Gleina na Agar: LOTR story (Reader)

Of Dreams And Fables

 For a long time, or maybe it was only a few moments, all you knew was darkness.

There was... something. Some intuition that told you it hadn't ended in fire... For all you knew, this could be the afterlife. It's not like you had ever died before. But something whispered through the dark void of unconsciousness that it wasn't over.

There was a point where you heard someone calling you. Saying your name. It persisted in various tones, and made you curious enough to follow it. Swimming through the vast expanse of blackness, weightless and with no cares or needs, you followed your name... ____... ____...

"____?" The voice grew louder, and somehow more present as the darkness turned into a deep red... then a bright crimson.

You could feel your heart beat against your chest, a few dull pains in your finger and arms. Excited whispers reached your ears and strange noises; shuffling, beeping, scraping. You made to test out your voice, letting out a gravelly moan as your eyes fluttered open. Strange figures wearing white and pale green leaned over you, muttering to each other and to you.

"She's awake!"

"Someone—Brenda, call her parents."

"Hey, there... Welcome back."

You tensed when you realized a plastic mask was digging into your nose and you reached up to tear it off.

"It's alright, take it easy..." A man in a crisp white jacket to your right leaned over to pull the elastic over your head.

You looked around at the bustling figures, "What—What happened? Where am I?"

The doctor put a hand on your arm, "It's ok. You're in Highlands Community Hospital. You hit your head pretty good."

You snapped back to look at him, brow furrowed, "Wha—No, I—I fell..."

"Yes, you did."

"No. I jumped. Into the lava, I—He was..." Your head reeled. How could you be back in your world?! You died!

"Lava? You must have had a bad dream before you hit your head."

"It wasn't a dream!" You insisted, pulling yourself up in a sitting position.

"Look, this may come as a shock to you but you couldn't have been dreaming. You've been in a coma."

It hit you like a runaway semi, "What? How long?"

"Six months. Everyone has been worried sick."

It was then you noticed more of your surroundings. A cluster of brightly colored balloons hovered in the corner, the far wall covered in cards that read 'Get Well Soon,' 'We're Praying For You,' and 'Hope You Feel Better.' Even a stuffed (fav/animal) sat on the table beside you, looking at you with innocent black eyes. Fluorescent lights illuminated the cold white walls of the hospital room. The slow beep of the heart monitor sounded somewhere off to your left.

It was so strange, so alien almost after everything you went through in Middle-Earth. Six months... that was about how long it took you and Frodo to get to Mount Doom... Was it all a dream? You were in a coma, you couldn't have dreams. You don't even know if Frodo made it out alive! If your sacrifice worked!

The doctor could see the panic begin to grow behind your eyes, "I know this is a lot to take in, but we've sent for your family. They'll be here in a little while to greet you. In the meantime, I suggest you rest, try not to move too much. In the meantime, we're going to need to do a few tests. Draw some blood, make sure your levels are all in order, start you on fluids. You're not quite ready for solid food yet..." His voice droned on and you slowly lost attention. You were still shocked you were alive!