Arc 716, 20th Ymiden
Alex awoke to darkness. She tried to push herself upright, but her arms refused to move. Confused, she tried again, but her heavy limbs felt as if they were bolted down. As she attempted to move, pain blossomed in her chest, and she gave up. Terror began to seep in, but she pushed it out, breathing deeply. She couldn't see anything, but she wasn't dead, and that was a good start.Memories began to trickle in. Mr.Gardener had left her alone...A package had been dropped off...She had been stabbed! She tried to move her hands again, focusing intently on her fingers. Slowly, achingly, the creaky muscles contracted and her finger twitched.
She tried to smile. but everything felt tired and stiff, as if she hadn't moved in trials. As bits ticked by she could move more and more of her body, though her eyes still refused to open. The pain was becoming louder, a constant moan emanating from her chest.
The noises of people on the street were faintly heard, though the room she was in was silent. She tried to call out, but she couldn't manage more than a whisper. She lifted her hands up to touch her eyes, feeling a thick crust covering them. Wincing as she picked off the clumps, she managed to force her eyes open.
A dark wood ceiling was lit by a small brazier beside her. She slowly turned her head, a headache loudly protesting the movement. She recognized the room- it was the basement of the Gardeners Grace. A mattress had been dragged down, and one of his tables was set nearby, a variety of light-covered surgery equipment covering the scarred surface.
She peered down at her chest, a thick swath of white bandage covering her wound. She fumbled with it, but she couldn't seem to get it off. She slowly sat up, carefully holding herself up with an arm. A glass of water was sitting beside her, and she greedily gulped it down, not caring about the slightly brackish taste. As she last drop dripped down her throat, she set it down, staring at the rest of the room.
She swung her legs off the bed, slapping the quads as pins and needles flickered in her toes. She stood, tottering for a moment before she regained her balance. One arm clasped protectively across her bandaged body, she made for the stairs, her free hand gripping the tables and garden beds as she passed them. Half stumbling, but determined to get out, she made her way up the stairs, and pushed open the hidden door.
She crept through the office, careful not to knock over one of the many stacks of papers scattered about. She peered out the doorway, and saw Mr.Gardener's back as he busily worked away at the bench.
She cleared her throat, and called out.
"Mr.-Mr.Gardener?"
Sauce
