Reality Check : : Barry Allen (REWRITING)

06

I can feel myself trying to wake up, and echoes of that strange dream bounce around in my head.

I'm suitable. I've been chosen for a trade. I'm needed. I must wake up.

You must wake up.

So maybe it wasn't a dream. Slowly but surely, I manage to wake myself up, opening my eyes and seeing nothing. Am I back in that weird dream place? Did I ever leave?

Speak.

What? Why?

I try to open my mouth to speak, but my throat is raw and no sound comes out, just a silent, airy groan.

Look around.

I don't know why I'm suddenly trusting the voice; I know it belongs to the light figure and that it's trying to help me, but I know practically nothing else about it at all.

I do as it says, turning my head to the side slightly and straining my eyes to see in this dark room. There are a couple of flashing lights and I can hear a steady beeping sound.

I'm in a hospital?

"What's going on?" My voice is hoarse and it hurts, but it's enough for the light figure to hear me.

You are Cara and Cara is you.

What? Who's this person it keeps saying is me? The only Cara I know is some kid I used to go to school with over a decade ago.

Suddenly, the lights turn on. My gaze wonders across the room until it meets that of a very familiar set of eyes. Ben.

"You're awake?" My brother's voice is relieved and he looks like he's about to burst into tears. Wow. So the jerk does have feelings. "Nurse! Nurse, she's awake!" Ben yells out the door before coming over to my bedside and taking my hand.

"Ben?" I'm so confused. He smiles at me as tears start running down his face like a mini tsunami.

"I didn't know how long you'd be like that, and after everything that's happened with Mum and Dad, I couldn--"

"Mr Quick, I'm afraid you'll have to leave while I talk to her and figure out just how bad this is." A doctor appears in the doorway with two nurses behind him.

"Yeah, of course." My brother wipes his face hurriedly, tosses me a forced smile, then leaves while pulling out his phone.

"What happened?" I ask as soon as the door closes behind Ben. I notice a faint white silhouette sitting on a table in the corner of the room.

"What's the last thing you remember?" The doctor asks. His shirt says his name is Dr Jones.

"Um, I don't--" I stop talking when images flash through my mind, showing shards of glass flying through the air and a branch appearing in front of me. I'm in a car, upside down, blood trickling down my arms and pain shooting up my back. "I was in a car accident."

"Very good. Do you remember who was driving? Who was in the car with you?" Dr Jones asks. Pictures of my parents flash through my mind, then I'm back in the car, staring at my unconscious parents in the front.

"My parents were there. Mum was driving." I say slowly. "Are they okay?" I glance at the light figure and it hasn't moved.

"Listen, sweetie, we nee--"

"You can't call me that. It's what Mum calls me." I cut the doctor off. He swallows and looks down at his clipboard for a few seconds. My stomach drops.

"Miss Quick, when your car flipped, the front half was crushed more than the back. Your parents... They didn't make it." Dr Jones says slowly, calmly.