Miracles
A persistent sound bothered him at first; in the endless cycle of dark and light, the constant incoherent noise of something beeping was like a form of torture. It didn't change, however, and it passed into the background soon enough.
Low murmurs punctuated the bright times. Voices that rose and fell with the distance of shadows that hovered nearby. It took him a while to realize that they were even there, and that they were talking. He struggled to understand.
What were they discussing?
Another cycle passed, and the voices and shadows returned with another realization.
He was being touched. Carefully, and gently, someone was touching him, and murmuring a few soothing tones. A professional care.
Where was he?
The words were becoming familiar, almost as though he'd heard this strange sort of language before.
He had.
He knew what they were saying. Clarity started to settle into his fuzzy world.
"... everything will be all right, Jace." The higher pitched voice told him, as the shadow brushed against his forehead. "I'll be here again tomorrow."
Beyond the healing touch, he could barely hear another murmur. Someone else nearby, perhaps?
"... vegetative state is due to electrocution compounded with head injury. It's been two weeks. The other injuries are healing well, however, if he doesn't come out of it soon there'll be no hope."
He understood.
His name was Jace. Something had happened, and now he was...
Where? What happened?
A flash of light took everything, spinning him away into a void...
"Doctor Nichols?" The light voice called someone else, as he realized he'd spoken through a dry and painful throat. "He just spoke."
"Are you sure?"
Jace blinked, the world around him coming into a hazy sort of focus. People?
Things didn't look quite right. Almost alien.
Who was he?
He frowned at the world, feeling the odd sensation of the movement. He was weak-- horribly so.
"Wonders will never cease." The second man was speaking again, as he moved close, "Son, how're you feeling?"
"I'm... alive." Jace hesitated for a moment before answering, "What happened? Where am I?"
"County hospital. I'm not sure what happened out there in the city, no one official will tell us. " Dr. Nichols smiled, "They told us you were the victim of a car hitting a power pole, and getting caught by the wire. Doesn't add up, but you're awake, and that's the most important thing right now. The rest you'll have to fill us in on as it comes up."
"I don't remember..." he mumbled. "There's something not right. I just don't know what it is--"
"You'll be fine now, it's not every day that someone takes that much voltage and lives. It's a miracle." The kind smile was constant, and Jace wasn't going to resist. "Now, we're going to run a few tests, to make sure everything is healing nicely."
For the moment, Jace couldn't argue.