'Connections. They're unescapable. I tried not to attach myself to them, to him, because I knew it couldn't be, that it wasn't meant to be -but I couldn't help it. It's so gradual that you don't even notice it until you're in too deep. And by then, it's too late. I couldn't repair the damage of what had been done. The worst part was - I didn't want to.'
-from the later journals of Elizabeth Parker
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Liz lifted her head from the cold, moist tiles of her bathroom floor and stared around in confusion. She must have passed out after Alex had dropped her off from the hospital. She remembered feeling hot so she had gone in to the bathroom to splash some water on her face and then - nothing. Wait... no, she was doing something before that. What was it? She sat up and a wave of dizziness hit her. Uhng... She put a hand to her forehead and prayed the ringing would stop. The murmur of voices drifted up the stairs from the Crashdown, and Liz heard her mother yell up the steps, "Honey, we're home!"
'What were they doing back a day early? Unless...' Liz grabbed her watch that was carelessly discarded next to the sink. It read 12 o'clock. How is that possible? Alex dropped her off at 1:30. She was passed out the whole night on her bathroom floor. Figures. And it would explain the horrible pain in her neck. She stood up slowly, her joints popping and reacquainting themselves with movement. Leaning her body against the countertop, Liz opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out the aspirin as her mother walked through the doorway. Once she saw her daughter's ragged appearance, she dropped the bags she was carrying and her own jaw.
"On my god Lizzie, what happened?"
"Um there was an accident in the Crashdown a couple of days ago and I cut myself on some broken glass. I'm okay; I just had to get a few stitches."
"Are you sure you're alright? Thank god we filled out that form allowing you to be able to get medical service without our presence."
"Yeah, talk about lucky," Liz said as she poured herself a glass of water and put the pills in her mouth. Nancy noticed Liz's pale complexion and asked Liz if she was feeling alright.
"No, I'm sick but I don't know what I have," Liz admitted honestly. "The symptoms don't match up."
"Well maybe we should take you in to the doctor and-" Liz stared at her mother, watching Nancy's lips forming words but suddenly she couldn't hear them, and then she felt like she was sinking into the floor as her body slumped against the countertop. Liz's hearing returned to normal suddenly and she started coughing violently.
"Lizzie, are you okay?" her mother asked fearfully.
Liz couldn't seem to get any air to her lungs. Her hand covering her mouth, Liz continued coughing. Her whole body was clenched and her mind screamed at her for oxygen. As quickly as the fit came, it left, and Liz could breathe again, her body relaxing itself. She felt light-headed and she inhaled slowly. Nancy was at her side and rubbing her back soothingly, and Liz suddenly noticed a moist liquid on her hand. Her eyes widened and she said calmly, "Mom, I think I need to go to the hospital," as she held her blood covered hand up for her mother to see. She had coughed up blood, Liz's mom realized, and then she looked at Liz's face. Her nose had started bleeding as well. Nancy screamed for her husband Jeff, and suddenly everything became really bright as Liz's eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed into darkness. At that same moment, the four aliens and three humans who knew her were all in a different bathroom, wiping blood away from each of their noses as well. But the fact that the blood wasn't their own was too big of a coincidence for anyone to ignore.
