A light buzzing fills my ears as I slowly wake.
I look to see a hospital room and multiple machines, all of which I was hooked up to.
A nurse with a warm smile walks over and starts to speaking to me. Her voice, muffled to the point of no comprehension.
I blinked up at her, dazed and dizzy.
My ears slowly tune to hear her voice.
"I know you are probably a bit tired, but you had a visitor. Young man who said he was a friend."
"Robert?" I ask pushing myself up onto my elbows and immediately regretting it.
Her soft smile dropped to a sympathetic look.
"The man you were in the car with, he was rushed to an emergency center. I'm afraid he is not in any condition to be visiting you. But good news is in a few days, you will be well enough to leave and go visit him."
My heart dropped. Robert. he was in an emergency center. How could this have happened? My eyes glazed over as I sat in sorrow.
"I'll leave you to rest," the nurse said patting my shoulder and leaving the room. "But before I go, your visitor left this for you." she pulled out a small playing card. "He said you would understand the meaning behind it, or you would in time."
That night I slept very timidly, awaking every time I heard one of the machines go off. After an outbreak of beeps from a certain one in the corner of the room I decided to go the the restroom and stretch my legs.
The hallways were long and narrow. I pulled my iv drip along with me. Most of the lights were out and I had no clue why. Weren't hospitals open 24/7? I turned to find a longer hallway in which the bathroom was located. pushing the door open I found it light much brighter than the hallways. The mirror was big and spotless. I pulled my drip to the counter and looked at my reflection.
My eyes were sunken, my skin blotchy, and my hair was pulled up into a knotty bun. I looked like death. I looked worse than I ever had. Seeing myself like that made me think of Robert, and how terrible he must look.
As I was walking out I stopped to remember the path I had taken to get to the bathroom. While mentally retracting my steps, the lights over head on the hallway flickered then went out. I whimpered and stood in the dark with my hand gripped tightly around my drips stand.
I slowly started for what I thought was the right path back to my room. Inching forward in the dark I heard a rustle in the distance. My heart sped up as I stopped dead in my tracks.
"Hello?"
Silence.
I slowly started to retreat back to the restroom. Still facing the empty hallway. My hospital dress caught under my drips wheels and sent us both to the ground.
Strong hands catch me right before I hit the ground. I look up to see a man with a poisonous smile.
"It seems you aren't even able to walk correctly, back to your room you go."
In one swift movement he had me cradled in his arms, carrying me though the dark hallway.
"I don't believe this is proper hospital staff conduct," I said trying to squirm from his grasp.
His grip tightened, "But I'm not any hospital staff," his smile spread," Im the one who is In charge of taking care of the mentally," he paused," unstable patients."
I gasped, "mentally unstable? Are you saying I'm crazy?" My tone had turned sour.
"All I'm saying is that I'm not the one wandering the hallways at night. and if you didn't know, roaming with out a nurse to accompany you is not allowed."
"I just went to the restroom, the nurse said I'd be fine in a few days so I thought it nothing to take a stroll."
He shrugged "whatever you say little thing."
I was about to object to my new nickname but he stopped at a door. My door.
"This was fun and all but I've finished my duty," he nudged the door open with his foot and set me in my bed. "Now you're lucky I like you, I usually charge for such a service." he smiled.
"Goodbye now." He turned to walk out of the room when I saw a small deck of cards sticking out from his pocket. They had the same art as the card my "visitor" left me. He turned and saw me staring at the cards in his pants.
He clicked his tongue,"Now now, I barely know you. don't objectify me. there will be plenty of time for that later."
My eyes grew heavy and I fell into slumber with my mind still rushing.
