You Will Be Found

Chapter Three

When I awoke this time I drifted into consciousness. A constant, rhythmic beeping accompanied the quiet of the blood pressure cuff squeezing my upper left arm, making me aware that I wasn't locked up in a dark cupboard, nor in the musty damp apartment wher I'd spent much of my childhood alone. I sighed as I realised I was clean, warm and content for the first time in... ever. I squinted opened my eyes to find a sunlit ward room with my bed beside the windows. A colourful curtain that you'd only ever find in a children's hospital surrounded my bed, separating me from the rest of the world.

To my right spread sun-drenched windows with a view of other hospital buildings and fluffy cotton floss clouds in a blue sky. This confused me a little as I remembered it being overcast as I took my exams. Then again, I remember it being near nightfall too. Obviously I'd been here for a while, enough to sleep at least one night away, maybe more.

To my left I found a cabinet with a clean jug of water and a mostly-full glass with a white straw standing in it. I swallowed, realised I wasn't as thirsty as I thought I'd be, then found a needle in my right hand feeding me fluids straight into my veins. My mouth was musty and dry anyway so I struggled up into a seating position and tried to reach for the glass for a drink. I managed to catch it, managed to bring it to my lips, but the shaking arm failed in its role as structural support and I spilled a little down my front.

Water 1, Lina 0. Yep, The drawer in the beside cabinet held a packet of tissues. They came in handy. I lay down again. Worrying about how to pay for the hospital bill, how to locate my school uniform and backpack and out-of-date cellphone, meh. I'd figure it all out later. Worrying wasn't going to do me any good anyway. I watched the clouds go by then drifted to sleep again.

I don't know how long I'd slept, but I was rudely woken by a lovely young lady in a nurse's uniform.

"Hi, Ms Laruna. Sorry to wake you. I'm Nurse Fane, here to take your observations and check if you have any food or medication allergies. Can I pour you another drink of water?" She asked as she fluffed around my bed, reading instruments, taking notes, filling up water glass. When she abruptly pulled away the sheets that were covering my legs, I pulled away from her in sudden fear, trying to ward her off with my hands.

"Oh, sorry, Miss. I need to check to see if the dressing on your knees need replacing. Mind if I please take a look?" She stepped away from me as I held onto the sheets and scratchy cotton blankets for dear life. I was a little shocked that a perfect stranger would just un-bed-clothe me like that.

Huh, clothes. I looked down as I realised I was wearing cotton pyjamas. These weren't normal hospital gowns or pyjamas either. They were in a soft dove-grey colour with large peony prints in pink. The top was a matching grey henley-style tee with little pearl buttons part-way down the front. It was from the casual and lounge wear section of a dated VSecret catalogue and something I'd never ever dream of owning in my whole life. Then I realised someone had changed me. While. I. Was. Asleep...

My face flushed warmly. I avoided the nurses eyes in shame and slowly took a breath, then decided to help the kind-looking nurse in doing her job. I lifted the blanket and sheet off my right knee, then the left, but angled my toes back under the covers before they got cold. I hate, hate, hate cold toes.

"These are looking good. There is no discharge so we won't need to change these for a few days yet." She tucked my legs back in under the blankets again and patted the bed flat. "You're almost due for new bag of saline fluids, but I'll have to ask the doctor if we need to give you any more now that you've woken up." She pottered around a bit more, kept up the one-sided conversation, then collected her things and left.

I pulled myself into an upright position, drank some more water, then thought it was about time I headed home. Nimbly getting out of bed, the floor was cold. Slippers, I found slippers in the same matching material as the peony flowers on my pyjama pants. They were the fluffiest I'd ever felt. I spent a moment to luxuriate in them, then carefully waddled over to the up right cupboard at the end of my hospital bed. Inside I found all of my things, laundered and even patched up in some places. Who did this?

It felt weird. And nice. But weird. It took me a very long time getting changed into my uniform. Underwear that looked better on a seven-year-old, were in fact underwear that I wore when I was seven. I quickly dressed and tried putting my shoes on while balancing... it wasn't working well. Sigh, I need to find myself a job now that I've finished school.

"What are you doing?" A strange man appeared out of nowhere, loud and brash. I dropped the last shoe I was trying to tie up and nearly toppled over sideways from lack of balance. Instantly the trembling set in and I turned with my back towards the wall and almost curled up on myself, shaking my head, denying anything wrong.

Early twenties and handsome to boot, Mr Strange Man came into the ward holding insulated travel bags in each hand with a scowl on his grumpy face. Tall brows, expressive eyes, strong nose and thin lips. He was gorgeous and I almost forgot to start breathing again. When my brain started going fuzzy around the edges I began taking in gulps of air like my life depended on it. Well it did, really.

Mr Strange Man backed out of the room as soon as he realised I was freaking out, then spoke to someone behind him.

"I thought you said she was doing OK? She's clearly awake, but now she's trying to run for it." He was clearly pissed off about something, but what, I wasn't sure. Who died and made him goddess of all things hospital-y?

"She was resting in bed the last time Nurse Fane was on rounds." An older man in a doctor's white coat stepped into the room beside Mr Strange Man and frowned at me. "Ms Laruna, you need a few more days here in the hospital for recovery. The accident caused harm to your hip joint, abrasions on both knees that were beginning to get infected and you have clearly undergone years of malnutrition, causing severe damage to skin, hair, nails, growth, and development." When he spouted the word 'development', we all knew what he meant. I covered up my front by crossing my arms. This was embarrassing.

"Why isn't she talking?" Mr Strange Man asked. "Is there something wrong with her head? Did she damage it in the accident with my Grandfather?" The Man started talking like I was no longer in the room, something I was completely used to, so I just stood there, leaning against the wall for support.

My tummy gurgled at that moment, adding to the embarrassment. It was loud too. Both men turned back to me as I flushed red. I shook my head in denial. It wasn't me! I pretended.

Mr Strange Man held up two thermal bags and placed them on the over-bed tray table.

"Lunch, Miss Laruna. My Grandfather has sent you lunch." He began unpacking boxes of sealed food, then turned back to me when I hadn't moved away from the wall.

"Are you sure she didn't bang her head, Doctor Marksen?" He rudely asked the doctor.

The doctor proceeded to read the hospital notes on a portable tablet he had tucked into the pocket of his coat. "No, scans came back clear. Her head wasn't affected by the accident at all."

"So why is she over there, still trembling like a... Like a scared little kitten?" He fumbled his last words then a slight blush crept up onto his face unexpectedly.

"Let me get Nurse Fane in here to help." The Doctor mumbled as he walked out the ward leaving me alone with Mr Strange Man who had red ears for some reason.