What A Wonderful Nightmare

Hospital Socks

Clay's POV

The darkness covering Clay's sight slowly started to phase as he woke up in an extremely bright room. At first he couldn't remember anything that had just happened only two hours ago. All he knew was that he was no longer in his house with George, and he was seemingly alone again. His eyes finally opened all the way, adjusting to the bright lights in the room and his ears slightly ringing from how silent it was. Clay looked down at his left hand to find an IV impeded in the skin. 

I'm assuming I'm in the hospital than...but why would I be in- where's Geo.....George..oh my god. I passed out didn't I. I-I need to find George and make sure he's okay...I can't lose someone else...not like this again.

Clay pressed his hands to the bed on each side of his hips, and slowly pushed his weak body into an upright position. He leaned his head forward and looked to the doorway of his hospital room. It was late to the point it would be considered early now so there wasn't many people that he could see.

Last time I was here, there was a way to call someone into the room if you needed something from a nurse..what was it...it was some sort of controller or button or-

Clay looked to the hanging tv controller that was wrapped around the side of the beige hospital bed sides.

That's it.

Clay weakly reached over to the device, unwrapping it just enough to reach the button he needed. He pressed the familiar button and watched a little red button illuminate itself, telling him he must have done the right thing. Only moments later, a red headed middle aged nurse walked into the room.

"I see you are finally awake, how are you feeling? Is there something you need help with?" her voice sounded charming and it put Clay at ease a little. 

"I feel okay, just a bit weak. Why do I have an IV in? Didn't I just like pass out from stress or anxiety?"

"Well when the paramedics arrived for your friend, they said you were passed out beside him. They checked your vitals while loading the other man onto the stretcher and your heart rate was going alarmingly fast. You were also clearly dehydrated so that's what the IV is for, to give you fluids while you were still unconscious." She gave Clay a slight smile before looking up to his monitor. Her smiled faded. "It seems your heart rate is still a tad high..hmm...is there anything that could help you relax a little?"

"I need to see George."

"Sir, you really shouldn't leave the bed other than to use the restroom until your heart rate calms down some more it could be-"

"I can't be calm until I see George. I need to see him now."  Clay interrupted, a serious and worried look on his face and a slight tremble in his tone.

The nurse sighed, walking out of the room and across the hall. Only a second or two later she returned with a wheelchair and a pair of hospital socks. She held them out to Clay.

"Okay, fine. Only for no more than ten minutes though. You are awake now and can drink fluids by mouth so we can go ahead and take the IV out. Put these socks on so your feet don't freeze."

Clay took the socks from her grasp and slipped them on. They were tight, but warm and an interesting material that was neither comfortable or uncomfortable. Just there really. The nurse took the needle out of Clay's left hand, putting a bandaid on the injection site. Once everything was ready, the nurse took Clay's hand to help him into the wheelchair. He stumbled when first getting on his feet, but the desperate want to know if George was okay pushed him to regain his balance. He lowered himself into the wheelchair and watched his surroundings change from a lonely hospital room, to a blue painted hallway with doctors and nurses rushing about. After about a minute they reached a room of elevators and waited for the next available one to arrive. They loaded onto the far left elevator along with a male and his son. As the elevator showed which floor they were on he realized they were on floor 3, heading to floor 2 since that was the button the nurse has pressed. Minutes later Clay was stopped outside a room with dim lighting.