Warning: Hospitalization and suggestion of severe injury ahead.

The voices came in fragments. Gender was indistinguishable. None of them were familiar. Something was rushing in time with the expansion of her lungs. There was a beeping off to the side. A strange cacophony of sounds. She disliked it. She felt disjointed. Fragments of herself floated about. Couldn't listen. Couldn't make sense. She just knew pain. So much pain.

"…survival unlikely…"

She tried to focus. It hurt. She wanted to tell them.

"…parents…on impact..."

The voices faded in and out. Like listening to a faulty speaker.

"…prep…surgery…attempt…"

Her thoughts were a mess. Words made no sense. Nothing made sense. Just the pain.

"…boy…critical…."

Boy? Foggy images floated past. A boy's face. A smile that lit up the world.

Georgie…

Her thoughts began to dim. Everything slowed. The pain faded.

Georgie…

"…losing…!"

Her heart rate felt sluggish.

"Clear!"

Georgie…

Darkness blocked out the pain.

She woke again. The pain was still there. It was more intense than the first time, though. It hurt in certain areas now. Her left side was a strange mix of numbness and heat. Her head throbbed. Her thoughts were still muddled. But she remembered. She remembered impact. Holding Georgie. Where was Georgie? Where was mother? Where was father? Hazily, she remembered, watching the door twist inward with crushing force. Mother going limp. That was bad, very bad, but she couldn't quite remember why…

The beeping was distracting. Too high, too slow and steady. Ticking was better. Like a clock. Like a metronome. She felt her lips twitch. A metronome timed music. Music was good. Her violin…where was her violin? She wanted to play. She felt so sad and wanted to play to keep those feelings away. Why was she sad? The impact…

That's why it was bad. Crushing kills. Mother was dead.

The beeping sped up. She couldn't breathe.

Someone came in. She couldn't see them, but she heard them, their footsteps. There was another beep. A few seconds later, darkness encroached again.

Loneliness went with consciousness.

A hand was holding hers. Her right one. She couldn't feel her left one. That side was just numb now. She felt more aware this time, but her thoughts were still not clear. She couldn't open her eyes. It was maddening. Another hand gently stroked her arm. She remained unable to move, merely lying on what she assumed to be a bed, floating in confusion and darkness.

She heard a loud sniff.

"Oh, Clary," her hand was raised and she felt a pair of thin, wrinkled lips kiss the back before it was lowered again, "It'll be alright. We're right here. We'll be right here when you wake up."

The hand squeezed hers.

Grandma.

There was a cough from a little ways off and then another loud sniff. Someone cleared their throat. A man.

Grandpa.

"You'll get better soon, Clary," the hand on her arm continued to stroke over her arm soothingly, "Then you'll have to come live with us. It won't be the same, but we'll get through it," her grandma's voice was soft and gentle, "Georgie will pull through too. We'll be alright. You'll be alright," her voice cracked, "Grandma Williams is with Georgie right now. She was here to see you earlier. She says she loves you, Clary," Grandma's hand squeezed hers again, "We all love you, Clary. We're waiting for you."

There were footsteps and another hand took hers from the first. This one was more weathered and calloused.

"You take your time, Clary girl. You wake up when you're good and ready. Alright?" her grandpa squeezed her hand gently, "We don't mind waiting."

Clary struggled to wake up. To open her eyes and embrace her grandparents. She needed them. Georgie was hurt badly. Mother and father were dead. She needed to be hugged and comforted right now. But, her mind would not allow it and she slipped away again.

No…I need them…I'm so alone...it's so dark…

She was again surrounded by darkness.

She had begun to dream again. That was a good thing. She didn't remember the last time she'd dreamed. She didn't know how long it had been since she'd done anything but waited in darkness. At least the darkness kept the pain away. But her dreams had returned recently. At least, she thought it was recently. They were just brief flickers, and so very confusing. Still, confusing dreams were better than nothing. Better than that all-consuming, never ending blackness.

