Chapter 2: Storm
The boy's feet were like large clumps of lead, hampering every movement he tried to make; the synapses between his brain and his legs seemed to be shred in two. Not even the sudden crackle and illumination of thunder and lightning could yank him from this strange trance.
Ensnared within his own little world, Dib found no peace, just a grudging sensation that he had wronged the girl that had been sitting next to him...sure, he had endured years of mockery and lived to tell the tale, but that was him...perhaps he took the ridicule with more leniency. But wasn't he always the weak one, the classic example of a human punching bag?
~I'm no better then they are...~ the stifling notion that he had become the oppressor instead of being held as the oppressed was disturbing, and it was this nagging thought that held him fast.
A fat water drop splashed onto Dib's forehead, dousing him enough so that he was finally forced to enter his house, the air around him, as always, quiet and still like velvet coated midnight. The only noises Dib perceived were that of an unattended television set and the heating turning itself on, triggered by the sudden cold that fled through the open door. This was the norm for Dib...how every day had been for him...how every day ~was going~ to be for the bespectacled boy.
Shaking his head violently, Dib pushed away these penetrating feelings, as he walked up the stairs to the second floor, pausing on the 6th stair.
Dib couldn't remember the last time he had felt this way, so mystified over such simple feelings like regret and forlorn. Not even while foraging the deepest corners of his mind could he recollect when last he had felt so abandoned. His mind was mired in so many different topics that it had trouble choosing which one to pursue.
Should he say he was sorry...should he ignore...what about his mission? Could he wallow in this apprehension while Zim went ahead with his plans for world domination?
~Damnit...~ mentally spiting himself, he continued up the staircase, tromping his boots now, each step seeming more laborious than the preceding one. Reaching the landing on the second floor, Dib took a quick peek into Gaz's room, walls painted black, much like every thing else she owned. She was lying on her bed, back turned to the entrance, not even registering her brother's presence. One wondered how they could even call themselves siblings, they way they rejected each other.
Dib's room was across the hallway from Gaz's, and was about the same size, although the walls in here were littered with posters all exhibiting his unusual attraction to the paranormal. A breathy sigh escaped his open mouth, and Dib slowly entered his other realm, the only place in which he felt welcome, where problems weren't allowed to bother him and he was able to concentrate and plot his counterattacks to Zim's nefarious schemes.
He flung his book bag into an empty crook of the room, back sore from carrying so many books, many of them so useless, they were better off being thrown into a fire for kindling. Letting the relief of this burden spread through his lower back, Dib collapsed into the comfort of his computer chair, the wheels squeaking slightly, and turned on his desktop, a familiar whir and hum burgeoning slowly.
As he waited for the computer to load its components, Dib let his eyes wander around the 4 corners of his room, gazing at the charts, sky maps, and electrical equipment that cluttered every crevice, years of research and info gathering, all for one purpose: to understand that which no one had ever understood. All his life it seemed Dib had let his mind be taken captive by this topic, and although he had never given it much consideration, he sometimes found he never knew why things were this way.
~I miss you...~
The only person in his life who might have cared for him, if he had lived long enough to see her affection.
~Mom...~
The name lingered painfully on the tip of his tongue; he wanted to say it out loud, but every fiber of his being wouldn't comply so easily.
Could it have been her loss that spurned this unnatural interest, this insatiable hunger for knowledge? All he had were the few pictures his rather negligent father had taken before his birth, the brief glimpses into her life, all captured on photo paper. That was all he had to replace his mother being there...he had no memories, not even bad ones.
~...Mother....~ an anxious tear traveled to the far corners of his eyes, teetering for a little, and then finally tumbling down the sides of his face, little raindrops of his own, salty and heavy with a sadness that was bound to overtake him. Dib brought his feet onto the chair, binding his arms around his legs so that his entire body was a curled mass of black fabric, the one color that seemed to suit him best.
He wanted to disregard Fate for ruining his life, for taking her away...but he couldn't....Fate doesn't let you off without having some amount of pain smashed into you...it's victims are always aware of it's sphere of influence. He wanted to withdraw from this existence, dash his troubles into tiny, little pieces and let the wind carry it away...but even ash and soot in the wind can cause you to cough and gag...it would never truly be gone.
But most of all...Dib wanted to hate those that had hurt him when he knew his mother wouldn't be there...when he had no one but himself to lean on...but things weren't that easy...were never that easy for Dib.
Hate is simple...this was too complicated...
