Once everything was packed, I hiked back to the cabin with more questions instead of answers.
4
Iwas dying. That was the only plausible explanation for the way I felt. Or maybe I had been hit by a big Mack truck. What happened to me? Every part of my body ached, but my leg was throbbing. On top of that, I needed to pee. How was I going to use the bathroom when I didn’t have enough energy to open my eyes?
Energy or not, my eyes shot open when I heard an unfamiliar voice. “Hey there. Looks like you’re starting to wake up. Please try to stay calm. You’re very sick, and we’re doing everything we can to help you get better,” a man I was sure I’d never seen before said.
Who was this mind reading man? I blinked stupidly at him. I had no idea what to say. Given how dry my throat felt, I wasn’t even sure I could talk.
“Do you need to use the bathroom?” he asked.
I nodded quickly, eliciting a chuckle from him.
“I need to disconnect your IV first, and then I’ll help you get to the bathroom. I’ll wait outside if you promise to call me if you get dizzy or feel like you’re going to fall, okay?”
“Water,” I managed to croak.
“Oh, sorry. Here you go,” he said as he held a straw to my lips. “Just a few small swallows to start with.”
I did as he instructed and said, “Thank you.”
“All right, let’s do this.” The man’s kindness did not match his exterior whatsoever. Yes, I was judging a book by its cover, but everyone in the world was guilty of that at some point or another. Besides, who would expect a muscular, tattooed, bearded man with a variety of piercings to be so gentle?
Once I did my business, complete with an embarrassingly loud sigh of relief, he helped me back to the bed. It was then that I noticed my surroundings. They looked strangely familiar, but I was drawing a blank.
“Where am I?” I asked.
“We’ll get to that in a minute. First, I need to change the dressing on your leg. Are you in any pain right now?”
I grimaced, “Yes, I am. My whole body aches, but my leg feels like it has its own heartbeat. What happened to me?”
He gave me a tight smile, “Let me get you something for the pain, and then we’ll talk.” Before I could object, he left the room.
Moments later, he returned to the room with a syringe in his hand and another man at his side. He pushed the medicine into my IV and started arranging medical supplies on the bed while I pretended not to have an internal freak out. Both men were huge and scary, but the second man did not give off any gentle vibes like the first man.
“I’m going to start on your leg while we talk. I’m Splint, by the way, and this here is Copper,” the kind man said. When I remained silent, he continued. “What’s your name?”
Without giving it any consideration, I blurted, “Kayla. Kayla West.” I was not about to share my real name, though I wondered if I should have chosen a different name to use. But, Kayla was close to Layla, and I knew I would respond to it as if it were my given name.
“Okay, Kayla, do you remember what happened to your leg?”
“No, but it hurts like a motherfucker. Can I watch whatever you’re doing?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t mind, but you won’t be able to see anything since it’s on the back of your leg. I can take a picture if you want,” he offered.
“I’ll pass,” I muttered.
He shrugged. “About your leg, for lack of a better description, you were gored by a wild boar. You told us you came across two wild boars while hiking, and they came after you. You said you ran and climbed on top of a large boulder to get away from them. According to your story, one of them got ahold of your leg while you were trying to climb. In my opinion, it looks like one of them got your calf with a lower canine which tore through your skin and some muscle.”
As he spoke, the memories slowly came back to me. I remembered running from the boars. I remembered being stuck on top of that boulder for what seemed like hours. I remembered a man shooting the boars, then chasing after me. I looked up and narrowed my eyes. “You!” I spat, pointing an accusatory finger at the other man in the room.
He smirked, “Guess you do remember.”
I focused on Splint. “I want him out of here,” I demanded.
“Sorry, Kayla. I’m technically his guest. I don’t have any right to kick him out,” Splint answered.
Fine. If he wouldn’t leave, I would. I moved and attempted to get out of bed.