She woke up with a pounding headache. Her eyes opened slowly and even as she was only half awake, there was one thought in her mind. She was in a hospital. She turned her head carefully. The walls were all white, and the room was empty. The sterile smell of disinfectant hung in the air, sharp and unwelcoming. She blinked slowly, her vision adjusting to the harsh fluorescent light above her.
Her throat felt dry, scratchy, as though she hadn't spoken in days. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in her side made her wince and lie back against the thin pillows. A faint beeping sound filled the room, and as she turned her head, she saw a machine by her bedside. Its screen flickered with a green line, rising and falling rhythmically.
"Why am I in a hospital?" she murmured, her voice hoarse and unfamiliar to her own ears.