"So...how was your day at skool?"
At first, the voice dazed Dib, head leaning over the back of his chair, a once-flowing stream of drool now dry and caked on his face. His body went rigid at the unexpected entrance of another person into his room; he at first thought he was dreaming.
His father, Professor Membrane, was standing in the doorway, looking straight at him.
"Du-Dad?!" he gasped, unfolding his legs so wildly that he actually fell completely off of his chair, landing on the floor with a loud thud!. Fixing the glasses on his face, Dib took his time getting back onto his feet, cautiously eying the man before him. "What do you want?"
"Now is that anyway to answer someone when they've just asked such a simple question?" immediately reminded of how eagerly Zim had been grilling him, Dib simply let his father's second question go unanswered, and instead shot him a quizzical glance out of the corner of his eye. "My poor, poor insane son..."
"Yeah, right, Dad," Dib yawned, the effects of his impromptu nap still swaying over him. When had he fallen asleep? He didn't remember feeling so tired... "Anyway, skool was fine; some new girl came into her class..."
"A new girl, eh? So, finally exploring into the world of the opposite sex, son?" Professor Membrane playfully nudged his son's disbelieving side; he had never said more than 3 words to him before without being approached; what was with this sudden enthusiasm? Maybe he was still in a dream...this all seemed to far-fetched to be true.
"Dad...what are you talking about?" a small frown forming on his dry lips, Dib narrowed his eyes a little, questioning his father's amicable behavior.
"Oh, I was just curious that's all...nothing really...But did you catch her name?"
At this, Dib had finally had enough of this mockery of a father-son discussion; it was so one-sided it was almost agonizing and he refused to participate in something so fake and phony.
"Dad...I'm going back to sleep..." Dib knew he was being disrespectful, but in this family, that was nonexistent in some cases. His father had never shown him a wit of concern or over-flowing love before, why start now? Even when they were interested in the same topics did they ever share lengthy, scientific discussions with one another? No, and frankly, Dib was too tired to actually be bothered by it. "See you later..."
Plopping face first into his bed and wrapping the blankets about him, Dib placed his glasses on his night stand, and was just about to drift off into an early retirement, when his father spoke once more, this time softly, with uncertainty.
"Was her name..Nel?"
"What did you just say?!" Dib's eyes flashed wide open, looking out the doorway, but was treated with only emptiness; his father was gone, back to his lab and his work like always; it was as if he had never been there speaking to him. ~How...how did he know...It's not like I care....but..~
Sinking back into his sheet, Dib stared at his ceiling, blank except for a few glow-in-the-dark stars he had put there last year. Perhaps he had misheard his father....anyway, he ~had~ been thinking about the girl for a while, ever since their less then cordial encounter.
Why did it seem like every one was troubling themselves over one girl...first Zim, and now ~Dad~? She was, different, he admitted, but definitely not note-worthy....just another future throw out on the planet Earth. It was too much for Dib to ponder now, as he let his eyes droop again, not letting the low glow from his computer's monitor hinder him, as he fell into sleep again.
Nel entered the room slowly, bare feet padding along the floor quietly, stopping in place when she had reached the exact middle of the room.
"Tell me, how did you enjoy today?"
The woman's words were biting and unfriendly, with a tone that went beyond parental chastisement, and Nel cringed because of this.
"I-I enjoyed today..." clearing her throat, the girl stepped towards the mirrored wall, knowing fully well that some persona lay beyond the reflective surface. But all she could see was her terrified self, knees knocking and teeth chattering.
"Your response should end respectfully!!" the voice boomed now like a foghorn, bouncing off the concrete surfaces of the room like a ping pong ball. "And you simply 'enjoyed' your little recess? This was like a Christmas present; how can you dishonor such a generous gift?! You disreputable little cur!"
"I-I-I'm sorry, ma'am! Please excuse me!" Nel fidgeted with her threadbare clothing, a simple gray sweatshirt that was 3 sizes too larges and nearly came down to her knees. The portions of her legs that were exposed were covered with tiny, but deep scars; one could only imagine the incisions on her arms. "I l-loved today, ma'am!"
"And be glad that you did...I almost didn't vouch for this reprieve...be glad that there are those that look down on you with kinder eyes then ~I~ do..." the voice from behind the grand mirror seemed to calm down and Nel sighed dimly, the soft features of her face brightening.
It had been a great thing to let her attend skool, if only for a month or two; to leave this sterile zone, tucked deep within the city, was like granting a sinner a second chance to find innocence.
