Blink 2/7
Chapter Two:
When Charlie opens his eyes, he's not too surprised that the room looks different from the last one he saw. Pretty much every blink has been a new scene at this point. But he feels different... better... rested even...
This room isn't white. It doesn't even look like a hospital, with blue painted walls and framed pictures for decoration. The IV beside his bed tells him he's still in a medical facility though, just not the same one.
He struggles to sit up, but his body doesn't respond properly. It's sluggish and awkward, like he weighs a ton.
He looks for a nurse call button but there isn't one, which seems odd to him. He waits for someone to come along, wondering where his brother and father are. If he's in the hospital, shouldn't they be there with him? Don and Amita were here last time...
A nurse walks in, reading from a clipboard. When she looks up and sees Charlie looking back at her, she's startled and almost drops it.
"Mr. Eppes!"
Dr. Eppes, Charlie wants to correct her, but the words don't come. He tries again, but they're just not there. He's confused and more than a little frightened, and his face must show it, since the nurse comes over and speaks softly to him.
"Mr. Eppes, you're probably disoriented but that's all right. You've been in a coma for a while. Just rest for now. I'll notify your doctor and call your family to let them know you're awake, okay?"
He manages to nod and she pats his arm gently before rushing from the room.
A coma... A while... Charlie lies back, still absorbing the magnitude of what she said. He's afraid to consider just how many minutes he might have lost...