"Clear!"
Jessica struggled for breath. She felt like her skin was on fire, a strange pressure on her chest eliciting an almost tingling feeling.
"She's breathing."
"She's alive."
The second time she woke up she realised straight away that she was in the same room as before.
I'm definitely back on Earth.
And she wasn't alone. A kind looking doctor was sitting next to her in a comfy looking chair. He had strawberry coloured hair and was writing intently into a leather notepad.
Her throat was dry and she made a small coughing noise as she attempted to talk.
The doctor's pen stilled in his hand as green eyes shot up to stare at his waking patient.
A bright white smile lit his face as he jumped up and helped Jessica sit. Instantly he was pouring some water into a glass from the jug that sat on her bedside table.
"Here, drink, you'll feel better."
She guzzled greedily from the glass, water spilling past her lips and down the front of her top. Eventually he took the glass from her and sat back in his seat as Jessica breathed heavily, feeling exhausted just from the simple act of drinking.
"My throat." She rasped. "I feel like I haven't had a drink in years."
The doctor looked away before regaining his composure.
"Hello Jessica, I'm Doctor Matthews. I understand this may be very confusing to you but don't worry I'm here to assist all your needs."
"S'up doc?" She smiled, blinking slowly through her drowsiness. "Why am I here?"
What I really want to ask if why I'm on Earth but that'll be the quickest way to get myself sectioned.
"You had a nasty fall and hit your head. You were found the next day by your landlord, he bought you here to us."
She frowned. None of this made sense.
She held up her hands, motioning for him to stop talking and give her a minute, when something else caught her eye.
"And… and just when did my landlord bring me in?"
Doctor Matthews bought up a hand to smooth his hair down and cleared his throat.
"You hit your head very hard Jessica. You were bought to us alive… but only just. You were declared irreversibly unconscious by attending physicians."
"Am I dead?"
Doctor Matthews laughed softly; "We feared so, you were in a coma but you were breathing by yourself. We held hope that this meant you would wake of your own accord."
She swallowed harshly, her throat somehow feeling even drier.
"After a few months, we realised this wouldn't be the case so we tried to bring you round medically but you were completely unresponsive. Your eye, verbal and motor response were a 1, which means you showed no response at all. That was very worrying. A CT and an MRI scan revealed that your brain showed almost no sign of damage, in fact your activity levels were very high;" he paused, "so high it was almost as if you were awake and functioning. It was a very strange report to read."
"To read? You didn't do the scans yourself?"
"I have conducted my own scans on you since my arrival at this hospital, and have had the same findings. It's the strangest thing. On paper you are as healthy as a horse and yet..." he trailed off, gesturing in her direction. "With that much activity on the brain you should have responded to all stimulation to bring you round from your coma."
"I hope your idea of coma stimulation isn't the same as Quentin Tarantino's."
He paused as if steeling himself.
"You've been in a coma since I started here Jessica. I would not have been able to conduct the original scans, as;" he paused, a deliberating expression crossing his face "as when you were bought to hospital… I hadn't been born."
She held up her hands again, the same hands she held up earlier to ask for a minute to herself. She looked at them for a long while. They were covered in wrinkles.
I look like I've been sat in a bath for twenty years.
They both sat in silence for a lengthy time. Doctor Matthews' eyes never left Jessica as he watched her stare at her hands.
"H-how old am I?" her voice broke at the end.
"Jessica, I don't think-"
"-How old?!"
He sighed and flipped open a chart at the end of her bed.
"You are 87, you've been in a coma for 63 years. Yesterday you woke up for the first time and the shock, and stress on your body, sent you in to cardiac arrest. You died on the table but we were able to revive you. You're quite the local celebrity at this hospital, you've got more lives than a cat."
She glared at him, not appreciating his humour and he grimaced.
"I'm sorry, I've never been in this situation before. I don't quite know what to say. Nobody thought you were going to wake up Jessica."
The tears came thick and fast then, hot and wet on her cheeks as she began to sob, uncontrollably. Her body heaved and racked with ugly sobs as her long life passed her by.
"I'm 24." Was the only thing she could manage to cry out between her heart wrenching cries.
Doctor Matthews placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I am so sorry Jessica."
Doctor Matthews had left to give her some privacy.
Like I need any more alone time, apparently I've enjoyed my own company for 63 years.
I don't understand.
I was in Middle-earth.
Gandalf said I would never come back.
Sitting up as quickly as her older body would allow, she pulled back her bed covers and rolled down her sleep shorts.
