Jareth's Return

Dori(15)

Waking up was difficult. To Dori, it felt like there was cement on her eyelids, keeping them shut. Eventually she realized that she hurt; her whole body was in some form of pain. The closer she came to consciousness, the more she could feel it.

After what seemed like hours, Dori was finally able to pry her eyes open. She was blinded by a white light and shut them much faster than they had opened. Where was she? Why was it so bright?

The lights caused a pounding in her head and she raised her right hand, which was strangely heavy, to clutch her forehead. That wasn't the best idea because she hit her head with what felt like a rock. Groaning, Dori rubbed and covered her eyes.

She blinked her eyes rapidly to clear them and adjust to the sterile light.

Hospital. Hospital? Why am I in a hospital? The room she was in was one of those hospital rooms that was decorated to not feel like a hospital. It didn't work; it was too clean. Too antiseptic.

She looked around her bed and found the Remote. The remote that controlled everything from her bed to the television to calling the nurses. Which is what he wanted.

After pressing a button, a voice came through the speaker. "Hi, what do you need?"

"Um." Dori's voice was scratchy from disuse and she cleared her throat. "I just woke up her. Can someone come talk to me?"

"Oh. Oh. Let me get your doctor."

"Thanks." She was suddenly overtaken by a coughing fit, which lasted until her doctor showed up.

"Whoa there, take it easy, tiger." He rushed to get her a glass of water.

Once Dori was finished, her doctor took her vitals and did whatever tests doctors do.

"Well, young lady, you were lucky that truck didn't kill you."

"Truck?" She was...hit by a truck? That didn't sit well on her mind.

"Yes, your side of the car was hit directly by a pickup truck."

No, no that was wrong. She was...she was.....studying. She was at home and she had been studying, then...her father. He was angry about something, someone.

In the midst of her thinking, the doctor left saying something about a nurse coming to draw blood soon.

Who was he angry about?

Dori couldn't remember. The only she could remember was long blond hair.

What am I gonna do?

She brought her hands up to her face and was once once again whacked by the cast she kept forgetting about. "Dammit, ow!"

"If I had known you were going to wake up, I'd never have let them talk me into going to that blasted cafeteria." A man with blond hair and an accent walked in with a cup in his hand. "Are you alright?"

"What?" Dori found this man to be incredibly handsome, but she couldn't understand why he was in her room.

A thought donned on her, then. Dad was mad about a man with blond hair. Was it this man?

"You said 'ow.' Generally, that means someone has been hurt. Mind you, you're in a hospital bed, so that was probably a rather stupid question." He chuckled nervously as he took a seat on her left side.

He reached for her hand, but Dori pulled it into her lap. "Do I know you?"

"Do you- what?" He blinked at her, seemingly hurt by the words. "Of course you know me. I'm Jareth. We've know each other for weeks, we're in a....relationship of sorts."