The Breaking Wheel

Chapter 8: A Different Place

Dr. Collingwood opened her eyes and, blinking a few times, looked around. She was lying on a checkered floor. It was dark, like a black fog had settled over this place. A part of her mind was telling her that she was still lying down, eyes closed and paralyzed, but she was also in... whatever this place was.

This feels... weird. Like I'm in two bodies at once.

Someone in the distance sighed.

"But it doesn't make any sense. There's nothing wrong with her."

Another voice spoke

"It might have an anomalous cause."

"But from which anomaly? Could it be from one we haven't found yet?"

"Possibly."

She shouted at the top of her lungs, trying to catch the two strangers' attention. "Hey, hey! I'm here!"

Footsteps started up, then got softer.

"Wait! Don't leave!"

She started to run. The room seemed to stretch on forever. She heard a door slam, and the footsteps were gone.

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Lawrence reached out to stroke Molly's forehead. It had been weeks since she'd fallen comatose after that meeting, and she still hadn't moved an inch.

Oh, Molly, he thought. First Bloodfang, then that Chaos Insurgency soldier, then Abel, and now, this.

He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he almost didn't notice when her forehead knotted up. She winced.

"Molly? Molly?"

She didn't seem to hear him and started flinching, as if in pain. The high-pitched beep beep beep of the heart rate monitor hooked up to her started speeding up and her breathing quickened. Lawrence's eyes widened as his mind scrambled for an idea as for what to do.

"Doctor! Doctor, come quick!" he shouted, hoping someone would hear him. It was rare for this place to be empty.

He quickly leaned down and whispered gently into her ears, trying to calm her down. It seemed to work slightly, as her breathing calmed a little, but she still seemed in pain.

Soon a nurse came over and he was ordered to leave. He did, with a heavy heart.