More tears fell.
My tattoo is still there.
Does that mean I never went to Middle-earth?
Did I dream it all, well coma it all?
What about my family?
They'd be dead now anyway.
She sighed angrily, blowing grey hair out of her eyes.
Legolas.
Will I never see him again?
Maybe I never saw him.
Reaching for her call button she buzzed for the nurse.
A young brunette entered the room shortly after, looking wary.
"Hi Jessica, is everything alright?"
"Oh yeah, just fine, I mean I went to sleep last night as a 24-year-old and woke up today 87 with grey hair and no family but other than that…"
The nurse flushed red from head to toe and Jessica instantly regretted her harsh sarcasm. It wasn't the nurse's fault.
"Sorry. I was just wondering if you had a library here, or a TV, some DVDs or something."
"Oh you poor thing, of course, you must be so bored. We don't have a library but I can get you one of the really old TVs we use for training courses."
The nurse returned a few minutes later with the 'old' TV. It was a massive flat-screen smart TV and Jessica almost laughed that this was no considered old.
"Does it have a DVD player, or like Netflix or something? Some way to watch films?"
"I don't know anyone that has DVDS anymore." The nurse pondered. "It does have a minochip if you want to watch films, although it only ever seems to have really old movies. There's never anything current on there."
"A minochip?"
"It's like a built in film player."
Her head hurt.
"I'm sure that'll be fine. I haven't seen my favourite movie in what feels like forever. Do you think it has Lord of the Rings on it?"
The nurse came over and started flicking through some of Jessica's charts as she spoke.
"I know it's got the re-make on there, I watched it a few weeks ago, but I'm guessing you're talking about the really old original trilogy?"
"There's a re-make?"
"Yeah it's pretty good, never saw the originals myself, way before my time. I don't see why it shouldn't be on there."
Once the nurse had checked her pulse and all her vitals she was finally left alone with the TV.
Quickly switching it on, she spent a few minutes figuring out how to work it before finally finding the 'old' movie she wanted.
The familiar opening music of Lord of the Rings began to play throughout her private room.
The tears started all over again.
It has to be real, he has to be real.
When Legolas finally appeared on the screen she couldn't help but cry harder.
He is real. I didn't imagine his smell, the feel of his hair, the rough tips of his fingers on my face. He is real.
As in most sad scenes the rain began to pour heavily that evening. It beat furiously at the window, interrupting all chance Jessica had at watching her film in peace.
I just want to go home... to Legolas.
The doctor had said she was a special case as she had no living relatives, no money and nowhere to live, and that she would most likely be placed in a home.
I'm 24 and I'm being put in a home.
The pain in her back as she attempted to get out of bed reminded her that she was only mentally 24, not physically. The leaflet for a nearby nursing home fell from her lap as she struggled to her feet and heaved herself into a wheelchair that she'd been given earlier to make mobility easier.
She stared down at the smiling faces of the elderly tenants, glaring angrily at the place she was going to be spending her last few years, when a certain face caught her eye. Long dark hair, beautiful green eyes. Deep wrinkles and random grey hairs couldn't disguise the beauty of the woman staring back at her.
"Paige?!"
"Jessica, I really must insist-"
"-This isn't a prison doc and if there's any chance that she's still there I have to see her!"
"I understand bu-"
"-No, no you don't understand. How could you? How could anyone? You don't know what I've lost! It's not just my family, it's my whole world, it's gone, literally. Now either you help me or I wheel myself out onto the street and go on my own."
"This really is so unethical."
"So is not helping an old lady in a wheelchair."
She heard him sigh, relenting.
"Please doctor Matthews?"
"Okay, fine. I'm parked out the back, follow me."
"I suppose it's too late to ask if you're a serial killer? I mean this whole doctor thing could be a brilliant way to get victims to trust you so you could lure them to your car, and then the next thing you know, I'm not waking up in a ditch off the side of the road."
He quirked an eyebrow in humour.
"You asked me to help get you there, I didn't 'lure' you to my car. And for the record, you're in your late eighties, and wheelchair bound, how would you stop me if I did attempt to kidnap and kill you? I don't need the doctor pretence."
Jessica laughed for the first time since waking up back on Earth.
"Trust me, I've faced scarier things than you."
He looked like he wanted to question what she meant by that but he simply shook his head and lead the way.
The care home was huge and lavish. Fine white walls and marble staircases. Expensive looking paintings hung on most of the walls and the carpets were plush and rich. Exactly the kind of place Paige would end up.
