Serena
I couldn't tell what exactly was happening but all I knew was that I felt warm arms around me. I wanted to open my eyes and ask Damien what happened but my consciousness felt like it was slipping.
It felt like I was suspended midair and I couldn't come back down.
"Stay with me Serena, I'm here, I'll not let anything happen to you."
Was that Damien's voice? I'd recognize it even in my dreams. A part of me wanted to reach out and tell him that I was okay but my body felt too weak to do anything.
"Where is the fucking doctor?" I heard Damien say. It sounded like he was in pain.
Say something Serena.
I wanted to but I couldn't.
I could feel the movements around me. Hurried footsteps, voices overlapping, water splashing somewhere close. Everything sounded distant, like I was underwater again.
My head was spinning, and the world felt both heavy and light at once.
Damien's voice echoed again, angrier this time. The sound of glass clinking and someone rushing through a door followed.
Then, warmth. A gentle heat touched my skin, slowly spreading through my body. Someone must have brought a bowl of hot water because soon i could feel hands—delicate and careful, pressing a damp towel against my arms, my legs, my neck.
The sensation pulled me back from the edge. My skin prickled from the contrast of hot water meeting cold flesh, and somewhere deep inside me, my mind began to stir.
"She's freezing," a woman's voice said softly. "Her pulse is faint but steady."
"Do whatever it takes," Damien growled.
The towel moved up to my shoulders, pressing warmth against me in slow, gentle motion. The scent of eucalyptus filled the air. It was sharp, fresh and unique. Someone had poured a few drops of oil into the water.
My subconscious clung to that smell as if it was my only link to the real world.
Damien's hands replaced the woman's after a while. I didn't need to open my eyes to know it was him; his touch was different, rougher and heavier, yet somehow more careful.
His fingers moved in circles over my arms, rubbing the heat into my skin, as if sheer willpower could bring me back to him.
"Come on, Serena," he whispered, the sound almost faint. "You're not allowed to do this. Not to me."
If only he knew how much I wanted to tell him I wasn't trying to. Initially, I had wanted to scare Damien to make him pay for the way he spoke to me.
I pretended to drown and held my breath until I was sure he had started to worry.
When he first called out to me, I heard him and wanted to drag it out a little more but midway, water found it's way to my lungs and while trying not to choke, I inhaled even more water and lost coordination.
I started drowning for real but I couldn't scream to avoid more water flooding my system. Worse still, I was at the deep edge of the pool so Damien would have to enter the pool if he was going to find me.
I had resigned to my fate at some point. There was no way Damien would come for me—that was what I thought but I guess I was wrong.
The warmth of his hands seeped deeper, and somewhere in my foggy consciousness, my body began to remember how to respond. My breathing steadied. The sharp ache in my chest dulled.
"Her body's reacting," the woman said again.
"Keep massaging. It's working."
"I can see that," Damien murmured, his voice softer now but still tight.
I could feel the towel moving again, pressing against my thighs, my hands and finally my face. The sensation was gentle but firm, forcing me to stay linked to the moment.
It was strange, but through the haze, I could almost feel the frustration and relief radiating off him in waves. He was trying so hard to stay calm, but the tremor in his voice was a different story.
"She'll be fine," someone reassured, but Damien didn't respond.
Moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps filled the room again, followed by the deep tone of an unfamiliar voice. "I'm here. What happened?"
"She was swimming. She went under, and she didn't come up."
The doctor's voice was calm but focused. "Lay her flat. I'll need to check her vitals."
I felt movement. The shift of fabric, the cold press of metal against my skin. A stethoscope, probably.
The air was thick with tension, every breath in the room held hostage by what the doctor might say next.
"She's stable," he said finally. "Exhaustion, mild shock, and hypothermia. She'll need rest and fluids. You did well pulling her out in time."
Relief hit the rooom like a quiet storm. I could almost feel Damien exhale beside me.
"I'll stay with her," he said firmly.
"That won't be necessary—"
"I said I'll stay."
The silence that followed said everything. No one dared argue.
The doctor gave a few instructions i barely caught before the sound of retreating footsteps filled the room.
Then it was just Damien and me.
I felt the bed dip slightly beside me. The sound of his voice came next, low and steady.
"You scared the living hell out of me."
His hand brushed a damp strand of hair away from my face. The warmth of his palm lingered there for a moment longer than it needed to.
I opened my eyes to see his face, etched with worry.
"You're too damn stubborn," he muttered under his breath.
"Always trying to prove something."
"I wasn't trying to prove anything." I managed to say in a weak voice.
"Shhh… you're not supposed to say anything yet. Get back on your feet and you can defend yourself all you want."
"Why did you save me?" I asked, half expecting him to get up and leave the room but his gaze was still filled with the same intensity.
"I'm not as evil as you think I am Serena. Maybe consider that before asking me such a thing."
I managed a smile.
"I'll try to remember." I said with a final tone and closed my eyes, letting the sleep envelope me.
Damien sat there, not moving even an inch and suddenly, the world seemed more peaceful.
"You'll pay for this…" I heard him say but I was too weak to decide what he meant.