JUNGLE HOSPITAL
LUKE
The room was hot, the kind of humid heat that clung to your skin like a second layer. This wasn’t any hospital I was used to- there was no sterile smell of antiseptic, sharp beeping monitors, or clean, white walls. Instead, I was convinced a chicken was about to stroll in through the front door, and this place kept remedies in jars probably made in a garden they have outback.
I didn’t care–I was alive, and I hadn’t felt this good in months. But at least there were people.
Other people.
Not just Josh and Sarah.
Now, I needed to somehow tell Jess I was alive, but looking around, I wasn’t convinced this place had an international mobile network.
The realization hit me like a slap, and panic gripped my chest. “Josh. Sarah.” Their names tore out of me as I pushed against the stiff sheets, my body lurching forward.
Two nurses immediately sprang into action, their hands firm but not harsh as they pressed me back onto the cot. Their voices were a rapid–fire of words I couldn’t understand.
“Wait–no!” I struggled against their hold, but my limbs felt weak, every movement a reminder of how broken I was. That’s when I felt the tight, pulling ache in my shoulder, the dull throb at my
0.00%
temple. My fingers reached up on instinct, brushing against. thick bandages wrapped around my head.
My shoulder was wrapped, too. Moving my arm sent pain down. my side, but at least I could move it.
Fighting them wasn’t going to help. It would just make things
worse.
The nurses murmured to each other as they checked my bandages, their touch brisk and efficient. When one of them leaned closer to dab at my shoulder, I caught a glimpse of the torn edges of my shirt, still stained with blood.
My blood.
The thought made my stomach churn, and I clenched my jaw to avoid wincing.
Once the nurses finished, another man stepped into view. He was older, his brown shirt rumpled and damp with sweat, his face weathered but kind. He carried a small flashlight, which he immediately shone into my eyes.
I winced, squinting against the sudden brightness. “Shit,” I muttered but tried t keep still.
The man–doctor, I guessed–muttered something I didn’t catch, then stepped back with a slight nod.
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