Jessica’s POV
I woke up choking and gasping for air. “What a crazy f*****g nightmare,” I mumbled to myself as I woke up feeling woozy and under the influence of a dense brain fog. Only, when I reached up from under the covers to confirm that my throat was actually intact, to banish the lingering terror of a vivid dream, I simultaneously learned three things about my current situation. First, my right hand had only so much mobility; it was tethered to something. Second, even the slightest movement sent sharp, searing pain through my shoulders and wrapping around my entire back and chest. And finally, my neck was very much not intact - it was wrapped loosely in gauze, like an afterthought, so my fingertips could slip underneath and trace the ragged outline where a sizable chunk was clearly
