Nurses come and go, or maybe it's one nurse. I don't know. There are whispers about my collar and the strange phenomenon surrounding it. 'The Thing', as they call it, won't come off. I know that it won't- It's virtually indestructible thanks to the magic that links it to me and Seras. It won't come off unless Seras does it herself or she dies. The doctors don't know that, though, and they worry when nothing they use takes my collar off my neck. But I'm attended to anyway, my back wound being constantly checked. The drugs they've given me make me feel a little weird and they completely wreck my ability to see thoughts. All I can see are little grey clouds where thoughts should be, and it's scary. I'm never telling anyone what modern day medicine can do to me.
"You're doing well," one of the nurses, or maybe the only nurse, says to me two days after my incident. Seras has yet to come.
I say nothing as I was instructed to and let the nurse clean my wound and change my bandage. She checks some machines at my bedside and gives me a smile as she moves about. I don't know what she's doing. I've never actually been in a real hospital before. Of course I've been hurt, but usually I'm tended to by a private doctor or simple made to rest by my mistress. It's not wise to allow outsiders access to me and my scar riddled body. Questions are bound to be asked that way.
When the nurse is finished she stands at the foot of my bed and holds onto her elbows. I wonder why she doesn't just cross her arms- it has the same effect.
"Are you ready to talk yet?" she asks.
I stare at her and blink slowly. My lips have been shut since I've arrived, and I don't plan on changing that any time soon.
The nurse sighs. "Well, you'll be just fine with rest. Maybe you want me to call a family member...?"
Still, I remain silent.
"Okay, then. I'll be back later to check on you." She hesitates, hoping I'll say something. But I don't so she leaves the room and lets me be.
I sigh, resting on my mountain of pillows. All I want to do is go home to Seras and make her happy. We've been separated much too long for my liking. I feel good enough, so why hasn't she come for me yet? She said she would and I believed her. Believe her. I have to otherwise I'll be stuck in this hospital forever.
For the next day I spend the time counting and recounting ceiling tiles, keeping my mouth shut and letting the drugs the doctors gave me make their way out of my system. Over and over the nurses have tried to get words out of me, or at least my name. I remain quiet. I've heard, though, that something has to be done about me. Apparently payment is needed in order for me to continue to heal in this place. It's a shame and I feel bad for the poor who can't afford to get hurt.
As I think about how the current system could be modified, my skin tingles with the feeling of Seras's presence near by. I jerk up in bed and one of the machines starts to beep faster, and I wet my lips in anticipation. I don't even care anymore that it took her three days to come get me. I'm just glad she's finally here.
The machine beside me beeps even faster the closer Seras gets to my room, and it won't stop. I hate the annoying noise but I ignore it the best I can. Besides, Seras is only a few doors down now. I grin as I see her approach my room's door and the beeping machine goes haywire. Seras flinches and grabs onto the bag slung over her shoulder, curses, then runs to the machine and does something I can't see, and the crazy beeps stop.
"Christ," Seras murmurs, turning to me. "Does that happen every time you see me?"
"What?"
