Of Monsters and Music

One Short Day - Wicked

LADY ASPENWIND

"Sunny Falafel," I say decisively to the man at the front desk of the Fey clinic I dropped the young lady off at yesterday.

He gives me a raised eyebrow, and his fingers pause over (the Fey version of) a computer. "Mhmm."

I wait for him to continue, but he doesn't. "Is she still unconscious?"

The man taps a few keys before answering with a simple, "yes."

"Great! I'd like to move her to the Ever After School. She's actually just in a Tale, you see, and they want to keep her at their infirmary."

He hums like my answer explains everything, but in a very condescending way. "I'll let the doctors know."

I wait for him to continue, but the man just looks back at his computer and continues typing.

I resist the urge to give him my do you know who I am speech, as well-rehearsed and pre-prepared as it is.

"Would I be able to see her?"

The man's stare continues to stay on his computer, but he points vaguely over his shoulder at a hallway. "Room ten."

When I arrive at Sunny's room, there's no-one there.

The lack of doctors is expected - she's not dying, and they've probably run all the tests they could possibly think of to figure out why she fainted and didn't wake up. She's just... not awake.

But considering I dropped her off yesterday, and her family has wings and therefore doesn't need to wait for any sort of public transport, I expected there to be somebody here, with her. Or at the very least, some sort of evidence of people being here in the past - like, maybe I just missed them, for example.

There's nothing, though. The floors are spotless; the chair looks like the last time it was used was about five years ago; her blankets and pillows are wrinkle-free, meaning no hand-holding or leaning over to kiss her forehead and...

...this is making me quite sad, actually. She's unconscious in a hospital and nobody knew why, and she doesn't have any family here, waiting for her to wake up.

I remember Chase, unconscious after arriving back at EAS only a few days ago, surrounded by his friends and, later, me.

She's all alone.

I sit in the chair that's never been sat in and wait for a doctor to enter the room. When she does, it's with a gentle smile and tired eyes.

"Hello," she says softly. "I'm Dr Istle. I hear we're moving our patient today?"

"Yes, yes," I say distractedly, standing from my seat, and ask the real question. "Did you call her family? Has there been anyone in?"

Dr Istle furrows her brow and moves to the end of Sunny's bed, where she picks up a clipboard attached to the frame. After reading it for a few moments, she drops the clipboard and it slowly swings back into place.

"We tried calling, but they hung up as soon as we mentioned Sunny's name. I don't think they know she's at the hospital."

I gasp, looking over at Sunny's blank face against the pale, stiff sheets. "Poor girl."

The tired smile returns to Dr Istle's face. "At least she doesn't know that she's alone."

Oh, but isn't that so much worse?

"I guess you're right."

"Let's get Sunny to EAS, shall we?" Dr Istle says, and makes a waving motion down the hallway, summoning people to transport her to a Door Treck door, I would assume. "And then she won't be alone, will she?"