Twenty-One

Sally's POV

I don't know how long I was unconscious, but when I woke up, my whole body ached, as if I had been hit by a car, and my throat was dry as if I had been left in the desert for days without water.

I opened my eyes to see Allen sitting in the chair to the right of the bed and a woman who looked to be in her forties sitting to my left. Both of them looked at me with a mixture of pity and admiration, and at the same time didn't understand why.

I wanted to sit up and lean against the headboard, but the sharp pain from under my left rib made it almost impossible to move. Even when I tried to get up, the woman gently pushed me back down and spoke. “You need to rest to restore your health and lost blood. As a human being like you, it takes a lot of time for the wound to be completely healed and for you to be able to return to your daily work. So please rest."

I shook my head violently in protest. “No, you don't understand. I can't stay here. I have to go."

My voice sounded hoarse.