Biting her lower lip tenderly, the skin chapped and worn from the cold, fall breeze, Nel at first hadn't believe she was actually going to be seeing other people, those that were her age...good-natured people that didn't yell or scream...those that wouldn't hit her...or maim...
Blinking her eyes a few times, Nel returned to the present, trying to forsake the cache of hostile emotions that had been used against her. The voice hadn't said anything else to her; Nel wasn't even sure if she was still there, secluded behind that enigmatic wall, barking at her at all times like a ravenous beast. She was so hard to satisfy, no matter how humble Nel was. It was never enough; her best would always fall beneath the harsh expectations her superiors had set for her.
"Well...what do you want to do now, Nel?" startling the poor girl, her mouth tight once more with dread, the venomous voice seemed to be impatient, as if an eternity had passed. "These clandestine meetings cannot drag on like this, you know that! We have much to do with you..."
"Yes, ma'am, I know...I'm finished...mother..." the last word forced out with a grimace, Nel stared at the ground bleakly. The individual hidden behind the mirror didn't seem to notice the strain Nel was under, and with a final scoff, shut off her intercom.
Never the colloquial sort, Nel was surprised she hadn't received further punishment, whether it was verbal or physical, for her sharp tone of voice. She should have been more grateful for this chance event; Nel had never met the person she referred to as "ma'am", but she was almost certain that a person with such a malicious tone must be just as vindictive in the flesh.
Batting her large, brown eyes slowly, the girl felt a sudden heaviness deep inside her chest cavity, a twinge in her heart; it felt like a large hook was tugging at her lungs. Clapping a hand to her throat, Nel began to feel a gagging reflex gurgling its way up through her esophagus, and she clamored to the cold, uncaring ground.
Swiftly, a torrent of men in white lab coats burst into the room like a stampede of silver horses, encircling the girl, now pitching severely as if deathly blows were being dealt upon her body.
"Rhodes! Get a stretcher in here this instant! Someone help me restrain the subject!" an anonymous person bellowed furiously, trying to force a pen between Nel's teeth to keep her from grinding them to the roots. "No, Brandenburg, I don't know if this is the same ailment as before! Stop questioning and go, NOW!"
To Nel, all of the commotion around her was being played out in slow motion, the sounds muted, as if every one had a towel wrapped around their faces..and every thing was blurry..what was happening...she didn't know....this never happened before, at least not so quickly after speaking with the voice...
~I deserve this....I have done something wrong, mother...please forgive me...~
One last choke wound its way out of Nel's mouth, a fragile attempt to properly breathe, as a deep haze clouded all her senses at last...she felt something being placed over her mouth...what was it? A sharp stab penetrated her left hand, but she couldn't flinch in response..her entire body had become as numb and bitter as a slab of ice.
Jumping out from behind Nel's obscured perspective, one could witness a scene of mass confusion and disarray, with several attendants warily placing the girl's delicate and feeble body onto a hospital bed, trying desperately to stabilize her condition. A jumble of wires and needles had already been injected into her, attempting to pull her out of an inevitable coma.
Screams filled the air, as doctors told those in their way to remove themselves as they struggled to maneuver the cart to the nearest emergency room. But all Nell could see were the lights...they were always there, like yellow faces staring down at her at all times. They only went away when she closed her eyes, and how she wished to vanish into sleep, to be blinked out of all existence.
She knew the voice would not be happy with her now...she had caused a commotion; had brought attention upon her own being. Face now receding to shades of dull grey, her body so weary she could barely tremble, Nel felt a single hand shaking her shoulder now, keeping her awake, and when she let herself, she thought she heard the same, different voice from before...the other person...
~Let me sleep...please...~
"Nel! NEL!" the voice was boring down on her like a tidal wave, forcing her to remain with the living, snatching her away from the dream world that invited her with friendly hands and a welcoming embrace. "Stay with us!! You have to be strong!!!"
~I'm not strong...mother said so...I'm so weak without her...I'm nothing without her...~
"Nel!"
~I want to go back to skool...I want to be happy....I would give it all away...~
"Please don't fall asleep, just a little longer!"
~Just...to..be strong....~
"Oh, GOD! She's slipping into shock, get her into the ER, ~stat~!!!" the voice was now so faint, it sounded like a whisper to Nel, her face composed, as the doctors finally got her into a clean room.
She didn't even realize she was still awake...the lights were the only thing there now...
