Seasons of Ferne, Summer's Passion

Chapter 37

Evelyn woke to the sound of quietly beeping machines and monitors in her ears and bright sunlight in her eyes. Squinting against the sting of the light, Evelyn struggled to sit up as she manipulated the various wires and tubes connected to her chest and arms. Eyes still nearly closed, Evelyn explored the window frame with her other hand until she managed to find a draw string for the curtains. Fighting both her disorientation and the urge to gag on the acrid smell of disinfectant, she managed to pull them shut, cutting off the blinding yellow light and allowing her eyes to focus on her surroundings.

The walls were a dull beige, sickly illuminated by ugly florescent light. A typical feature of every hospital room she'd ever visited. Evelyn groaned, allowing herself to fall back onto the hot pillow as she took stock of her situation. How long had she been here? The last time she had been brought to the hospital after using her magic she had nearly been in a coma, and that burst of magic hadn't been half as intense as this last episode.

A light knock on the door snapped Evelyn out of her thoughts. "Come in," she called out softly. A moment later the door squeaked open as an older, grey haired nurse Evelyn recognized from her last visit walked into the room.

"Sleeping beauty's awake at last!" she said cheerfully as she closed the privacy curtain in front of the door. "Up to your old tricks I see! How are you feeling?"

"Groggy," Evelyn admitted. "How long have I been in here?"

"Oh, only about a day this time. Though you gave us quite a scare! Seem to be doing much better now," she said, busily checking the monitors.

"Where are my parents?"

The nurse took Evelyn's wrist in her hand and felt for a pulse while watching the clock. "They'll be here soon I'm sure, went to bring you some fresh clothes I believe. Your boyfriend should be back any minute, went to get coffee in the cafeteria."

Another knock on the door, much louder than the first, announced Brandon's return. "Can I come in?" he called from the hallway.

"Well speak of the devil. "Yes! But only for a minute!"

"You're awake!" Brandon announced with a grin after pushing his way past the curtain. He had a cup in one hand and his phone in the other, making his attempts to close the curtain awkward. "How's she doing, Gail? Able to get up and dance yet? Maybe run a few laps around the building?"

Gail shook her head. "Quite the personality your boyfriends got, made himself quite well known around the hospital already."

Evelyn smiled weakly. "Yeah, he's a bit of a character. When will I be able to leave?"

"When you're released. But good news for the moment, I'll at least be able to disconnect you from a lot of this mess and make you more comfortable," she said turning to Brandon. "You, however, need to leave the room for a moment."

"Aww, I just got back in here!" Brandon protested, flashing her a grin. "Come on Gail, I thought we had a good thing going!"

"Young man, unless that's a wedding ring I see on her finger I will not permit you to be in this room while I make this young lady undress!" she said sternly.

"Ok, ok! Just kidding!" he said, holding his hands up defensively. "I'll, uh, just go make a call and let her folks know she's up and moving!"

"Good idea. Out," she said, pointing at the door.

Brandon winked at Evelyn and slipped into the hallway, making a show of avoiding Gail. When he finally shut the door Gail shook her head and chuckled. "He's a good one, a little full of himself, but a good one."