Rough: Books 8-9

1 The heat caused sweat to cover his body, dripping from his clothes and skin. He felt disgusting and dirty. He could hear the drips of sweat fall into the well water beneath him. He had passed out, only waking when he heard a rattling from above him, it could be anything. A rat, a person, nothing. He didn't get his hopes up as he quietly hung, losing any hope of getting out. He knew he was most likely going to die, and he had accepted it. Probably no one had even noticed his disappearance. The blackness took him once again as he lost control of consciousness. The water below him started to swirl as if a plug had been pulled and he felt like he was about to be sucked up and spat out into nothing. His body shook with fear as he tried once more to find an escape, but there was nothing there that could help him, no one to save him. He watched as the water reached his waist, getting higher up his body as it covered his torso, then his shoulders and soon his mouth. He tried to hold onto the air he had left in his lungs, fighting against the burning sensation in his chest. He didn't know how much longer he could hold on for. His body started to rock as his lungs started to give in. It didn't take long before he was completely covered in darkness. "It's okay, Sage, I'm here. I'm here,” a voice called to him. He couldn't see the person's face, but he let go, trusting the voice. He gave up, he stopped fighting, and his body relaxed, he felt safe as warmth surrounded him. He didn't have to worry anymore, he was home, he was alive. Sage woke up in shock in the hospital the next day, alone. It took a bit of time for him to become fully aware of his surroundings as he almost started to panic, thinking he was still in the well, forgetting that he had been rescued by Mia and the Screaming Demons. He still couldn't believe that Mia had found him, the fact that she even searched for him shocked him. He knew he didn't deserve it after the way he had acted days before his disappearance, but nevertheless, he was grateful. He was in a bed, not his own bed yet but it was still better than hanging halfway down a dirty and dark well. He knew he would be haunted with dreams of the well for a while. Not only had it been extremely dark down there but his mind had also gone to a dark place, a place darker than it had ever gone before. He knew he would have to work on getting his mind back to normal. It would just take some time to get over it all. He couldn't tell anyone about it though as he didn't want to seem weak. He was supposed to be an army man, after all. He’d been through tough situations before. He had managed to deal with it then and he'd manage to deal with it now. His body ached and screamed at him with every movement he attempted to make. Even as he breathed his body cried in agony. He wondered if he had any broken bones, especially his knees after they had whacked them in order to take him. He couldn't imagine never being able to walk again. He tested his body, moving his feet and then slowly bending his knees, pleased and relieved when he felt them move beneath him. He was in pain, but he could move, and he was grateful for that. He remembered Mia being there with him the night before, her body pressed against his in the small hospital bed. He could smell her perfume on the pillow, so he knew that he hadn't been dreaming, but she had clearly left before he woke up. A part of him wished she was still there so he wouldn't be alone but he knew the world didn't stop turning just because he was in the hospital. She probably had the responsibility of cleaning up the rest of the mess he had caused and besides, he also knew he would need time alone. He hoped he hadn't screamed in his sleep which could've scared her away. He couldn't remember if he had had any dreams when he passed out but that didn't mean he didn't have one of his nightmares, especially after all the trauma he had just been through. He knew being in the well would now make his nightmares even worse. He had been closer to death and fully aware of it at the same time. He knew he might not be the same as he was three days ago. He didn't want to admit it but when he had had those moments down in the well, he wasn't always sure if they were real or not. He had become a little delusional and a part of him thought maybe he was imagining being in hospital. He had to grip onto the bed just to make sure it was real. He sighed with relief. He tried to sit up but his body wouldn't allow it so he flopped back onto his back in defeat. He hated feeling so helpless. He was free of the well but he still felt trapped. His body weakened from the past couple of days, he might as well still be in the well. Don't think like that, he told himself. He had to be grateful that he was alive. He knew he had a lot of living still to do now that he had been so close to death once again. He knew it would take a while for his body to fully recover after the two days in the well, which was confirmed when he was pulled out, but he had hoped his body wouldn't be in as much pain as it was. He wasn't sure if he'd have to stay in the hospital for a few more days but just the thought of it made him sad. He hated hospitals. He would have to work out even harder to get his muscles back. He took note of just how small he looked under the covers. To anyone else who knew him, they'd probably not notice much but he knew he had lost a good amount of weight and muscle. "How are you feeling, Sage?" a voice said from the doorway. He wasn't sure how long the person had been standing there, hopefully not long enough to have seen him struggle with sitting up. He didn't want to look weak in front of people. He turned to look in the direction of the voice and was glad to see it was just a nurse. He wasn't ready to see Mia yet. She was a pretty nurse, almost middle-aged with a gentle smile, warm and trusting. Her name badge read Annabelle. She had a cute blonde bob haircut that just touched her shoulders which seemed to fit with her name. He smiled in return as she made her way into the room, checking his readings. He remembered how Mia had held him after he had gotten out of the well and he wasn't sure how he would act around her when he saw her. He still needed some time to process everything so he was relieved she hadn't been the one at the door. "My body is extremely sore but I'm just grateful to be here and alive,” he replied. He knew if he hadn't