The boy's feet were like large clumps of lead, hampering every movement he tried to make; the synapses between his brain and his legs seemed to be shred in two. Not even the sudden crackle and illumination of thunder and lightning could yank him from this strange trance.
Ensnared within his own little world, Dib found no peace, just a grudging sensation that he had wronged the girl that had been sitting next to him...sure, he had endured years of mockery and lived to tell the tale, but that was him...perhaps he took the ridicule with more leniency. But wasn't he always the weak one, the classic example of a human punching bag?
~I'm no better then they are...~ the stifling notion that he had become the oppressor instead of being held as the oppressed was disturbing, and it was this nagging thought that held him fast.
A fat water drop splashed onto Dib's forehead, dousing him enough so that he was finally forced to enter his house, the air around him, as always, quiet and still like velvet coated midnight. The only noises Dib perceived were that of an unattended television set and the heating turning itself on, triggered by the sudden cold that fled through the open door. This was the norm for Dib...how every day had been for him...how every day ~was going~ to be for the bespectacled boy.
Shaking his head violently, Dib pushed away these penetrating feelings, as he walked up the stairs to the second floor, pausing on the 6th stair.
Dib couldn't remember the last time he had felt this way, so mystified over such simple feelings like regret and forlorn. Not even while foraging the deepest corners of his mind could he recollect when last he had felt so abandoned. His mind was mired in so many different topics that it had trouble choosing which one to pursue.
Should he say he was sorry...should he ignore...what about his mission? Could he wallow in this apprehension while Zim went ahead with his plans for world domination?
~Damnit...~ mentally spiting himself, he continued up the staircase, tromping his boots now, each step seeming more laborious than the preceding one. Reaching the landing on the second floor, Dib took a quick peek into Gaz's room, walls painted black, much like every thing else she owned. She was lying on her bed, back turned to the entrance, not even registering her brother's presence. One wondered how they could even call themselves siblings, they way they rejected each other.
Dib's room was across the hallway from Gaz's, and was about the same size, although the walls in here were littered with posters all exhibiting his unusual attraction to the paranormal. A breathy sigh escaped his open mouth, and Dib slowly entered his other realm, the only place in which he felt welcome, where problems weren't allowed to bother him and he was able to concentrate and plot his counterattacks to Zim's nefarious schemes.
He flung his book bag into an empty crook of the room, back sore from carrying so many books, many of them so useless, they were better off being thrown into a fire for kindling. Letting the relief of this burden spread through his lower back, Dib collapsed into the comfort of his computer chair, the wheels squeaking slightly, and turned on his desktop, a familiar whir and hum burgeoning slowly.
As he waited for the computer to load its components, Dib let his eyes wander around the 4 corners of his room, gazing at the charts, sky maps, and electrical equipment that cluttered every crevice, years of research and info gathering, all for one purpose: to understand that which no one had ever understood. All his life it seemed Dib had let his mind be taken captive by this topic, and although he had never given it much consideration, he sometimes found he never knew why things were this way.
~I miss you...~
The only person in his life who might have cared for him, if he had lived long enough to see her affection.
~Mom...~
The name lingered painfully on the tip of his tongue; he wanted to say it out loud, but every fiber of his being wouldn't comply so easily.
Could it have been her loss that spurned this unnatural interest, this insatiable hunger for knowledge? All he had were the few pictures his rather negligent father had taken before his birth, the brief glimpses into her life, all captured on photo paper. That was all he had to replace his mother being there...he had no memories, not even bad ones.
~...Mother....~ an anxious tear traveled to the far corners of his eyes, teetering for a little, and then finally tumbling down the sides of his face, little raindrops of his own, salty and heavy with a sadness that was bound to overtake him. Dib brought his feet onto the chair, binding his arms around his legs so that his entire body was a curled mass of black fabric, the one color that seemed to suit him best.
He wanted to disregard Fate for ruining his life, for taking her away...but he couldn't....Fate doesn't let you off without having some amount of pain smashed into you...it's victims are always aware of it's sphere of influence. He wanted to withdraw from this existence, dash his troubles into tiny, little pieces and let the wind carry it away...but even ash and soot in the wind can cause you to cough and gag...it would never truly be gone.
But most of all...Dib wanted to hate those that had hurt him when he knew his mother wouldn't be there...when he had no one but himself to lean on...but things weren't that easy...were never that easy for Dib.
Hate is simple...this was too complicated...
