Chapter 38
Enjoy!
Dorothy was in and out of consciousness as Scarecrow held her. She knew he was running up stairs, and then he would stop and start again. She would feel his heartbeat in his chest, and his deep breaths. He was human again.
The next time she awoke she could have sworn they were flying through the air, but it had to be her imagination, she thought. After that everything had gone dark.
Then she was able to come back to consciousness once more when she began to see faces surrounding her who were calling her name. She could only see a bright light shining above her and blurry faces partially covering the light. She thought she heard Scarecrow's panicked voice in the background.
"I don't know what's wrong with her. She is very sick….."
"No….No it came out of nowhere…"
Dorothy wondered why he was saying the things he was saying, but she was too weak to argue. If they were with healers they would know that Oz was under Ozma's spell.
"Can you save her?"
Finally, the sweet darkness came, and she heard nothing after that.
Dorothy awoke with a start. She gasped for air a little, and realized her breathing was now almost back to normal. She knew she had been dreaming, but couldn't remember what the dream entailed.
She opened her eyes to the same light that she remembered seeing before, and wanted it to go out.
She groaned a little as things began to focus again in her mind.
However, something stopped her as she struggled to open her eyes. Something was tickling her nose, and there was some kind of beeping noise in the background.
She was almost afraid of opening her eyes and finding out where she was.
Finally, she decided she had to know where she was, and where was Scarecrow?
Was he all right? Was he safe? What happened in Oz? Where was Ozma? What happened after she passed out?
Dorothy finally moved her head around and opened her eyes. Everything began to focus, and she was shocked by what she was seeing.
She was alone in the room, and there were things everywhere she did not recognize and did not understand.
There was some kind of box on the wall, and the pictures were moving in it!
She looked to her right and found another box that was beeping with IV bags (she recognized those) flowing through them into her arm.
She tried to focus on the electronic numbers that were displayed on the box. It did not take her long to figure out they were her heartbeat, and breathing. Never in her life before she had made her second journey to Oz had she seen anything like that.
The bed she was in had beige colored railings with little buttons on them.
There were weird circle things hooked up to her chest that went to the machine that was beeping.
The tickle of her nose continued, and she realized a tube was inserted into her nose. She pulled it out and looked at it and found it connected to something in the wall behind her.
That was oxygen, she thought. She had known about pure oxygen tanks, but never seen a tube like that before.
Then it hit Dorothy like a ton of bricks.
She was in a hospital!
But, what kind of hospital was this and which world was she in? Oz was basically medieval so it could not have been there. Had Scarecrow taken her to another world from his world that she had not known about to heal her? Where was all this technology from?
She heard talking outside of her door, and noticed people in dark blue uniforms walking around the hall.
Dorothy looked down and saw she was in some kind of medical gown, and blushed when she realized she had nothing else on underneath.
Then she felt something really strange and lifted the blanket and gasped.
There was a tube that was going into her privates! And, it was really uncomfortable. (A/N: A catheter for those that don't know. Been there, done that. LOL)
She was connected to so many things that she wondered if she could move around.
She wanted to burst into tears at that moment. She had no idea where she was and how she got here. She wondered where Scarecrow was, and if it was him that brought her to this place. She wondered why he had left her here alone.
A man carrying a bunch of linens was standing outside of her door and Dorothy quickly covered herself in the blanket.
"Excuse me," she said trying to get his attention while hold the blanket to her chin.
He turned and looked at her through the door, and gave her a slight smile, which made her feel a little better.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Can you tell me where I am?" She asked.
The man looked around like he was trying to get someone's attention, and turned back to her. She noticed he hesitated, but answered, "You're at the hospital, ma'am."
Dorothy almost scoffed in frustration. It didn't take much to figure that out.
She was about to reiterate when a black woman in a colorful outfit came walking in. She was not thin, but not heavy, and very pretty. Her black hair pulled back into curls.
"I see you finally decided to join us again," she said cheerfully giving Dorothy a genuine smile.
"Yes….I…."
"I will let the Doctor know so he can come and talk with you finally," she interrupted and started fussing around the room.
Then she walked over to Dorothy and began to read the machine and picked up what looked like some papers at the end of her bed.
"Where am I?" Dorothy finally asked.
The woman smiled at her and said, "You are at the University Medical Center, baby. I am Janice. I will be your nurse."
"University Medical Center?"
"Yes, ma'am. Right in Kansas City." She answered as she closed the door and started checking on Dorothy.
Dorothy froze in place. So, she was back in her world, but where did all this come from? She never knew hospitals to be like this.
"I'm sorry. I'm confused. How did I get here?"
"That's perfectly normal, baby. Now lean forward so I can listen to your lungs," the nurse ordered.
Dorothy did as was told and took deep breaths. Her mind was whirling with questions.
Finally, the nurse stood over her and smiled again. "We were fearful for you for a while, but you pulled through just fine. Your lungs are clear now."
