Prism Book 1 (Complete)

Chapter Sixteen: The Banquet

Is that...?

Is that clapping?

The sound edges in faintly, at first as if it's from the room next door. But when I open my eyes, the sound catches up, and people are standing right in front of me clapping. I am in the transgate room at the Nevadan Base. I am back on Earth.

To my immediate left, Mary looks around the room in disbelief. A woman approaches her quickly with a blanket and wraps it around her lovingly. They escort her to an adjacent room near the platform. Two women approach me as well. One of them places a blanket over me. "Did you hurt your arm, honey?" One asks me.

I am holding my left arm protectively over my right which lies unnaturally limp by side. "Yeah," I say. I sound so sad. The other woman comes behind me, gently guiding me forward. Why is she touching me? I'm covered in Idex goo and Seltsam dirt.

They lead me to a small white room and lay me on a cold examination table. I have only one thing on my mind. "Are the others back safely?" I ask one of the women attending to me. "Are the others okay?"

"The prisms are still returning," the woman says. "We will let you know as soon as possible. Okay hun?"

I cry out in pain as a sharp throb moves through my arm. "Do you have anything to make me sleep?" I ask. "I want to sleep." Tears stream down my face as a sob takes over my whole being.

"Of course, honey. You just rest," she tells me. And that's the last thing I hear before it's lights out for me.

* * *

When I wake, I'm in the bright white room all by myself. I'm lying on a different examination table in nothing but a white towel. I am completely clean and it's a little unnerving. Someone washed me while I was unconscious. With trouble, I sit up and study my right arm that aches. It's in a strange, smooth white cast. I touch the surface of the cast and find it to be cold. I imagine people signing it. People. The others. Are they okay?

The same nurse that met me when I returned from Seltsam comes in unannounced. She has short grey hair that curls under her ears and rosy cheeks.

"Look who's awake," she greets me. "Hi, beautiful girl." The pain in my broken arm has subsided to a faint throb.

"Hi," I whisper. I don't mean to, but my voice is weak.

She comes over to me, placing her palm on my forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"

"How are the others?" I ask frantically. "Are they all back?"

"You are something else aren't you?" She gives me a small smile. "You can take this off now." She reaches for my cast and presses a button on the top. The shell opens up, exposing my arm.

"Is it broken?" I ask.

"It was," she says plainly. "Your arm will be sore for a few days but you're almost completely healed."

I gaze down at my arm in awe.

She smiles at my expression and nods to herself. "The others are fine, dear. However, three did not make it back, I'm afraid."

My eyes grow wild with concern. "Three?" I swallow before I ask. "Who?"

"Michael Gupta, Joshua Hunter, and Adam Lewis," she frowns, "I'm very sorry."

"Adam Lewis?" I echo. "Oh, Pinky. So everyone else made it back?" I ask again, quickly.

"That's right," she says with a lingering and confused frown.

A sigh of relief rises from the pit of my stomach. Jesse is okay. Chelsea is okay. The others are okay! But Josh....Is he really gone?

"Alright, dear, we have to get you ready for the ceremony," she says, interrupting my stream of thoughts.