The unfortunate adventures of Sarah Richards

Chapter five ~why me?~

I woke up very early Saturday morning in a hospital bed. An IV attached to my arm and a heart monitor beeping. I even had an oxygen mask. (Which i quickly ripped off.) Slowly, I got out of bed and grabbed the weird stand with my IV attached to it. I figured it better to drag this around than to rip out my IV tubes and hurt myself further. I had a splitting headache and my vision was a little blurry so i moved excruciatingly slowly. But eventually i made it out the door of my hospital room and down the hall. "Shit!" I muttered when i realized one of the nurses had seen me and started speed walking in my direction. "Miss Richards, what are you doing out of your room?" She said and set her clipboard down on a hallway table. "Why am i here?" I answered her question with my own. "You were admitted last night. Your parents said you were perfectly fine and then you started screaming before you passed out." She explained. I remembered now. Thinking about the searing pain i'd felt in my arms almost made it come back. "What happened to me? When can i leave?" I asked. I was already frustrated and wanted to get home. I wanted to finish my research. "The doctors don't know." The nurse shook her head slowly. "But, you can leave at noon if nothing else critical pops up." I assume that by critical, she meant unbearable and inexplicable pain that caused me to pass out. "Alright." I nodded slowly. "Where are my parents?" I asked. "They had to go to work. Your mother said she'd be by at noon to at least check on you if you weren't able to leave yet." The nurse answered. I nodded slowly. I had to get out of here. Though i had a hospital gown on, i felt naked. Nothing was covering my legs. I just wanted some pants. "Is there by any chance a way i might have access to a computer?" I asked curiously. The nurse pursed her lips and appeared to be thinking for a moment. "I'll have to check with the doctors. It should be fine though." She nodded. "Thank you." I smiled for probably the first time in a while. "You're welcome. Now go back to your room before we both get in trouble." She chuckled before walking away. I trudged back into my hospital room. Luckily they hadn't put me with a roommate. I sat down on the side of my bed and turned my wrists up towards the ceiling. They were beginning to bruise gently but showed no other signs of what would have caused my sudden pain. I still had a splitting headache but my vision was once again clear. "Why me?" I muttered and lay down carefully. The nurse came in a few minutes later and handed me her laptop. The doctor had said it was fine for me to use one as long as i refrained from anything with loud noises or flashing lights. "Thank you." I told her. She nodded slowly and flashed me a smile before leaving me alone. I assume she'd be back before my mother came to get me.
What had i last been looking at? Theories. I didn't need any more theories or birth reports. What i needed was answers. "The phantom pain!" I shouted all of a sudden. "That was one of the things i found reports on..." I added. More quietly this time. I started typing up everything i could think of to try and find more on the strange afflictions come to some of the "necklace babies." This computer wasn't enough compared to the screens in the secret room but it'd do. First, i found the very first report of it.
November 31st 2033  Bear, Delaware
Andrew Burrn had just spent the day out with his boyfriend, Alexander Laughlin. On his way home from dropping his boyfriend off at his home, Burrn collapsed on the sidewalk claiming he felt as though his shin in his right leg had been shattered. 'I began to feel pain,' quoted Burrn. 'But there was no cause. It was as if i was feeling someone else's pain...'  Later reports came in saying that Laughlin had fallen from the roof while trying to repair a window and shattered his right shin bone at the same moment Burrn collapsed. Conspiracy theorists claim there is some connection between their matching necklaces and the ability to feel one another's pain all of a sudden. No other reported odd feelings felt by "necklace babies" have had any known connection with a second person or their necklace...
"Their what!?" I squealed. I had read this report at least three times before i blacked out last night. The update about Laughlin and the necklaces had not been there before. Quickly, i googled Andrew Burrn and Alexander Laughlin. They indeed had matching necklaces. A deep, solid purple crystal on the simple gold chain and ring everyone else had. "This has got to be it!" I punched the arm rest of my hospital bed in an attempt at expressing my excitement. "The soulmates theory has got to be true!" I gritted my teeth and knotted one hand in my hair. The nurse walked in, seeing me like this she gasped sharply and rushed over. "Miss Richards, are you alright?!" She asked and began checking my vitals. "I'm better than ever." I replied and grinned at her. Handing her back her laptop after sending the links of all the reports to my e-mail so i could continue research later. "Good." She said. Her voice lost all hint of panic and went back to it's usual prim, condescending tone. "Your mother is on her way to pick you up. Unless something happens all of a sudden, you'll be free to go." She told me and changed the bag of fluid attached to my IV tubes. "Thank you." I nodded slowly and smiled at her.
An hour later, my mother arrived. She'd left dad at home with Orwell since he didn't have a case to rush off and grant. Clothes! The best part was that she brought me pants. I've never liked dresses of any kind.
"MOM, GUESS WHAT!" I shouted as soon as we got in the car. "I can hear you, Sarah. What?" She said slowly. "I think i cracked the meaning of the necklaces!" I panted.