Slumber
Chihiro had a dream.
Tragedy
Night.
"A quiet shift for once," a dark haired nurse commented.
"Let's hope it stays that way," murmured her companion as they passed through the halls, poking their heads into occupied rooms.
The children's ward was a small one. This was nothing but a country hospital, they had the necessary medical equipment to deal with regular incidents, but emergency cases were usually flown to the city for better access to advanced treatments.
"Yes, let's," she sighed. "After last week I think we deserve a break."
Seven days prior a deadly accident had occurred.
"That poor girl. In way, I think it might be better if she didn't wake."
"Hmm," a sympathetic nod of the head. "I know what you mean. Such a tragedy."
A family of three, leveled to one in an instant. There hadn't been a dry eye in town at the news.
"I can't imagine what she'll go through."
A man, his wife and their child on their way to a new home; the media reported that he'd recently been transferred.
"Starting a new life. To have it end like that- Makes you appreciate your own."
It seemed that they'd taken a wrong turn. The police identified speed as the main factor in the crash.
"It really does. Since then, I've kissed my boy just about every time I see him. He used to complain about things like that, being thirteen and all, but he hasn't lately. It's affected him too."
The adults were killed on impacted.
"Well, let's check on her."
The brown-haired girl, sporting pink shorts and white t-shirt with a green collar and stripe around the middle, had been thrown from the car, through the windshield. She hadn't been wearing a seat belt.
"It's strange though. She hasn't been comatose since the day after it happened. Seems she's been sleeping all this time."
Her injuries were extensive, but not life threatening.
"It's a miracle she got out of that as intact as she did."
The car had exploded. Emergency personal had a hard time responding to the scene. The road the accident occurred on was narrow, unused and had no access to the water system; it took longer than it should have to get there and even longer to put out the fire.
"No burns, a broken arm and an internal bleed. Cuts and bruises sure, but overall..."
"It's the only good luck she'll have for awhile I'm afraid."
The car had hit a block in the road, a stone statue. Behind the sculpture stood an unfinished tunnel that was meant to lead to a theme park. The attraction had never been completed.
"Wait...Oh no!"
The child was unnaturally pale. Her lips blue.
"What?"
The heart monitor had malfunctioned.
"Call the doctor, quick!"
In her mind's eye Chihiro saw herself, with her parents. She resisted turning to see Haku, allowing herself to be led to the car as they prepared to find their way back to the main road and continue on to their new home.
"...Nothing else we can do."
Her mother mentioned the worries Chihiro had once harbored about her new life.
"Ten years," the brunette caregiver muttered. "A decade that I've been here and I've never been so close to tears."
Chihiro told her parents, with a small smile, this:
"I think I can handle it."
Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away nor am I profiting from this fan-work.
A/N: I've never written a tragedy before. I don't remember having read one on here either. I don't go looking for depression, but I was watching the movie and the beginning really caught my attention. When Chihiro's mother got nervous about her husband's speed and commented that he was going to get them killed I started wondering, "What if they really did die?"