Dorothy swallowed hard. "How long have I been here? Where is here? How did this place get here?"
The nurse looked down at her sympathetically, and said, "It's alright, Mrs. Gale. I will get the Doctor and he will explain everything."
Dorothy put up her hand. Mrs. Gale? Huh?
"I'm sorry, but I am so confused. I want to know where I am and how I got here….."
Dorothy felt herself begin to panic. The moving pictures on the wall in the box above her were making her a little dizzy.
"Hey, it's OK. It is perfectly normal considering your condition when you came in. You were pretty bad," she explained.
"How long have I been here?" Dorothy asked still feeling a little panicky. Where was Scarecrow?
"A week now. Your fever broke about four days ago, but they decided to keep you sedated so your body could heal," the nurse explained.
She was being very patient with Dorothy, and Dorothy appreciated it.
"I'm sorry…..I…."
"No worries, baby. You have been through a lot. Would you like some water?"
"Yes, please."
The nurse poured some ice water into a cup and handed it to Dorothy who drank greedily. Her mouth had felt like cotton.
Dorothy looked up at the box of moving pictures and realized it was some kind of news? She noticed the date on the picture box.
September 1, 2014.
What!?
"Actually, the Doctor has many questions for you, and….."
Dorothy wasn't paying attention as she continued looking at the date with an open mouth.
The nurse realized she wasn't paying attention and looked up at the picture box.
"Oh honey, I don't think you need that right now," she said pushing some kind of button and the box went dark bringing Dorothy back to reality.
Suddenly, Dorothy burst into tears. She couldn't help it. She was alone and scared. She could not even wrap her head around that the year in her world was 2014. When she left for Oz the year was 1944. Her and Scarecrow came back to visit and the year was 1945. The last thing she remembered was the United States had won the World War. Now, here she was over 70 years later. Hell, she should probably be dead by now. How did she get here? She always thought Oz and her world were perfectly parallel.
Had Oz been another dream all along?
"It's alright, sweetie. I know it was scary for you and you should have seen your husband," Janice said confusing Dorothy's emotions.
The nurse put a comforting hand on Dorothy's shoulder, and Dorothy thanked her for the tissue.
Dorothy realized she mentioned her husband.
"My husband? Where is he?" Dorothy practically squealed.
The nurse smiled again. "Well, he wouldn't leave your side," she explained. "We finally convinced him to go get some rest, food, and a shower."
Janice sighed. "I wish all men were like that."
Despite the situation Dorothy smiled widely. She knew what a wonderful husband she had.
"He said to call him if you woke up while he wasn't here. Would you like me to do that?"
Dorothy brightened. "Yes, please."
"Ok, he gave me the number to his hotel room, he said neither of y'all have a cell phone," the nurse commented.
What's a cell phone?
"Ummmm….no…no we don't" Dorothy scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.
"I don't blame you. Sometimes I want to throw mine in the toilet," she said chuckling and adjusting Dorothy's blankets.
The nurse continued to ramble on about the Doctor and getting Dorothy set up with some food if she was hungry, but Dorothy still could not believe what was happening.
The nurse asked her if she needed anything else, and Dorothy politely replied no.
Janice nodded and said, "We were worried about you, girl, but you are a miracle."
With that Janice left Dorothy to her thoughts.
….
Dorothy lay there for a while lost in thought. The nurse showed her how to work the remote control on what she called the television. She also said another button was to call her if she needed anything.
Dorothy wondered how she could possibly be in the year 2014, and how they got there. Glinda never mentioned time travel as part of the opening between both of their worlds.
She was also getting anxious to see Scarecrow.
Dorothy felt around everything around her. Never had she imagined this kind of technology, and was amazed how far the United States had come from when she lived here. She wondered if this was a dream after all, and she would wake up in Oz again.
She looked out of the window, but could not see much, but she was curious of what the outside world now looked like.
She wondered if everyone had cell phones, and what they were. They were a telephone, but how did they work? She also noticed the nurse had come in with a cart with a box on top of that she typed into. That was amazing. She also used a small device to scan Dorothy's bracelet. Dorothy was mesmerized by the red light that came out of it.
She could tell she was still very weak, but her strength was slowly returning.
Suddenly, a knock at the door caught Dorothy's attention.
A man with glasses, and red hair stood in the doorway. Dorothy at least knew he was a Doctor, because of his white coat.
He smiled at her, and said, "May I come in?"
"Yes…..yes, doctor, of course," Dorothy said smiling back. She had hoped it was Scarecrow, but no such luck.
Dorothy tried to sit up, but the Doctor stopped her.
"Mrs. Gale, I am Doctor Mark Reilly. It is nice to see you finally moving around and awake," he commented as he looked through her chart and sat down.
'Thank you, Doctor," Dorothy answered.
