Sophia

Chapter 4: Calm Down

As I lie on the bed, the doctor explains to my mother that they are going to be doing a M.R.I and then a CT scan of my head to see if a brain bleed is causing my symptoms. However, as I half listen to what he is saying, I notice something in the corner. The shadow moves ever so slightly, but every time I blink, I see it move a little bit. Not enough to alarm anyone, but enough to get where it is going before anyone else notices except for me.

Perhaps, it is all in my head again. Although, when I see an eye blink, it begins to creep me out. While my mom and the good doctor keep talking, I start to feel the hairs on my arms stand straight up. The fine hairs on the back of my neck tickle me and then suddenly it feels like someone is pulling them. Wincing, I blink the tears quickly out of my eyes before anyone else notices.

Realizing that there is something strange going on, I try to figure out if it is all in my head, or if it's really happening. At this point, I am almost hoping that I have something wrong, so at least I know there isn't a creature looming in the shadows, just waiting to get me. "Sophia, are you ready to go?" A tall man in his 20's walks past the doctor and my mom before smiling and addressing me cheerfully.

"I'm Toby. I will be your flight attendant today. So, hold on and prepare for takeoff." He says jokingly, but then pops up the side arms of the bed, so I can't fall out.

Now I am beginning to wonder if he isn't telling the truth for a second, until he begins to push me quickly out the door. The bed just barely escapes slamming into the right side of the doorframe, before the doctor cries out, "Toby! We want her in one piece you know."

He grins down at me while I stare frantically at him. Feeling half scared out of my mind, I finally settle down when he begins to slow clear down for the big security doors. Apparently, he must push the button before we can go through, so he leaves the head of the bed and rushes over to kick the button like a Kung Fu master. "Hiya." He says while grinning like a little kid before returning to the head of the bed and then pushing me through the open doors.

While looking down at me he states gleefully, "See. I told you I had you. You are safe with me."

Swallowing hard, I begin to wonder if this guy is one of the mental patients, because as soon as anyone sees him coming down the hall, they all get out of the way as fast as they can. "Toby!" A nurse exclaims when he comes to an abrupt stop right before hitting her.

The bed careens to the side and almost hits the wall before he says breathlessly, "That was a close one." As he looks down at me and smiles with a toothy grin.

"Boy, the people they employ around here are crazy." I think to myself while shaking my head. I guess we must be here, because he stays put and then says in a whisper next to my ear., "So, the doctors didn't tell me much about your diagnosis, except for the fact that you coded twice in one day. What does it feel like to die if I might ask?" He asks with a strange look on his face and then straightens up when the doctor walks by.

I turn to him and stare into his eyes before answering his question. Hesitating, I think about it for a few seconds before stating, "Curiously, I couldn't feel anything except for when the electricity of the paddles coursed through me and then it felt like I was being yanked back into my body. Other than that, I was enjoying being taller than all the adults in the room." Before I start laughing.

"Hm?" He asks with a furrowed brow and a frown spreading across his lips. "What do you mean?"

"While all the machines' alarms were sounding, I began to float up to the ceiling. I swear that I hovered above everyone for at least 5 minutes. It was hard to tell because it felt like time was standing still while it all was happening." Pausing for a moment to breathe, I go on, "I even thought it was funny that the doctor has a little bald spot starting right at the top of his head."

Startled when I say this, he looks at me funny and then backs up a few feet. I watch as he appears to swallow hard and then asks quietly, "Bald spot?" While looking both ways down the hall before continuing, "How did you know about that? You were unconscious yesterday when this happened, then right before he left work last night, I teased him about his bald spot in the locker room. This morning I noticed that he must have combed it over, because the bald spot is gone now. So, I ask again. How do you know about it?"

Clearing my throat, I say cautiously, "There are a lot of things that I see now. Some of them I think are imaginary. The other things I see I really hope are just in my head." Before swallowing hard when I notice that strange shadow behind Toby.

Peering into the darkness of it, I watch as it blinks again. When the door opens, Toby moves to the side, and someone pushes another bed past me. "Ah. It's our turn." He announces happily before steering the bed into the little diagnostics room.

There is a huge machine to the one side of me and then a smaller machine that says M.R.I on the side of it. I can only assume that the bigger, older machine is the CT scan. Remembering what the doctor and Toby said, I know that both will be used to scan my brain.

"Alright. Now this won't hurt a bit, I promise." He says calmly this time, I assume to make sure that I don't get overly scared.

After positioning my bed next to the CT scan, he has me scoot over onto that platform and then he straps me in.

"Wait a minute, no one said that I would be strapped in." I say panicked and then close my eyes when he assures me that it will be alright.

"Calm down. We don't need your heart rate up or anything. The test won't read accurately if you are stressed." He says softly while running his fingers over my hair to calm me.

It reminds me of how I use to pet Ralph before he died and then suddenly all the sadness from his death hits me full force.

"Why do I have to think about things like this always at the craziest times?" I ask myself before inhaling deeply and then exhaling slowly to stop the tears from flowing.

When I hear him turn the music on, it takes my mind off Ralph and then everything suddenly feels better. For some reason, I have noticed that music always has a way of making me feel better. Even when Sylvia, the girl from down the street died.

Sylvia and I had a blood pact that we would always have each other's backs. Unfortunately, I didn't keep up my part of the bargain when I found out that her dad hit her. I know I should have told my mom, but her father told me that if I said anything, he would bury me in the backyard.

Two days later she was dead, and her father was in jail. Knowing that I will always carry that with me until the day I die, I dread ever caring about someone like that again.

After a very boring hour or so, Toby finally declares, "We are done."

While helping me back onto my bed, I notice that it suddenly seems much more comfortable now then it was earlier. It must have been because the M.R.I table was so hard, and I was forced to lie on it for what seems like forever. When he begins to push me down the long corridor, I start to complain and ask, "Can I please have some medicine when I get back to the room? I hurt." Because my whole body is aching now, and I almost can't stand it.

"Sure. I will tell the nurse right away as soon as we get back, kiddo." He says while sounding concerned.

When I look up intohis eyes, I see worry for some reason and begin to wonder what it showed on thescans.