A dull throbbing pain greets me as I slowly return to consciousnesses, my abdomen feeling unimaginably sore. My eyelids struggle to open, the white light feels almost blindingly bright.
My senses start to return to me as I awake. The near constant "Beep... Beep... Beep..." from over my head becomes more clear. The bright light was losing its intensity, becoming actually bearable, I started to make out my enviroment: sterile white walls, small enclosed space, above me rests an IV bag with a tube winding and weaving until it connected with my wrist. My throat is immensely dry, my attempts at speaking sound more like weak growling or coughing.
But at the sudden noise, a figure out of the corner of my eye jumps.
"Mein Gott! You're awake!" I'd know that heavenly accent anywhere.
Angela almost jolts to me, checking the heartbeat monitor above, once satisfied with the reading, she hands me a cup of water sitting on a nearby table. It was simply water in a styrofoam cup, but if you told me it was ambrosia from a group of gods, I'd absolutely agree. Greedily, I gulp down the drink, draining the tiny cup of it's contents. She chides me in German, probably something about not drinking too fast, always so protective.
"How are you feeling, Fareeha?"
My gaze shifts to her eyes, what usually are mesmerizing blue irises, were now bloodshot and only partly lidded.
"Honestly? Like Aleksandra threw me through a wall... What... What happened?" The first few words were difficult to utter, my voice sounding strained but finally capable of coherent speech.
"Widowmaker aimed her sniper rifle at me, before she pulled the trigger, you rocket boosted and pushed me out of the line of fire... You... Weren't so lucky... The shot ripped through your armor and and my nanonites weren't active yet, my staff kept you stable as we extracted you out."
Memories of what happened returned, flashing in my mind. Seeing the flash of the Spider's rifle from the searing Egyptian sun, noticing where she was aiming, I didn't think, I just reacted. The roar of my rockets were cancelled out by the near deafening gunshot from the Widow's Kiss. As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I looked to Angela who flew to me... Her halo headpiece.... Her Wings... She looked exactly like an angel.
"You've been out for a few days... Y..." She chokes up a bit. "You almost didn't make it."
"W-was the mission successful?"
She looks at me in bewilderment, but then chuckles. "Even while severely injured, you worry about others before yourself... The mission was a success, but Talon retreated and we lost them."
I sigh in relief.
"You are to be put on bed rest for the next few weeks, once you can stand you'll take physical therapy and light duty."
I groan in protest. "But I'm needed out there!" I sluggishly point out the window. "Fighting with the others! Protecting the innocent."
"You can barely move, Fareeha... Bed rest, and that is final. Am I understood?" Even as tired as she looked, she still could be stern.
"Understood." I mumble, surrendering myself to the confines of this bed.
With that, she smiles. But a few seconds later, her expression became more serious again. She takes my right hand in hers and brushes her thumb over my knuckles. "Never do that again... I've lost so many dear to me... If I lost you..."
"I can't promise that Ya Hayati... But I will promise this... Nothing... Nothing will keep me from all of you."
She smiles but raises an eyebrow. "Ya... What? What does that mean?"
"I'll tell you... Another day." I say, a light blush on my face. Whether she notices or not is unknown, she left it at that and nodded.
"Get some rest, I'll be back tomorrow. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." And with that, she turns around and leaves the room, closing the door gently. Sleep began to overtake me, still feeling weak. My dreams for once were not of my failures, or my home... But of an angel.