February 23rd, 2017

It was a phone call she never wanted to make.

Small, slim fingers played nervously with the edge of the sterile white hospital sheet as grey eyes stared outside her fourth floor window at the sun setting over the horizon while the drone of her phone filled her ears. Chestnut hair fell over her shoulders in a light wave as she waited for the operator to finish connecting her to that agency in California, her hand pausing the idle play to push the heavy length out of her way impatiently as she bit her lip.

"Sunderland."

She closed her eyes a moment, drawing strength from that familiar voice as she'd done so many times in the past... and would many more in the future she predicted at that moment. Clearing her throat with a delicate cough, her voice sounded abnormally calm as she replied to the brief, almost rude sounding greeting on the other end of the line.

"You're at the office rather late, should I call back later?"

A short pause left her wondering if her reception was bad or if there were difficulties in the city he was in. Wouldn't be the first time he had to tell her to call back in an hour because some random 'punk' was trying to break in and steal something again. Just as she was about to hang up and try again, his voice came back on the line, sounding a good deal less gruff as he seemed to recognize her voice.

"Just got startled by the phone is all, everything alri-"

Distant sounds of the machines at her side beeping and humming traveled through the phone, she could almost see his eyes narrowing and his hand about ready to slam down on the desk covered in various coffee stained paperwork as an intake of breath was taken.

Wisely, the young woman moved the phone away from her ear and set it at arm's length as the shouting on the other end of the line came across quite clearly despite a burst of white noise from his breath traveling into the receiver.

"Are you in the hospital again?!"

"You speak as if I'm here every week,"

She replied, unable to help but feel a little cross at the tone of his voice and glowered as a torrent of rather inappropriate and less than polite phrases came from the receiver.

"If you're going to act like that, I'll not call next time; and don't curse, it isn't a good habit to form and makes you out to be less intelligent than I know you are."

"Flattery and childish threats aren't going to save you this time lumen, what the hell are you in for this time? And don't you lie to me either; you know if I catch you lying-"

Another roll of her eyes as she pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation, filling in the rest of his sentence and usual tirade for him.

"You'll be on the first flight out here and the Gods of both worlds help me when you show up at my bedside because I won't be leaving it until you're satisfied with my condition,"

Silence.

"Now, if you're finished with your threats, I called for a specific purpose and wish to discuss something with you."

Something that was probably a few uncomplimentary remarks about her personality was said on the other end. Sighing, she caved- just a little.

"It's an aggravated cold; they're keeping me here for observation the next three days to make sure it doesn't turn into pneumonia again like the last time."

"And your kidney?"

Drat her for ever telling him about that. And double drat him for looking up a bunch of information on immunosuppressants.

As if he hadn't been protective to begin with; after we got out of there, it just became even worse.

She shifted the phone to her other ear before replying.

"I'm fine, Conner."

There, that should shut him up for a little while, she thought irritably, immediately feeling guilty about her snappish response and apologized quietly for it.

"...I'm sorry, I just..."

There was a chuckle from her dear friend as she heard the sound of the chair creaking back as he leaned the chair up and against the wall, rustling in the background and a dull sounding thunk met her ears as she figured he'd just set his feet on the table to get himself more comfortable.

"You don't like hospitals, I understand. They always had that saying about doctors being the worst patients after all."

Most of her dearly loved her older brother-like figure and was greatly indebted to him for all the times he'd pulled her butt out of some nasty situation or another over three years ago. She bit her lip and felt the pull of the colorful sunset outside.

"Conner. I... hesitated calling, I know you have a lot going on right now, especially with Cara and everything, but..."

"What happened?"

Stern, stable and perfectly ready to handle Hell itself if thrown into it.

Again.

"It's about the new version of 'The World',"

Long, deadly silence that meant he was bracing himself to either put a hole in the wall or was grabbing something to write down notes and facts with to research on his own later on. Swallowing hard as she felt her voice return to the small, timid one she'd sworn never to use again. The same voice she'd had before she'd gone through so many life altering experiences.

Before she'd met Conner and the others.

"What about it?"

It hurt just to say the words, her head bowing as she drew her knees up to her chest and remained silent for a few moments to collect her own thoughts. She had her own type of strength, the kind that came in the midst of a crisis.

And this was definitely a crisis in the works.

"People are falling into comas again."