Sentinel Event

Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Aidriel began to float toward the edge of consciousness to the sound of the steady drone of an engine. He was vaguely aware of constant vibration, and could hear and sense people around him.

"Type AB positive," a man was saying.

"Universal recipient," commented a woman. "Probably saved his life a couple of times."

He could hear the watery sound of a bag of liquid being handled. Someone was sniffing and sighing.

"Why are you crying?" asked the man.

"It's just, he's about the same age as my son," another woman replied, "and seeing him like this, oh, you know. I wouldn't want to see my own son like this. It must be horrible for him."

"I wouldn't get too attached to him," replied the first woman. "I heard what happened. With stuff like that, I doubt he's going to survive long."

Aidriel wanted to tell her that he agreed with her.

"He's waking up." Dreamer shushed them. "He'll hear you."

Aidriel managed to get his eyes to open and found four faces looking down at him. Dreamer and the first of the other women, a nurse, had long enough hair that it hung around their faces and was moving steadily. They were all riding in the back of some sort of private ambulance.

"Are you in any pain?" asked the man, a doctor. Aidriel attempted to lift his hand to touch his face, but it was strapped down.

"Don't try to move," the second nurse told him. "You've got severe bruising."

"You don't have to tell me that," he mumbled miserably.

"And you look like you got mauled," piped in the sniffling nurse, "by a bear."

The other nurse and doctor gave her a dirty look, but she shrugged it off, muttering, "Well, he does!"

"How did you ever become a nurse?" asked the other nameless woman.

"I worked at a doctor's office; not too often you saw severe injuries or death there. Give me a break, will ya?"

Dreamer's eyes glazed over at the mention of the bear, and she stared listlessly out the side window until Aidriel spoke again.

"Where're we going?" he asked gruffly.

"You're being transported," answered the doctor. "North, toward Lake Erie. I guess the jet couldn't meet us any closer. I don't know how much we're at liberty to tell you, but it was decided the Bird Cage wasn't safe enough."

"Where is safe enough?"

"We can't tell you."

"I can't even know where I'm going?"

"No. Are you in any pain?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

The doctor nodded and began to fumble around with something out of Aidriel's line of view, muttering about giving him more analgesic.

Dreamer, who was sitting above Aidriel's head, leaned over him and whispered, "What saved you?"

Aidriel felt a blanketing of calmness and comfort originating from the arm where the shot of painkiller had been administered.

"I don't know," he murmured, blinking heavily. "Ask Williams. He was there."

"He won't tell us anything."