Welcome to Sealantis

chapter 8: time will tell

some spoiler amount of time later...

I groaned and tried to sit up, but my head felt way too woozy. I brought a hand to my forehead, then screamed and flailed like a freshman in the third floor bathrooms.

That is not my hand.

Panic rose in me as I stared in horror at the hand-shaped object on the floor. It was green and scaly, with a glittery, iridescent rainbow of hues cascading down from where the wrist would be attached if it weren't severed completely.

Gross, a Sealien hand.

Why was I clutching it in my sleep? Weird.

I decided to look around instead.

My first impression was white. The environment felt sterile, and the pungent aroma of cleaning chemicals didn't do much to help it, either. Clam-shaped plushies and gem-looking pillows were haphazardly piled up in one corner; a dog bed resided in the other. I seemed to be alone in the room, but the Starships saga was playing on the hologram so I couldn't complain about the lack of company. 

My eyes strayed to my own body. I was mostly covered in white sheets, but my arms - Oh, my.

My arms looked saggy and wrinkly. An IV stuck out of my right hand.

What HAPPENED?!

I struggled to think clearly. Something had happened, and something big had happened, too. I couldn't help but fixate on my IV. I was pretty sure it was responsible for my brain fog.

Well, people rip out IV's in shows all the time, I thought to myself. It can't hurt too bad.

I tore off the tape keeping the tubing flat against my skin and yanked at it.

Good news: I got the IV out.

Bad news: It hurt. A lot.

I was in the midst of staring dumbly at my arm, which really did not look great, when the room suddenly reverberated twelve times and the doors opened. A smiling girl a little older than me waltzed into the room, looking down to adjust her gloves as she entered the room.

"Hey Miss Millie! It's me Jus-" She stopped abruptly as she finally looked at me, her jaw open in shock. She gaped like Andy would whenever Trident teased her about cooking Kiwi for emergency rations.

"Miss Millie?" I asked incredulously - or tried to. My voice was so hoarse, it was hardly audible. I cleared my throat and swallowed painfully before trying again. "W-what's going on?"

The girl plastered a smile on her face and waved with a gloved hand. "Hello! It's lovely to see you awake, Miss Millie. My name is Justicia - do you know where you are?"

I shot daggers at her with a cold glare. Obviously not, since I don't know what's going on.

Justicia didn't falter. "You were in a bad accident - you're in a hospital right now. National C- er, it's the finest hospital in the country. I'm your day nurse!"

I stared at her in silence. Bad accident? Hospital?

I could've sworn there was something vital to remember, something important I had to do - but everything was still so frustratingly fuzzy. It'd probably take some time for the drugs to wear off.

"It's noon now; I'm here for your lunch, but I suppose that might have to wait a little." Her eyes strayed to my hand, which was still bleeding. "That looks painful. I'm going to take a look at your hand here, Miss Millie, and make sure you're patched up, alright?" She reached over me, but I jerked my hand away.