.

I wonder what it was. Probably a valium or Xanax.

My eyes swivel around the empty office as I lift myself onto my feet, groaning softly at how much it hurts to be standing. Every bone in my body feels broken. After hovering for quite some time, trying to get my body to work in time with my brain, I retrieve my things one by one, suddenly desperate to be out of this place.

The door opens then, the doctor making her grand entrance again. She looks very glad to see me standing. I glance around for a clock, finding none in sight.

"What time is it? How long—?"

"About forty-five minutes. The Xanax finally kicked in." She shuts the door and crosses her arms with a deep inhale. "That was a...strong episode. Have you ever experienced anything like that before?"

I swallow and grimace at the fact that there's no saliva in my mouth. "Yes. Not as bad though and it was back, back when I was a child."

She frowns, nodding to herself. "I don't think I have to tell you that you have too much on your plate, Scarlett. What just happened to you was your body's way of saying to stop."

The woman has no idea what my life is like, so I don't answer her, not wishing to be short or rude. I honestly just want to leave.

I grab my purse by her desk and start for the door.

"This isn't good for the baby. You are nearly six weeks in. This is an extremely fragile time for you and your baby. Please, take it easy, as easy as you can."