But why was she here? What about Jamie? Did she not have any children?
"Yes I understand it is very late, but my patient desperately needs to see her friend."
The woman sighed looking over at Jessica with pity as she did her best to look old and sad.
Which isn't too hard considering my current state.
"Fine, you can have ten minutes. What's her friends name?"
The doctor paused looking over at Jessica.
"Paige, Paige Harrows. Though it might be Paige Chesterman now, she was due to get married last time I saw her."
"We have a Paige here, but her last name is Vickers."
Jessica tried to crush her rising excitement.
"That might be her, it has been sixty odd years since I last saw her."
The blonde woman nodded and held up a hand.
"About this high, dark hair? Best looking lady I ever saw, age and all?"
Jessica grinned; "That's definitely her!"
"I have to warn you, she's not in the best of health. She's very old and has dementia. That's why she's here as her family can't meet her needs anymore. She has her moments, but for the most part my love, she probably won't know who you are."
Jessica could feel her heart breaking.
"Can I see her? Please?"
The woman nodded.
She soon found herself in quite a large spacious room. The bedding was luxurious and the décor vintage. In the middle of the room stood a large piano in which an old but beautiful looking woman sat in front of. Her hair was as inky as the night sky, with stunning grey pieces littering throughout it like lightning bolts.
Jessica wheeled herself towards her as Doctor Matthews shut the door to leave them alone.
"Paige?"
The woman stopped her playing, her fingers resting lightly on the keys as she looked up. Her bright green eyes meeting Jessica's.
"I can't seem to remember it." She spoke softly, her voice gentle.
"Remember what?" Jessica asked just as softly.
"The song my mother plays for me. Bach, I think it is, Goldberg Variations;" her fingers lovingly stroked the keys as she spoke, "do you know where she is?"
"Your mom?"
Paige nodded.
"I miss her; I haven't seen her in a while." She paused. "She said she was just going out to the shop. We were eating carrot cake together. I didn't really want any as I want to be a model you know? But she makes the best carrot cake."
Jessica didn't respond, she didn't know how to.
Paige stood then, her long white nightgown billowing behind her as she rose. She picked up her sheet music and began shuffling it before putting it back down. She turned around to face Jessica and gasped.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know I had a visitor. Who are you?"
"I'm… I'm Jessica."
Paige grinned, revealing that she was missing one tooth towards the left of her mouth.
"I have a friend called Jessica. You look a lot like her… but older. No offence."
"None taken." Jessica chuckled.
Paige looked at her strangely.
"Can I help you? Sorry what's your name?"
"It's Jessica…"
"I had a friend called Jessica once."
The door opened and a nurse came in to help Paige back into her bed.
"That's enough playing for tonight Paige, come on."
"Who are you?" And this time Paige sounded truly frightened, her eyes darted around the room wildly. "I want Jamie!"
The nurse managed to sooth her into lying down but Paige continued to sob.
Jessica rolled her way over to the side of the bed and tried to put a hand on her shoulder but her terrified friend coiled away in fear.
"I'm sorry Paige."
The frightened old lady crying in her bed looked nothing like the Paige she had left behind. Jessica sat helplessly at her bedside as the nurse lovingly tried to console her. Eventually Paige's crying died down to just broken murmurs as the nurse stroked her hair. Jessica moved as close as she could to Paige, just wanting to be near her. Paige looked up with her beautiful large eyes, her lashes wet and black. She studied Jessica's face intently as if solving a puzzle. Her eyes glazed over, almost lost in a memory before they snapped back to Jessica's face. Paige sat up as much as she could, struggling due to her age and illness.
"Jessica?" She whispered.
"Yes?"
"Is that really you?"
Jessica leant forward eagerly.
"Do you remember me?"
"Of course I do, you sausage. You're my best friend!"
Jessica grabbed hold of her hand and the two sat in silence for a moment, just listening to each other breathe.
"I missed you." Paige said softly. "Your parents did too."
"Did they have happy lives?" Jessica asked, her voice breaking.
"As happy as it could be without you, yeah. They visited as often as they could. They always bought you the biggest flowers to the hospital."
Jessica smiled.
"How was my little Legolas?"
"I took such good care of him Jecca, I promise."
Her old nickname had her crying again.
Paige sat up in her bed, her small hands coming up to Jessica's face.
"I love you Jecca."
"I love you too Paige. Did you have a good life?"