been found he probably would've died down there. He could live with a few aches and pains for a while, but he wasn't at all ready for death. Of course, a part of him had wished for it when everything felt helpless but now that he was out and on the road to recovery he was glad he hadn't died. There was still so much he wanted to do. He promised himself while he was down there that he would try harder at life if he survived and he intended to keep that promise. He remembered how he had thought about his team and the fact that they weren't there. He knew he had to live on their behalf. He still believed that they deserved to live more than he did but he would try to change that. "Your body will hurt for a while, mostly because of your muscles. They were inactive for a while and being suspended like that also put a lot of pressure on your body, making your blood flow a bit difficult. You could've lost your arms if you had hung there any longer as the blood circulation was slowing down,” the nurse said. The thought of losing his arms shocked him. He would've been completely useless if that had happened. He already knew about his muscles but it didn't matter so much considering he would've been an invalid. He knew he'd regain his strength easily and soon he'd be back on his feet. He'd been through worse which made him grateful for the fact that he was found just in time. "When will I be able to leave?" he asked. Being in hospital reminded him of the last time he was in hospital, and again he felt a pang of sadness that he was alone. It had taken him months to work through the emotions he had felt all those years ago. Well, technically he hadn't worked through them. He had just learned how to push them down, and he could feel them slowly trying to come back to the surface the more aware he became. He couldn't allow his emotions to get the better of him though so he tried to push his memories to the side. He’d have to deal with them another day, or never, just like he had always done. He was never good at handling his emotions, even before Afghanistan. He wasn't a very emotional person, and he supposed it didn't do much good for him considering he was always having to deal with his past but he preferred to just ignore it, to push it down deep within him. "We'd like to keep you here for a few more hours, but right now there is nothing that suggests anything major is wrong with you. We'll be giving you another drip just to make sure you are well hydrated again and then we'd like to do a few more tests on you just to confirm that everything is 100 percent alright before you get discharged,” she replied. Sage knew better than to fight against hospital policy. He had tried that the last time he was in hospital. He had tried to fight his doctor when he wanted to leave. Being there was damaging him but he wasn't ready and they had to sedate him, so he knew he'd just have to wait it out this time around. "Okay, I guess I'll just have to wait,” he said. The nurse smiled and did a quick nod of her head, pleased with his answer. He wondered if she knew about his hospital track record, but she didn't seem worried either way. "Good. I'll be back in a few hours to check in on you, until then just rest. Your body needs it." She turned her back and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. He took note of the room, grateful for the fact that it was a private room so there weren't any empty beds for him to focus on. He tried his hardest to keep his mind busy and awake but soon he was fast asleep, and luckily for him, he was so high on pain killers his dreams didn't consist of anything frightening. Instead, he dreamed of Mia. What felt like only minutes later, Sage was woken up by the click of the door opening. He didn't know how long he had slept for but when he saw the nurse's face coming into view, he realized it must have been a few hours. She held another bag of liquid in her hands. "How are you feeling? Did you get some rest?" she asked as she checked his almost empty drip. He tried to sit up, wincing a bit as his body protested against him. He fought the urge to lay back down and forced himself to sit up as straight as possible. He knew he'd have to walk soon so he had to get used to the pain. "I feel well-rested but is there anything I can take for the pain?" he asked. The painkillers had worn off during his sleep. He didn't want to come off weak and childlike but he knew he would need a little help just to get through walking. He could only imagine how much that would hurt compared to just sitting up. He really didn't want to get pushed out of the hospital in a wheelchair; that would be humiliating for an ex-army man. "Don't worry, you’ll be given something for the pain. It shouldn't last too long after you get moving and some proper food in your system,” she smiled at him. At the mention of food, his stomach grumbled. He hadn't eaten in days and now that his body was getting liquids he started to feel a bit more normal and ready for food. "Thank you, that's great. Is there any chance I could get some food?" he asked as she started changing his drip. "Yes, of course. Once I've finished here I'll call someone to bring you a meal. It will be something small considering you haven't eaten in a few days,” she said to him. "That's perfectly fine. I'd eat anything at this point,” he said with a laugh, his energy slowly coming back to him. She finished attaching his new drip and immediately left without a word. A few moments later another woman walked in with a tray of food in her hands. She placed the tray on his lap with a smile and left. It wasn't much, a small pile of mashed potatoes, a very pale and dull-looking chicken breast with a few baby carrots and some broccoli. Although it was all rather bland, Sage was grateful to finally get some food. He took his time eating and tried not to overdo it, leaving some on his plate. He knew he needed the food but he wouldn't risk his stomach going into cramps which was likely to happen if he overdid it so soon. He placed the half-eaten food on one of the bedside tables next to him and considered switching on the TV while he waited, but thought against it. He hadn't been much of a TV guy and he wouldn't start now just out of boredom. He decided to spend the remainder of his time watching the drip slowly empty. It was boring and tedious but it distracted him nonetheless. He longed to leave. Within an hour his wish came true. The