"So...how was your day at skool?"
At first, the voice dazed Dib, head leaning over the back of his chair, a once-flowing stream of drool now dry and caked on his face. His body went rigid at the unexpected entrance of another person into his room; he at first thought he was dreaming.
His father, Professor Membrane, was standing in the doorway, looking straight at him.
"Du-Dad?!" he gasped, unfolding his legs so wildly that he actually fell completely off of his chair, landing on the floor with a loud thud!. Fixing the glasses on his face, Dib took his time getting back onto his feet, cautiously eying the man before him. "What do you want?"
"Now is that anyway to answer someone when they've just asked such a simple question?" immediately reminded of how eagerly Zim had been grilling him, Dib simply let his father's second question go unanswered, and instead shot him a quizzical glance out of the corner of his eye. "My poor, poor insane son..."
"Yeah, right, Dad," Dib yawned, the effects of his impromptu nap still swaying over him. When had he fallen asleep? He didn't remember feeling so tired... "Anyway, skool was fine; some new girl came into her class..."
"A new girl, eh? So, finally exploring into the world of the opposite sex, son?" Professor Membrane playfully nudged his son's disbelieving side; he had never said more than 3 words to him before without being approached; what was with this sudden enthusiasm? Maybe he was still in a dream...this all seemed to far-fetched to be true.
"Dad...what are you talking about?" a small frown forming on his dry lips, Dib narrowed his eyes a little, questioning his father's amicable behavior.
"Oh, I was just curious that's all...nothing really...But did you catch her name?"
At this, Dib had finally had enough of this mockery of a father-son discussion; it was so one-sided it was almost agonizing and he refused to participate in something so fake and phony.
"Dad...I'm going back to sleep..." Dib knew he was being disrespectful, but in this family, that was nonexistent in some cases. His father had never shown him a wit of concern or over-flowing love before, why start now? Even when they were interested in the same topics did they ever share lengthy, scientific discussions with one another? No, and frankly, Dib was too tired to actually be bothered by it. "See you later..."
Plopping face first into his bed and wrapping the blankets about him, Dib placed his glasses on his night stand, and was just about to drift off into an early retirement, when his father spoke once more, this time softly, with uncertainty.
"Was her name..Nel?"
"What did you just say?!" Dib's eyes flashed wide open, looking out the doorway, but was treated with only emptiness; his father was gone, back to his lab and his work like always; it was as if he had never been there speaking to him. ~How...how did he know...It's not like I care....but..~
Sinking back into his sheet, Dib stared at his ceiling, blank except for a few glow-in-the-dark stars he had put there last year. Perhaps he had misheard his father....anyway, he ~had~ been thinking about the girl for a while, ever since their less then cordial encounter.
Why did it seem like every one was troubling themselves over one girl...first Zim, and now ~Dad~? She was, different, he admitted, but definitely not note-worthy....just another future throw out on the planet Earth. It was too much for Dib to ponder now, as he let his eyes droop again, not letting the low glow from his computer's monitor hinder him, as he fell into sleep again.
Nel entered the room slowly, bare feet padding along the floor quietly, stopping in place when she had reached the exact middle of the room.
"Tell me, how did you enjoy today?"
The woman's words were biting and unfriendly, with a tone that went beyond parental chastisement, and Nel cringed because of this.
"I-I enjoyed today..." clearing her throat, the girl stepped towards the mirrored wall, knowing fully well that some persona lay beyond the reflective surface. But all she could see was her terrified self, knees knocking and teeth chattering.
"Your response should end respectfully!!" the voice boomed now like a foghorn, bouncing off the concrete surfaces of the room like a ping pong ball. "And you simply 'enjoyed' your little recess? This was like a Christmas present; how can you dishonor such a generous gift?! You disreputable little cur!"
"I-I-I'm sorry, ma'am! Please excuse me!" Nel fidgeted with her threadbare clothing, a simple gray sweatshirt that was 3 sizes too larges and nearly came down to her knees. The portions of her legs that were exposed were covered with tiny, but deep scars; one could only imagine the incisions on her arms. "I l-loved today, ma'am!"
"And be glad that you did...I almost didn't vouch for this reprieve...be glad that there are those that look down on you with kinder eyes then ~I~ do..." the voice from behind the grand mirror seemed to calm down and Nel sighed dimly, the soft features of her face brightening.
It had been a great thing to let her attend skool, if only for a month or two; to leave this sterile zone, tucked deep within the city, was like granting a sinner a second chance to find innocence.