"The best." She grinned. "I lived for both of us. I saw the pyramids, ate sushi in Japan, stroked a tiger in China, visited the Taj Mahal, kissed under the Eiffel Tower, took a helicopter ride around New York. I had dirty sex on a beach in Hawaii and got drunk off two bottles of wine and arrested in Spain."
Jessica snorted her laughter through all her tears as Paige began to guffaw loudly.
"That sounds amazing."
"It was; I just wish I could remember it forever."
"I'll remember for both of us."
Paige sighed contently.
"I wish I could be like this all the time. I wish you could have had the life you deserved."
Jessica smiled through her tears; "My life has been amazing Paige, I promise."
Jessica kissed Paige softly on the cheek as she lay her down. She was still stunningly beautiful, but she looked frail and scared. Paige opened her eyes, blinking them slowly.
"Have you seen my mom?"
Jessica knew it was time to let her friend go.
"Goodbye Paige."
She began to wail.
"Where's my mom?!"
The nurse ran in to calm her patient but Jessica didn't look back. She wasn't going to remember her friend like that. She was going to remember the funny, sexy Paige who fucked on a beach in Hawaii and got arrested for drunk and disorderly in Spain.
Doctor Matthews gave her a tissue as they left the building.
"I'm fine really, just got something in my eye like a brick or a mountain or something."
"That must have been hard for you. I can't even begin to imagine your pain."
"I'm ready to go home now doc, I've had my closure. Life's not perfect, you just have to live it enough to want to remember it."
He smiled widely.
"I'll take you back to the hospital."
"No doc, home home. Where it all started. We're going back to the future!"
He quirked an eyebrow before rolling his eyes.
"Great scott!" He remarked dryly. "I know my old films references."
She grinned.
I'm going through that door in my flat and back to Middle-earth, even if it kills me.
"But I am not taking you to your old apartment. I went along with this little adventure but no more. You need to be back at the hospital Jessica, not wandering around late at night."
"Don't you know that not all those who wander are lost?"
He quirked an eyebrow.
"Is that a quote from something?"
Jessica sighed, rolling her eyes.
"I know this is weird and strange, and I'm probably not what you expect of an eighty year old lady but you have to remember that just yesterday I was in my twenties. Well that's how it feels. I just need my closure. Please?"
"I thought seeing your friend was closure?"
"On that part of my life, yeah. I just... I need to do this doc. If there's even a small chance of me finding my life in that apartment I need to take it."
"You do speak in riddles."
She laughed; "I know just how annoying that can be, got an old friend who does exactly the same thing!"
"This is where you used to live?" Doctor Matthews asked sceptically as he eyed the derelict building.
Jessica couldn't believe her eyes. Her once averagely attractive building block was now a run down, half burnt building with graffiti covering most of the walls.
"A lot has changed in 60 years."
"Back to the hospital then?"
"I'm going in there doc."
"Jessica there's going to be nothing in there except maybe some dirty needles and the chance to catch ebola."
She began using her arms as best as she could to roll herself towards the door. She heard the footsteps of the doctor behind her.
"As a doctor I should warn you completely against this."
"But you know I won't listen right?"
"I mean this is the least offensive way possible but you are the weirdest 80 year old I have ever met."
It was probably a good thing she didn't live too high up as obviously the lift wasn't working any more, which meant the doctor had to carry her up three flights of stairs. Once at the her old apartment door she stood next to him, leaning most of her weight onto his arm wrapped tightly around her.
The door was so burnt the handle crumbled in her hand and easily swung open.
She took in a deep breath as she assessed her old living room, the acrid smell of fire and pungent odour of decay hitting her nose.
"Blue? Who paints their walls blue?" She mumbled to herself and she directed the doc around.
As they stumbled their way down her hallway she could see the weird door where her adventure first began making its way closer and closer to them. Unlike the rest of her flat it remained completely untouched.
Please.
When Gandalf first came here, he said I could get through this door but only if I really wanted to. And I do. So. Fucking. Much.
Please.
"I don't understand." Doctor Matthews commented from beside her as they came to a stop in front of what appeared to be a cupboard door.
"Me either, I've just learnt not to question it. Can you help me up?"
"Why?" He asked, even as he held her under the arm so that she could stand, leaning her weight against his.
She reached out for the door knob and twisted.
The door opened.
I've had this chapter done for a while, this was always where I saw my story going but I just felt like I had so much to say/do that I ended up deleting a lot of scenes to try and shorten it, I just hope that doesn't affect the way that this chapter reads.
So no one guessed this little plot twist!
Anyone know what happens next?
Also a massive thank you to everyone that reviews, you're rockstars and you keep me writing.