He frowned a little and said, "Mrs. Gale, I hear you were a little confused when you awoke."
"I…..I didn't know where I was," she answered with a little hesitation.
"Mrs. Gale, I have to be honest I am little confused as well," he said thoughtfully still writing things in her chart.
"Why is that?"
"Well, first when I tried to pull your records, the only thing I have on you is something from the 1920s and 1930s. There must be some kind of mix up because that would be impossible given your age. However, everything on there matches what is on those records," he explained studying her.
Dorothy couldn't help herself she smiled and relaxed a little. So, she wasn't dreaming after all.
"Anyway, I am trying to get to the bottom of that, because your husband insisted that you are from this area," he continued.
"He is right," Dorothy said wanting to laugh out loud, but held back and tried to look serious.
The Doctor scratched his head in thought and took more notes.
"There is another thing," he continued once more.
"What?"
"How were you feeling a few days prior to being admitted?" He asked.
Dorothy knew this was going to be hard. Hell, before she left Oz she was fine until the spell hit her, but how could she explain that?
So, she decided to lie. "I was feeling a little bad, but thought it was a cold."
"That is why I am still confused. You had some kind of infection that was almost Tuberculosis, but labs came out negative on that, and another thing is you responded quickly to the antibiotics," he said looking at her frowning. "You had something I had never seen before, and I would like to discuss sending your results off to be studied. I wanted to talk it over with you and your husband. I am perplexed about what happened to you."
"Why, Doctor?"
"I have never seen anything like it, and you almost didn't make it. That is why. If we have a new strain of an infectious disease then it needs to be studied," he explained.
"It wasn't pneumonia?" Dorothy asked trying to keep up with the Doctor, and look at least half intelligent despite this new world she was in.
"No, that is why I am perplexed. Your husband said it happened so fast that we quarantined you at first, and tested him, but you were not contagious either," he said rubbing his hair again looking utterly confused.
Dorothy looked at the Doctor and smiled slightly. "Well, I am not sure about the tests…."
"I can agree to that, Doctor, as long as my wife does," a voice said in the doorway.
Dorothy gasped, and both turned.
Dorothy never felt such relief in her life as Scarecrow stood there in the doorway looking very human again.
His dark hair was still short from getting shaved from Ordaran, but he had stubble of a beard beginning to grow. His blue eyes were standing out against his tanned skin, another affect of the desert.
Dorothy noticed his clothes looked…..well….modern. It was a simple shirt, and denim, but modern nonetheless.
Dorothy wanted to burst into tears again at seeing that her husband was just fine, and he was here with her. He was really here.
"Mr. Gale. Nice to see you again," the Doctor said shaking Scarecrow's hand.
Scarecrow and Dorothy stared at each other.
"You too Doctor Reilly," Scarecrow answered.
The Doctor noticed they were not really paying attention to him now, and said, "How about if I come back before the end of my shift. I am sure your anxious to see your wife."
Scarecrow looked at him and smiled. "I am and I can't thank you enough for saving her life."
The Doctor blushed slightly making Dorothy smile. He cleared his throat, and said, "That is what I am here for. I will come back later and we can discuss it more. By the way, her stats are looking great, and I see no long-term effects from this. No brain damage."
Scarecrow looked relieved and turned to Dorothy. "That is a relief. Thank you."
The Doctor nodded and left them alone closing the door a little to give them some privacy.
All Dorothy had to do was put her arms out and she felt the warm arms wrap around her. She was almost dizzy from excitement, relief, and so many other emotions that overwhelmed her senses when she saw Scarecrow there. The tears flowed, the words poured, the kisses were emotional, and the hugs were powerful.
The stayed like that for what seemed like forever, until Dorothy finally yawned. She was still weak, and very tired.
Scarecrow insisted she rest again, and he would not leave her side.
He promised her he would explain everything when she was stronger as she began to ask questions.
She did sit up a little later to finally get some food in her, which was horrible, but she was hungry so she ignored the taste of the terrible food.
The nurse said they would get her out of bed the next day and see how she did walking around.
Every time she did wake up she felt so much better knowing Scarecrow was by her side again. She could see the relief on his facial expressions.
She then opened her eyes as Scarecrow and the same Doctor talked lowly near the door. She smiled and went back to sleep.
….
So, I studied 1940s medicine before I wrote this chapter, and knew there was no way Dorothy would have survived if Scarecrow had taken her back to her world in that time. So, I thought that modern medicine would make more sense to save her.
I know I should have probably written her on a ventilator, but I needed her to speak. So, just imagine she was on one, but they took her off of it when she started to heal and could breathe on her own despite being sedated.
Her confusion would be scary and very real since she was from the past, and never seen anything like it where she grew up and living in Oz. I based this chapter off the Captain America movies when he woke up in modern times, and had to adjust.
The next chapter will explain a lot of things. Stay tuned.