3

Luke's POV

I felt harsh light glaring against me as I open my eyes. I was surrounded by white lights, illuminating the room. Am I in heaven? No, probably not. With the number of sins I've unwillingly committed, I highly doubt I'll be granted entry to heaven. Even god must be disgusted with me, hell, probably even Satan himself. I looked around and saw that I was in some sort of hospital bed. Multiple wires are attached to me and there's an IV attached to my arm. I was surrounded by white curtains and the only sound I hear is the endless beeping of the machine. This only means one thing, I'm alive. When I thought I finally found peace in death, I was forced to live another day.

I tried moving my arms but my muscles betrayed me, not moving an inch. I tried to speak up and call someone, but opening my throat felt like ripping duct tape off of my skin. I heard footsteps approaching and the curtains were pushed aside. Entering was a lady, probably the doctor, given the white coat she was wearing. She turned to me after closing the curtains and her eyes widen in shock.

"Oh, you're awake already. I was expecting you to be asleep for a few more hours." She says as she approaches my side. "I'm Dr. Silvano, I treated you since you came here last night. You might need to keep your IV for a few more days given how dehydrated you are. Do you want some water?" She asks and I nod my head.

She calls for a nurse to grab me some water and helped me as she adjusted the bed so I can sit at a 45-degree angle. One of the nurses came in and handed me the water. He saw my futile attempt at moving my arms and got the hint. He moved the cup to my lips and tilted it as I took a drink from the cup. The water was more than refreshing, but I had to take small sips as moving my mouth feels like hell. Once I finished the water, the nurse turn to take his leave but not before Dr. Silvano called him. "Alex, find Emilio and tell him the patient's awake."

"Yes, doc," Alex answered, finally taking his leave.

"How are you?" Dr. Silvano asks, turning her attention to me.

I tried to speak but it came out more as a squeak. "Sore." I cringed at how my voice sounded. It sounded like unoiled hinges. 

"Well, I've added painkillers to your IV before you woke up so it may take some time but you'll feel better in a while." She says, giving me a small smile. I tried to smile in return but my dried lips forbid me from doing so.

"I'll let you rest for a while, someone will be coming here to ask you questions. Is that okay with you?" She asks and I nod.

"Okay, I'll leave you then." She nods and leaves, closing the curtain behind her. I heard her footsteps stop and a few muffled from the other side of the curtain. After a while, I heard another pair of footsteps coming toward me. The curtains opened once again and a man walked in. Once I got a good look at him, my whole body froze. With the snake insignia tattoed on his neck, I knew exactly the kind of man he is. I was thrown out of small-time gangs, and straight into the hands of the mafia. 

He locked eyes with me and I felt all the blood drain from my body. His eyes were icy blue and void of any emotion. My hands started shaking as he stared into me. I tried to shout for help or call the doctor, but my mouth refused to cooperate. He walked closer and I could no longer breathe. I felt my throat closing up. He moved his hand towards my face and I flinched, trying to get away from him. At this point, tears started to flow uncontrollably. Next, he did one thing I wasn't expecting him to do. He wiped my tears away and caressed my cheek.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you." He tried to reassure me, but his eyes were still void of emotion. I couldn't read him and it scared me even more. They say every time, that they're not gonna hurt me, but in the end, they hurt me more than I thought a man was capable of. I couldn't trust his words.

"Breathe, you need to breathe." He says, not even realizing that I was holding my breath. I tried to inhale but my muscles refused to move. Upon realizing it, I panicked even more. I tried to reach for my throat but my arms still refused to move. I look around in panic, my eyes screaming for help. The man then pulls away from me and calls for the doctor.

Doctor Silvano enters once again carrying a vial and syringe which she injected into my IV tube. "This will help you calm down." She says and puts the apparatus away. "Look at me and breathe." I frantically looked over at her as I try to breathe once again. With great effort, I finally was able to open up my lungs and let some air in.

"Okay, breathe out." I looked at Dr. Silvano as she instructs me to breathe in and out. A few minutes later, I felt my body begin to relax. Dr. Silvano left the room and came back with the nurse from earlier. He was carrying a white towel in his hand. 

"Hey, I'm Alex. I'm just gonna wipe off your sweat to help you feel better." He says, but I shook my head. I don't want anyone touching me.

"I-I'll do it myself," I whispered, not even sure if he had heard me. 

"I'm sorry but you can barely move your arms. I'll have to do this. Feel free to stop me whenever." He replied. I was starting to feel sticky from the sweat and it was not a pleasant feeling so I had no choice but nod. 

Alex then slowly moved toward my face, wiping away the tears and sweat from my cheeks and forehead. He was gentle, but I still couldn't help but shake in fear. I think whatever medicine was given to me was helping. 

"I'll move onto your arms now. I'll try my best to not put too much pressure near your bruises." I just nodded, I suddenly felt too tired to even protest.

Alex was true to his word as he moved onto the rest of my body. He also changed my hospital gown, which was more of a challenge than I ought for it to be. Alex had to lift my body off of the bed, causing every inch of my body screams in pain, making me whimper.

"I'm sorry, but I have to change your gown. You'll be uncomfortable and leaving it on may not help with your wounds." I nodded in understanding and tried my best to endure the pain until he finally laid me back down. I finally let out a breath of relief.

I looked around and Dr. Silvano was no longer in the room. Thinking that the man from earlier already left, I closed my eyes and tried to get some rest. 

"Alex, please leave us alone for a while. I'll call you if he needs anything."

Fuck.