Worldheart (A Justice League fanfic)

2 - New Questions

The first thing that Jaz became aware of was her hands. They tingled. She tried to ball them into fists, but they barely responded too her... Then, vaguely, she became aware of pain. It seeped in every joint and pore on her body, emanating from the back of her head. When she dared to open her eyes the light bore into her skull. She groaned. The sound of a whimper, the feel of a furry snout nuzzling her hands. The heavy weight of a paw as something crawled into her bed. Bed? She closed her fingers around scratchy sheets. The sound of beeping. Hospital beeping. It was like a hammer, steadily drilling into her skull. Beep. Beep. Beep.

She groaned again. Whimper. She grunted back in response. "Dog?" Her voice was hoarse. Something wet and warm licked her cheek. It was the dog. "Can..." She grimaced; the sound of her own voice was a new torture in her slowly expanding world of consciousness. "The beeping... Stop." She grit her teeth, focusing on her breathing. Beep. Beep.

The weight of the dog resting against her side lifted. Her arm twitched, but that was all it was willing to do for her. She couldn't even lift it to feel for where the dog had gone... She was slowly slipping into sleep again when the bed shifted and a comforting weight returned to her side. The spike of pain that had been building up was finally relaxing now that the strike of the hammer wasn't pounding in her skull. She drifted back unconscious.

Jaz sat up in an unfamiliar hospital room. She was dressed only in a hospital gown and her forehead was wrapped in gauze, with a thick patch making a matt of her hair in the back of her head. A bowl of untouched dog food and water sat by the door, and the border collie was laying on top of her legs, watching her. "I passed out?" It seemed to nod. She rubbed her face, "Don't recon you can tell me how long I was out for eh?" Blessedly, the dog didn't respond. She felt relieved. She was beginning to think she was crazy, talking to a dog that seemed to almost understand her.

Jaz's face grew serious when the door opened and a doctor entered her room, followed by two... Detectives? They wore leather jackets and blue jeans. Classic detective uniforms in this world she assumed. The doctor was a short stout woman, with frizzy red hair and comically large framed glasses. "Ahh. I'm glad to see you're finally awake. I'm doctor Vesser," The doctor motioned to the two men beside him, "And this is detective Coleson and Detective Gabes." Detective Coleson was a tall thin man, his leather jacket looked newer and still stiff. He had light brown hair that was just beginning to show signs of thinning at the top and he stood maybe six feet tall. Beside him, Detective Gabes was a larger build black man with thick curly hair, perfectly trimmed short. His leather jacket looked soft and older, but very well maintained and he wore a kind smile.

"Hello." Jaz replied to the three. She still felt sluggish, her brain was barely keeping up with what was going on around her.

"I'm glad to see you're finally awake. You've caused quite a stir here with what happened a couple days ago." Detective Coleson was the first to speak.

"I've been out for days?" Jaz asked somewhat astounded.

"Yes, I was hoping you could enlighten us with your name." Detective Coleson spoke in a polite manner, though his kindness seemed skin deep.

"It's Jaz. Jaz Heller." It was easy enough to give, though she dreaded a moment like this happening. If they looked into her name, they'd find no record of her ever existing in this world, because she shouldn't.

"Jaz..." Detective Gabes spoke, but after a moment it became apparent he wasn't going to finish his thought.

"Right, Jaz, do you remember what happened that lead you to wind up in this place?" Detective Coleson asked.

Jaz blinked for a moment at him while she tried to summon the memory of the night before... "Perhaps its best if we let our patient rest and eat. She's only just woken up." The doctor smiled kindly at Jaz. "You two wanted her name, and you have it."