drip was empty and he could finally leave. The nurse came to do the final tests which all came back good. He slowly got out of bed. Standing took all of his energy as he felt a wave of dizziness go over him. He ignored it and pushed through as he had to leave and he wouldn't let anything stop him. Once on his feet, he took a few moments to stretch his body. He flexed his muscles, ignoring the pain. He bent his body this way and that way until he felt a little more mobile and able to walk. The nurse informed him that someone named Grier had been in to visit him while he was sleeping. He left a message for Sage letting him know he was in Florida, staying at the house using one of the studies while he was here and wished to see him when he was discharged. Sage headed straight for the house. There was no better place to be other than home, he thought. He was excited to get home. He just wanted to be comfortable in his own bed. Even after sleeping most of the day away, he was exhausted from moving already. He also wanted to have a shower and he wanted to see Mia but he knew he would have to talk to Grier before he did anything else. Climbing into a cab outside the hospital Sage made his way to Grier. He made his way home with a sense of happiness at the thought. He didn't expect much from Grier, other than him just wanting to make sure he was okay. He soon arrived home and relief ran through his body as he looked at the place he called home in Florida. He climbed out of the cab and once he had paid the driver, he slowly made his way into the house. It wasn't hard to find the study Grier had claimed. He reached the door where he stood and knocked, waiting for permission to enter. "Come in!" Grier shouted from the other side of the door. Sage opened the door and slowly walked in, trying not to wobble as he did so. Grier looked up from his computer and looked at Sage, a smile forming across his face. It was clear he was glad to see him. "And so he lives!" he exclaimed as he got up and made his way over to him. "How are you feeling?" Grier asked as he gently laid a hand on his shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. He didn't seem upset about what had happened. Hopefully because it was over now Sage wouldn't get a lecture about his actions. "As good as I could be under the circumstances,” Sage replied with a smile. Grier indicated to one of the seats in the study and Sage gratefully took it. His body needed to rest again. "I'm sure, I'm sure! You're very fortunate,” Grier said. Sage knew he was right. He had almost died and he only had one person to thank for making sure that hadn't happened. He just hadn't seen her yet. "I'm truly grateful. I have a few people to thank, that's for sure,” he replied. Grier nodded his head in agreement. Clearly not bothered about anything else but Sage’s wellbeing. "We're all happy that you're back and in one piece. It was a close call," Grier said. "We're still trying to figure out what is left of the Omens and how much of a threat they still have here but nothing is confirmed yet.” "Hopefully we can get rid of them once and for all. Their existence is causing a lot of trouble,” Sage replied. Just as Sage had finished his sentence the door swung open and both men turned to face who had interrupted their conversation. Mia stood frozen in the doorway looking at the two of them, holding a cup of what smelt like coffee as it wafted through the air. She clearly didn't expect Sage to be home already as she looked him over. "Oh, I didn't realize you had company. I just came to bring you some coffee,” she said as she entered the study, placing the coffee on the desk Grier had been using. Sage watched Mia as she walked into the small space. He wanted to thank her in private so he just smiled at her, hoping she could see the gratitude written on his face. "I'm actually glad you're here, Mia. Please join us and take a seat,” Grier said as he too smiled at her. Mia took a seat and looked from one man to the other as silence filled the room. She didn't know what to say to Sage especially in front of Grier. She wanted to ask him how he was but thought it better to wait until they were alone. "Well," Grier said to them, breaking the silence at the same time, "I've been talking to Fiona a lot today and she is thoroughly impressed with how you managed to get our man back.” Grier looked pointedly at Mia. "It showed a lot of strength and fire. You should be proud,” he continued to say as she blushed at the compliment. "Oh, thank you. Honestly, it wasn't anything really,” she said trying to downplay all the effort she had put into getting Sage back. She knew she wouldn't have stopped trying to find him if she hadn't found him yesterday but they didn't need to know that. She would've searched the entire planet to get him back. "Don't be so modest, Mia. Adam and I had a chat at length about exactly what you did, and the fact that you went with every lead not waiting to get told what to do was just great. You showed just how powerful you can be,” Grier said. "Yes, it was amazing. I have you to thank for being alive,” Sage said to her, looking her straight in the eye. After a few seconds of holding each other's gaze, Mia had to look away. She couldn't risk Grier seeing the connection to Sage that she was sure was written all over her face. "You're welcome. We're a team and I knew I couldn't just sit around and do nothing so honestly, I'm happy I could help,” she replied. "And it's because of that that after some discussion with Fiona we have come to the agreement that you will be made a Screaming Demon,” Grier said with a triumphant smile. There hadn't been many female Screaming Demons before but Mia had earned it. Sage and Mia couldn't believe it. She stared at Grier in shock as did Sage. After everything that had gone wrong because of her, she hadn’t thought anything would make her worthy of being a Screaming Demon but she was chuffed. "Wow, I'm speechless. That's such an honor. Thank you so much," Mia said as the words tumbled out of her mouth in a rush of excitement. "I agree. That is amazing,” Sage said. He didn't believe he deserved it like Mia did. "You've both shown a lot of fight and so you deserve it. Just don't let us down,” Grier joked but they both knew he was serious. "Now that that's done, I need to finish up some work before I head back home." His hint getting across to both Sage and Mia as they got to their feet and left the study.