Lycan Pass

Lycan Pass - Chapter 12

      The nurse had long since washed her shoes. I apologized, and she forgave me; however, she eyed me warily whenever she came close. Probably making sure I wasn't going to puke on her again. There was no chance of that seeing as there was nothing left in my stomach to throw up.

      I felt awful. My head throbbed painfully, my throat was dry and cracked, and I was still woozy. The nurse said it was likely dehydration, and that I should continue sipping my water. When I grabbed the pitcher of water she had placed on the nightstand and tried to chug it, she snatched it away and glared at me, saying I was going to make myself sick again.

      I sat back on the massive fluffy pillows and sighed, slowly sipping tiny cups of water. It felt like heaven, and I wanted more, but the nurse was still giving me the stink eye. I poured another cup and just kept sipping.

      There was a knock on the door. The nurse opened the door and John stepped in, closing the door behind him. Worry was clear on his face. I peered around him, looking for Trevor. He wasn't there. John moved over to the side of the cot that I was laying on and held my hand.

      "Are you alright?" he asked. Should I tell him the truth?

      "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thirsty." Ms.Frowny-Faced-Nurse scowled. John quickly refilled my cup and handed it back to me.

      "Drink up." There was an awkward silence. I could tell John was deliberating asking me or not. I quickly nodded at him, giving him the O.K. "So... What happened?" I motioned my head towards the nurse. John caught on and asked her out of the room for a minute. After she was gone, I took a deep breath and explained it all to him, feeling comfortable with John, even when I was convinced that I was crazy.

      By the time that I finished, John was squinting his eyes in thought, rubbing his jaw mindlessly. I could almost see the gears turning, humming efficiently in the tidy clockworks of his mind. Whatever reaction I was expecting never came. He simply nodded his head slowly and stared out of the window.

      "Alright," he finally said.

      "Alright?" For some reason, that didn't feel like the right answer. I could sense that there was more to his train of thought than 'alright'. I remained silent, however. I chose not to pursue it further.

      There was a long, unbroken silence. Both of us stared out at the overcast weather and watched as a thick curtain of rain approached the village. Within seconds, there was a symphony of water on tin roofs and umbrellas blooming like thirsty flowers tasting the rain. I breathed deeply, inhaling the fresh scent. It must be August now.

      August? How long have I been here? I thought back to the date of the wreck. When was that again? A twinge of guilt hit me. I forgot the date. My thoughts flickered back to my real life back home. Would they still be looking for me? Did they already have a funeral ceremony for me? What did they think happened to me?

      I started to get that suffocating feeling again. I wanted to go home! I didn't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere for the rest of my life! Tears began to well up; I gritted my teeth and refused to let them spill over. No more crying. That was what I had promised myself. I couldn't keep making myself look weak in front of these people, not if I wanted any respect. So far, all I've gotten is pity. I'm tired of seeing it in people's eyes, reminding me about what happened.

      If John noticed my temporary breakdown, he didn't say anything. He just silently handed me another glass of water. I smiled at him, grateful for his understanding. He beamed at me and stood.

      "If you're feeling well enough, would you care to accompany me to lunch" I looked at my gown in dismay.

      "I think I'm a little under-dressed." He walked over to a stand in the corner and grabbed something from it. The clothes I had brought with me to the shower had apparently followed me here. John turned his back to me, and withing minute, I was ready to go. We linked arms and took off down the hallway.