Who?

Melanie woke up with a snap, her eyes flying open from complete darkness to blinding white in less than a second. She stared up at the ceiling, breath shallow, body rigid. Her eyes darted left, then right, trying to make sense of where she was. But everything around her looked pale, plain and sterile.

Then she shut her eyes again, the harsh light above her too much to bear. Her heart thudded unevenly as the confusion set in. What was happening? Had she woken up in a hospital? Again?

With her eyes closed, she tried to recall if she'd had another panic attack or something but she could hardly concentrate on that... There was something cold beneath her back. Her fingers twitched slightly against starched sheets. She took another breath and winced. Her chest felt tight. Her ribs ached. Her nose... her nose felt like it had collided with a brick wall.