S I G N S

Chapter 19

She slowly opened her eyes, the bright light above her hurting her eyes. Her body felt stiff and numb. She couldn't feel anything, she was confused.

It was silent in the hospital room, except for the slow ticking of the clock and the beeping of the machines. Oxygen flooded into her mouth and nose through the mask on her face. She reached up and knocked the mask aside with a heavy hand. It was covered in plaster.

She frowned at her arm, flopping it back down into place. She was obviously in hospital, pumped full of drugs to the numb the pain, which would help explain her confusion.

What happened to me?

Then it all came rushing back in flashes. Two people stood on opposite sides, filled with love and smiles. The speeding car. The light catching the raindrops as the slowly fell. The scream tearing from Jennie's throat.

She tried to lift her head up, but it was like lifting dead weight. Her body had no strength, and the brace wrapped around her neck limited any movement. Panic rose in her throat, she tried to open her mouth but found that she couldn't. Her jaw was wired shut, stopping the broken pieces from shifting. She let out a weak groan.

The sound of someone moving nearby caught her attention. A face loomed over her, and she blinked, trying to bring it into focus through the swelling of her eyes and the lack of glasses. She made out brown hair, cut to just above the shoulders. A concerned face, white with worry. Those warm brown eyes, they were as familiar to her as her own.

"Shh you're okay," Rosé whispered, her hands fluttering frantically above the bruised and broken body, not knowing where to touch her. "You were in an accident; do you remember?"

She grunted in reply, tears stinging her eyes.

The sound of someone else shifting on the bed caught her attention. Her eyes flickered to the figure sat next to the bed, hunched forward in their chair so they could rest their head on the bed. One hand gently laying on the hospital blankets covering her broken body, as if they were making sure she was safe as they slept.

She was here.

Her Lisa.

She couldn't lift her head to see her properly, but Jennie would know that dark hair anywhere, spilling across the sheets as she slept.

"She hasn't left your side for three days," Rosé whispered, following Jennie's gaze. She smiled slightly, glancing back down at her sister. Her face turned serious again as she took in Jennie's puffy, bruised face, unrecognisable as she lay in the hospital bed.

"Don't ever do that again," Rosé warned her, gently stroking Jennie's hair. Jennie tried to smile at her sister, but it turned into a grimace of pain as her face muscles protested.

"Let me wake her up and then I'll go and find your doctor," Rosé said, placing a gentle kiss to Jennie's forehead before walking around to the other side of the bed. She gently shook Lisa awake.

As Lisa sat up, Jennie was able to see her face properly. She was paler than usual, black bruises under her eyes from worrying and a lack of sleep. Her hair was a mess, tangled into curls as if she hadn't brushed it in days, and her face was blotchy as if she had fallen asleep crying.

She turned her attention to Jennie straight away, checking to make sure she was okay. A look of surprise crossed her face when she realised Jennie was awake. She lunged forward, her hands shaking as they hovered above Jennie's body.