49 Megan. Two days later
The first thing I hear is the sound of my own breath, shallow and rattling. My whole body tingles, a kaleidoscope of colours plays out across my mind. The pain almost splits my head in two. My jaw hurts, but I can’t move it. There’s something in my mouth, holding it open. I open my mouth ever so slightly more. It can’t open much further, but it clicks and snaps as it moves, as if my jaw hasn’t moved for days.
Slowly, I try to open my eyes. The light burns at first, searing the backs of my eyeballs like a roaring hot flame. I hear bleeping, and the faint sound of a television on the other side of the room. I recognise the programme as Bargain Hunt before I realise where I am and what’s going on.
I move my right hand out to the side and feel the metal frame of the
