#UNTILTHEN Prologue
Red and blue lights pulsed frantically against a bluish sky.
Voices and images began to fly from every direction as she was lifted from her deep thought. Uniforms flashed past her line of vision – doctors and nurses. When the doors swung open, faces crowded her, firing questions.
"Mrs. Riva, can you hear me? I'm Dr. Maniego, and you're at Reagan Medical Hospital in Barcelino. We're going to take you out of the ambulance and into the emergency room."
Shivering from sudden change of environment, Riva reacted to the male voice that was constantly calling her back into consciousness, but she couldn't seem to have a strength to answer.
"Can you hear me, Mrs. Riva?"
The doctor who had spoken was bending over her, examining her head, and beside him, a nurse was holding a clear plastic bag of IV fluid.
"Why am I here?," Riva managed to answer in a whisper. "Wait, who is Riva? Is that my name?"
He nodded and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Your name is Riva Ellise de Acuzar and your husband is on his way to take you home. In the meantime, you have some very big fans at Reagan Medical Hospital, including me, and we're going to take excellent care of you."
