As Sam slowly drifted back into the waking world the first thing she became aware of was the sound of the heart rate monitor. Its steady beeping felt like a beacon, pulling her back to the present from the very depths of what felt like a long sleep.
As she edged ever further into consciousness she recognised the sounds of people talking, though who the voices belonged to she had no idea. She also felt the softness of the warm crisp sheets and the comfort a pillow in just the right place. The comfort both pleased her and worried her, for to be this comfortable she must have been in this bed a long time, well, at least she felt like she had been.
She tried to open her eyes but something was wrong. Her eyelids felt heavy and unused, refusing to wield to the demands of her brain. Next she tried to move her feet, but again her body took no notice. Her hands were unusable also, it appeared all she could do was listen, feel and breathe.
The voices were becoming louder, and were accompanied with the clopping of shoes. Suddenly a bright light appeared over her left eye after someone moved her eyelid open. Sam let out a small moan the person appeared to jump back and her eyelid closed once more, leaving her in darkness as the yelled with a strong Liverpool accent.
"Charlie! She's awake!"
More shoes, this time it sounded as though someone was running towards her.
"Sam? Hello?" Said a man's voice. "Sam squeeze my hand if you can hear me."
Sam felt pressure on her left hand, and tried to apply pressure back. She must have been successful because seconds later the man yelled out.
"Zoe!"
Sam heard the clopping of high heels and a few seconds later there was someone else shining bright lights into her eyes. At last the spell that was preventing her from moving appeared to have broken, and she batted away the light like one might swat at a fly.
"Sam! How are you feeling?" The woman who had been shining the light into her eyes said in relieved voice.
Sam merely stared back at her with an affronted expression, before pushing herself up on the bed and staring around. She was in a hospital, on a ward. No doubt about it now. But why was another question altogether. The multiple dressings over her arms did not help explain this, nor did the turban- like bandage around her head. How had she gotten those injuries?
"Sam? Can you hear us?" Said the man, who now Sam could see was grey haired and wearing clothes that resembled dark blue pyjamas.
She nodded warily before casting over eyes over the blonde haired woman who was staring at her confusedly then shifting to look at the woman now perched on the edge of the bed at eye level with her, the stethoscope around her neck being the only indication that she was a doctor.
"Sam… what's wrong? Are you in pain?"
She slowly shook her head once more.
Sam didn't quite know what to say to these strangers who seemed so at ease in her presence. They were staring at her as though they knew her, but who they were was just one of the many mysteries surrounding her at the present.
She opened her mouth, preparing to ask every question that was buzzing around her mind, but suddenly seemed at a loss for what to say. She didn't know who these people were, why there were bandages all over her or how she had ended up in here- No reason to trust three total strangers who were gathered around her. Instead she stayed quiet and decided to listen to what they had to say.
"Could be the shock.." She heard the lady with the stethoscope mutter over her shoulder.
"Maybe… but they way she's staring at us, it's like she…" Began the male nurse.
"…like she doesn't know who we are." Finished the blonde.
The doctor snapped around and stared at Sam with a worried expression, peering into her distrustful eyes. She kept staring for several moments before opening her mouth to speak.
"Sam do you-"
"Who the hell are you people?" Sam interrupted with a look of irritancy.
"Sam what year is it?" The male nurse asked after a moment of silence.
Sam snorted. "2003 of course!"
"And how old are you?"
"20." Sam replied with a roll of her eyes. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"