Winter Fire

Ch. 60 [The Sixth Question]

Winter Fire
Ch. 60
The Sixth Question

Something was beeping continously. The sound made it into my dreams and dragged me out of my sleep. Confusion woke with me. My eyes blinked back the bright florescent light, squinting around me at what could only be a hospital room. But why was I in a hospital room?

I tried to get up, but an IV tugged at my hand. I looked down at it, tangled in my arm. I unwound it slowly and sat up. I glanced out the window, at the city, at the towering skyscrapers of Grayson.

The door opened and a nurse entered. He was middle-aged, but he had a fatherly look about him and a trustworthy aura. His nametag read George Stanley. He smiled when he saw I was awake.

"Glad to see you're finally up. We were starting to get concerned." He chuckled. He checked the monitors as he spoke. "Everything's looking good. Once we get all the details and paperwork settled, you should be able to get out by tomorrow."

My brows furrowed. I glanced back at the window, then around me at the hospital room. "How did I get here?" I asked.

The nurse turned to me. "You passed out. Don't you remember?"

"No . . ." I responded slowly. Confusion and suspicion twisted through me. "Last I recall I was eating lunch, at school. Why am I in a hospital?"

This entire situation was starting to freak me out. I glanced down at myself, at my clothes. Why was I wearing slacks and a blouse? I hated blouses. And what happened to my contacts? The whole room was fuzzy.

Nurse Stanley frowned. "The boy who found you, Jae, he said you were just standing in the street, dazed and unresponsive. When you finally snapped out of it, you were lightheaded and confused. When you passed out he called an ambulance and accompanied you here. He stayed all afternoon and all night just to make sure you were alright."

The streets? What on earth?

"Did you go to the wrong room, cause I was at school, okay?" I said shortly. "And what's with the IV?" I lifted my hand.

His lips pressed together. "I'm not in the wrong room. I was one of the nurses that were there when you arrived. You were very malnourished and dehydrated. And it looked like you hadn't gotten a good night's rest in a while. We had to get some fluids and nutrition in you. You were unconscious for almost 16 hours."

Malnourished? Dehydrated? I mean, I didn't eat the best, but what high schooler did? And I was sleeping fine. I stayed up a few nights studying, but that was normal. Nothing that needed hospitalization.

"Is this some kind of joke?" I was starting to get exasperated and a little afraid. "Please, just tell me what is going on."

"This isn't a joke." The nurse replied. The lighthearted glow in his eyes had turned somber. "I'm telling you the truth." He frowned. "Maybe you should sit down."

I shook my head. "No."

He sighed. "Alright. You don't have to do anything. But can you try and tell me the last thing you remember?"

I scowled and crossed my arms in irritation. "I was in the cafeteria. I'd just sat down to eat after going through the lunch line."

"What were you eating?"

"Why does that matter?!" I cried.

"Just answer the question, please." His voice was calm.

"A turkey and cheese sandwich and chips." I replied shortly.

"And you have no idea how you got on the streets?"

"No. I already told you that."

He nodded. "Just making sure. Can you tell me your name?"