Biting her lower lip tenderly, the skin chapped and worn from the cold, fall breeze, Nel at first hadn't believe she was actually going to be seeing other people, those that were her age...good-natured people that didn't yell or scream...those that wouldn't hit her...or maim...
Blinking her eyes a few times, Nel returned to the present, trying to forsake the cache of hostile emotions that had been used against her. The voice hadn't said anything else to her; Nel wasn't even sure if she was still there, secluded behind that enigmatic wall, barking at her at all times like a ravenous beast. She was so hard to satisfy, no matter how humble Nel was. It was never enough; her best would always fall beneath the harsh expectations her superiors had set for her.
"Well...what do you want to do now, Nel?" startling the poor girl, her mouth tight once more with dread, the venomous voice seemed to be impatient, as if an eternity had passed. "These clandestine meetings cannot drag on like this, you know that! We have much to do with you..."
"Yes, ma'am, I know...I'm finished...mother..." the last word forced out with a grimace, Nel stared at the ground bleakly. The individual hidden behind the mirror didn't seem to notice the strain Nel was under, and with a final scoff, shut off her intercom.
Never the colloquial sort, Nel was surprised she hadn't received further punishment, whether it was verbal or physical, for her sharp tone of voice. She should have been more grateful for this chance event; Nel had never met the person she referred to as "ma'am", but she was almost certain that a person with such a malicious tone must be just as vindictive in the flesh.
Batting her large, brown eyes slowly, the girl felt a sudden heaviness deep inside her chest cavity, a twinge in her heart; it felt like a large hook was tugging at her lungs. Clapping a hand to her throat, Nel began to feel a gagging reflex gurgling its way up through her esophagus, and she clamored to the cold, uncaring ground.
Swiftly, a torrent of men in white lab coats burst into the room like a stampede of silver horses, encircling the girl, now pitching severely as if deathly blows were being dealt upon her body.
"Rhodes! Get a stretcher in here this instant! Someone help me restrain the subject!" an anonymous person bellowed furiously, trying to force a pen between Nel's teeth to keep her from grinding them to the roots. "No, Brandenburg, I don't know if this is the same ailment as before! Stop questioning and go, NOW!"
To Nel, all of the commotion around her was being played out in slow motion, the sounds muted, as if every one had a towel wrapped around their faces..and every thing was blurry..what was happening...she didn't know....this never happened before, at least not so quickly after speaking with the voice...
~I deserve this....I have done something wrong, mother...please forgive me...~
One last choke wound its way out of Nel's mouth, a fragile attempt to properly breathe, as a deep haze clouded all her senses at last...she felt something being placed over her mouth...what was it? A sharp stab penetrated her left hand, but she couldn't flinch in response..her entire body had become as numb and bitter as a slab of ice.
Jumping out from behind Nel's obscured perspective, one could witness a scene of mass confusion and disarray, with several attendants warily placing the girl's delicate and feeble body onto a hospital bed, trying desperately to stabilize her condition. A jumble of wires and needles had already been injected into her, attempting to pull her out of an inevitable coma.
Screams filled the air, as doctors told those in their way to remove themselves as they struggled to maneuver the cart to the nearest emergency room. But all Nell could see were the lights...they were always there, like yellow faces staring down at her at all times. They only went away when she closed her eyes, and how she wished to vanish into sleep, to be blinked out of all existence.
She knew the voice would not be happy with her now...she had caused a commotion; had brought attention upon her own being. Face now receding to shades of dull grey, her body so weary she could barely tremble, Nel felt a single hand shaking her shoulder now, keeping her awake, and when she let herself, she thought she heard the same, different voice from before...the other person...
~Let me sleep...please...~
"Nel! NEL!" the voice was boring down on her like a tidal wave, forcing her to remain with the living, snatching her away from the dream world that invited her with friendly hands and a welcoming embrace. "Stay with us!! You have to be strong!!!"
~I'm not strong...mother said so...I'm so weak without her...I'm nothing without her...~
"Nel!"
~I want to go back to skool...I want to be happy....I would give it all away...~
"Please don't fall asleep, just a little longer!"
~Just...to..be strong....~
"Oh, GOD! She's slipping into shock, get her into the ER, ~stat~!!!" the voice was now so faint, it sounded like a whisper to Nel, her face composed, as the doctors finally got her into a clean room.
She didn't even realize she was still awake...the lights were the only thing there now...