Mark Chu paced up and down impatiently beside Lila's bed. Half-asleep, she
watched him through slitted eyes.
"Lila!" he complained, throwing his arms into the air. "What?" she whispered, brushing her arm across her face.
"The public is not happy," he snapped at her. "You need to get back on the road-pronto, before you lose your popularity surge."
"I can't help it!" Lila whined. "For three nights now I've been having the same dream-I'm not leaving until I receive psychiatric help, and I mean it! Money and power are not worth living in fear of the next dream that comes along. Besides, my new plane doesn't leave for two more days."
Mark stared at Lila, not sure whether he should scream or...scream. She was so beautiful, he noted, looking at her face. Beautiful blonde hair tumbling around her shoulders, her emerald green eyes holding a tint of fear from the nightmares....Mark shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.
Just then, Dr. Jones came into the room. Lila visibly relaxed. Being alone with Mark scared her. Mark could be violent at times, just like her father...
"Hello, Ms. Phillips," he smiled pleasantly. "Good morning, Dr. Jones," Lila said, smiling a bit.
"Now, you say you've been having dreams? What kind of dreams?"
Bit by bit, Lila told him every excruciating detail of her nightmares, down to the exact time on the clock (3:04 A.M.) and the features of the nurse's face.
The doctor seemed to think over her words, and then he said, "Well, I'd give you come medicine to help you not to dream, but it would take almost a week to get it in, so for now let's try some simple psychiatric techniques: when you think you're thirsty, don't reach for the water. Then the clock won't stop ticking."
"Thank you, doctor," Lila said, and Dr. Jones nodded, smiled, and left. "Would you please leave, Mark?" Lila asked him.
Too infuriated to argue, Mark merely nodded tersely and stormed out of the room.
During the day, Lila read some books, conversed with some of the triage nurses, and slept.
At 9 P.M., the curfew, Lila uneasily leaned back and slowly went to sleep.
~
Lila woke up in her dream, and looked at the clock. 3:04 A.M. She gulped nervously, and continued to lie in her bed. The clock ticked louder until it nearly broke her eardrums.
But she didn't reach for the cup. However, when she reached over her head to fluff up the pillows, her hand accidentally hit the water glass-and it fell onto the floor where it broke.
The ticking stopped. "Oh, no!" Lila whispered in horror. She heard the creak of the floorboards in the hall, and Lila got out of bed, completely against her will, to see who it was.
The silhouette of the nurse entered the elevator and the doors closed. Lila, shivering, followed the elevator down to the ground floor.
The nurse entered Room 311-the morgue. Lila stopped in front of the door, and waited for the nurse to open them as usual.
But this time, something different happened. The nurse opened the door, and Lila jumped, her eyes widened with terror.
The nurse said softly, "Room 311, your stop." Lila gasped, trying to catch her breath and to slow her heart-rate. Then the nurse smiled coldly and said, "Room for one more, honey."
Lila screamed, and fled back to her room.
~
Lila once more woke screaming in terror, thrashing in her sheets, trying to get untangled. Two nurses and the night doctor rushed in, and disentangled her, trying to hold her down until she came to her senses.
This time, Lila could only babble on uncomprehensively, "Room 311, Room 311...the morgue! The morgue!"
The doctor finally calmed her down, and gave her a sedative.
As he slowly walked outside, he frowned, thinking. "Anything wrong, doctor?" one of the nurses asked him.
"Yes," he said slowly. "It's true that Room 311 is the morgue-but none of our patients no that. How could she, since she's never been there?"
"Lila!" he complained, throwing his arms into the air. "What?" she whispered, brushing her arm across her face.
"The public is not happy," he snapped at her. "You need to get back on the road-pronto, before you lose your popularity surge."
"I can't help it!" Lila whined. "For three nights now I've been having the same dream-I'm not leaving until I receive psychiatric help, and I mean it! Money and power are not worth living in fear of the next dream that comes along. Besides, my new plane doesn't leave for two more days."
Mark stared at Lila, not sure whether he should scream or...scream. She was so beautiful, he noted, looking at her face. Beautiful blonde hair tumbling around her shoulders, her emerald green eyes holding a tint of fear from the nightmares....Mark shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.
Just then, Dr. Jones came into the room. Lila visibly relaxed. Being alone with Mark scared her. Mark could be violent at times, just like her father...
"Hello, Ms. Phillips," he smiled pleasantly. "Good morning, Dr. Jones," Lila said, smiling a bit.
"Now, you say you've been having dreams? What kind of dreams?"
Bit by bit, Lila told him every excruciating detail of her nightmares, down to the exact time on the clock (3:04 A.M.) and the features of the nurse's face.
The doctor seemed to think over her words, and then he said, "Well, I'd give you come medicine to help you not to dream, but it would take almost a week to get it in, so for now let's try some simple psychiatric techniques: when you think you're thirsty, don't reach for the water. Then the clock won't stop ticking."
"Thank you, doctor," Lila said, and Dr. Jones nodded, smiled, and left. "Would you please leave, Mark?" Lila asked him.
Too infuriated to argue, Mark merely nodded tersely and stormed out of the room.
During the day, Lila read some books, conversed with some of the triage nurses, and slept.
At 9 P.M., the curfew, Lila uneasily leaned back and slowly went to sleep.
~
Lila woke up in her dream, and looked at the clock. 3:04 A.M. She gulped nervously, and continued to lie in her bed. The clock ticked louder until it nearly broke her eardrums.
But she didn't reach for the cup. However, when she reached over her head to fluff up the pillows, her hand accidentally hit the water glass-and it fell onto the floor where it broke.
The ticking stopped. "Oh, no!" Lila whispered in horror. She heard the creak of the floorboards in the hall, and Lila got out of bed, completely against her will, to see who it was.
The silhouette of the nurse entered the elevator and the doors closed. Lila, shivering, followed the elevator down to the ground floor.
The nurse entered Room 311-the morgue. Lila stopped in front of the door, and waited for the nurse to open them as usual.
But this time, something different happened. The nurse opened the door, and Lila jumped, her eyes widened with terror.
The nurse said softly, "Room 311, your stop." Lila gasped, trying to catch her breath and to slow her heart-rate. Then the nurse smiled coldly and said, "Room for one more, honey."
Lila screamed, and fled back to her room.
~
Lila once more woke screaming in terror, thrashing in her sheets, trying to get untangled. Two nurses and the night doctor rushed in, and disentangled her, trying to hold her down until she came to her senses.
This time, Lila could only babble on uncomprehensively, "Room 311, Room 311...the morgue! The morgue!"
The doctor finally calmed her down, and gave her a sedative.
As he slowly walked outside, he frowned, thinking. "Anything wrong, doctor?" one of the nurses asked him.
"Yes," he said slowly. "It's true that Room 311 is the morgue-but none of our patients no that. How could she, since she's never been there?"