Over the next few days I was unconscious quite a bit; but from what I remember I was taken to the hospital almost immediately after I fell. The doctors told my family that I had sustained a huge break in the bones of my skull and that there was a very high chance I could die. My dad was able to get the doctors to do an experimental surgery that would save me, but it would be a long time before I could leave the hospital again.

"I don't care, I just want my son to survive, even if I end up paying for it forever," he told the doctors. My dad was stubborn that way.

"We'll do what we can. In the meantime, why don't you folks find a place to spend the night," replied the surgeon.

I vaguely remember going to the operating room. There were a lot of bright lights and a bunch of machines I couldn't really make out, my head was screaming in pain and that wasn't helping my vision. It felt like my head had been hit with a trash compactor, I couldn't focus on anything for a long period of time, my vision was shit, and I had a headache that was worse than anything I had ever felt. I was about to pass out when the surgeon appeared over me.

"Schyler, can you hear me?" he asked with concern.

I was in so much pain I couldn't speak, only raise my thumb in an attempt to tell him I could hear him. He nodded so I assumed he knew.

"Schyler, we are going to do what we can to help, but it won't be the most conventional way due to the severity of your injuries. What we're going to do is put you under and take off the top three inches of your skull and then staple a replacement over it. However in order for you to heal we'll need to cryogenically freeze you to make sure nothing goes wrong with the surgery. I'm sorry but it looks like your going to be missing Christmas."

I could tell he was trying to make me feel better by making a joke about missing Christmas. Once again I slowly raised my thumb to tell him to go ahead a do it. Almost immediately I felt a needle enter my arm and an extremely cold liquid flow through it. I started to count backwards from ten in my head and relax. However, I was only able to get to four.


December 15, 2014

University Of Iowa Hospital...

"Hey, Schy, it's me, Seth."

My brother approached a large white box with a small bag in his hand. It had been two weeks since my surgery, and one week since I had been put into a Cryogenic Preservation Bed, or CPB. My brother had visited me almost five time since. Each time he had brought something to do with me, or at least with my 'bed.' Today was no different.

"I brought you someone. A certain fuzzy friend of yours," he said as he pulled something small out of the bag. He placed the object on the top and sat down. "Wolfie missed you. So I thought I would bring him up for you in case you woke up."

He sat in the chair silently for the longest time. He looked around the room hoping I could hear him.

"I also got you an early birthday present at home. A brand new Xbox One," he said softly.

He looked at his pocket and pulled out his phone.

*Sigh*

"I got to go, bro, mom's waiting outside. I'll see you tomorrow."

Seth stood up and gave my bed a kiss, which never happened unless he was really upset. He stood up and pet the stuffed dog and left the room, leaving the only brother he had with his toy.


January 13, 2017

U.I.H.

A tall slender man with slightly gray hair stepped into a chrome colored room and began to examine many different machines that surrounded a large silver box.

"How are we doing today, kiddo?"

Dr. Forpast recorded many different things onto his clipboard as he examined the box in the room with him.

"Happy 22nd birthday bud. Seems like your body just isn't like the other cryo patients, huh?" He looked into the small window on the top of the box and looked at the young face within.

"You missed something big last week. Apparently Russia declared war upon the US again. Kind of concerning, huh?"

Dr. Forpast looked out the window of the hospital room at the many vehicles driving around on the roads below.

As the young doctor continued to stare outside he look up as he saw a large black object falling from the sky.

"I wonder what that is..." He said to himself.

Within moments the entire outside burst into flames as a large carpet bomb shattered near the hospital. Soon the entire hospital was in chaos as doctors raced to save patients. My box was left alone however. I was left under the rubble of my room and forgotten for a long time. Luckily when the bomb hit the only thing damaged was the room itself. Everything else just fell into the road and was buried with the power outlets still intact.

I was down there for a long time I guess, because when the power failed and I woke up, everything was different.


Hey sorry about the length of this chapter. I just wanted to get through the PRE-HALO stuff. Next chapter should sound more like Halo.

Anyways, be sure to leave your comments and suggestions.

THANKS!

SR