She sat in a wide field of flowers, smiling as the wind blew through her hair and ruffled the grass around her. Petals danced in the breeze and the sun shone down on her. A river glinted in the distance. It was the picture of tranquility, a good dream. Georgie sat beside her, flipping through one of her music books. He looked over at her with a grin and she reached over to muss his hair. He laughed as she did so. She had no idea where they were, but it was better than the darkness and loneliness that came with it. And Georgie was there. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she knew that Georgie should be injured, but, he looked fine right now...

Abruptly, the dream changed and Georgie's expression became serious. He placed a hand on the violin case that laid between them. She frowned down at it, surprised. It hadn't been there a moment ago.

"Clary."

She looked at him again, surprised by the sudden sadness on his face. She immediately wanted to reach out to comfort him, to ask what was wrong, but, he continued.

"They'll take you away, Clary."

She felt confused. This wasn't like him. Georgie hated to be sad. He had told her numerous times that he much preferred to smile.

"Who, Georgie?"

He shook his head in answer.

"You said you were lonely. They'll take you away."

She frowned again. He hadn't answered her. And she wasn't sure why her loneliness played into this. Besides, she wasn't lonely right now. She had Georgie. She reached out for him, wanting nothing more than to take the sad look from his face. He caught her hand with the one not touching the violin case.

"I'm not going anywhere, Georgie," she said firmly, moving her hand so that her fingers laced with his.

However, she could not stop the strange fear and apprehension that welled up within her. Why was Georgie so scared? And why did she feel that he was right? She squeezed his hand, already beginning to push those emotions away. She started to smile slightly, thinking of a way to cheer him up. He cut her off again.

"You can't stop them," he said miserably, "You'll have to play the game."

A cold chill went down Clary's spine. The word 'game' struck a chord in her.

"What game, Georgie?"

He looked up at her, his green eyes tearing up. He squeezed her hand almost painfully.

"I'll save you, Clary. I won't let them keep you. You're all I've got now."

Before she could answer, there was a rumble overhead, almost like thunder. Clary looked up quickly, moving to pull Georgie closer. He began to cry softly, the tears in his eyes spilling over.

"Did you know?"

Clary gasped and glanced about, startled by the strange voice. She held George tightly, sure that this strange dream was about to become a nightmare, as dreams tended to do when frightening voices surfaced. The violin case laid, awkwardly squished between them.

"Games always have rules."

Georgie clutched her shirt, muttering vehemently. His head pressed against her shoulder.

"No, you can't have her…you can't take my Clary. She won't play your game!"

Clary squeezed her eyes shut as thunder boomed again, almost in response to Georgie's defiance.

"It's decided from the beginning."

The wind picked up around them, no longer playfully ghosting over them, and the sky darkened above them. Clary's heart raced fearfully. She felt a jolt in her stomach and winced as it expanded painfully. She looked down at the spot and saw nothing wrong externally.

"You knew that, right?"

The wind shrieked around them, but, somehow, that voice penetrated it. Suddenly, Georgie's head snapped up and his wide eyes found hers. His fists clenched her shirt so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He stared at her for a moment. Then, tears still streaming, he whispered something surprisingly clearly.

"I love you, Clary."

The world exploded. Georgie was ripped away from her, sent spiraling into the sudden blast of noise and imagery around her. She screamed after him, but she could not move to follow. She scooped up the violin case, holding it close as her own tears began to fall.

"No…"

The spinning around her sped up.

"Stop…"

The rushing grew louder.

"I don't want to be alone!"

Everything froze. Then, it rushed inward, toward her. Clary closed her eyes, hugging her violin case.

Georgie…don't leave me…

Darkness prevailed once more.

Yay, trippiness. We can assume for those first few sections that Clary was either high as a kite on pain meds or really had just been that damaged and was in that much pain. As for the last section, we could assume that it was more highness but, then we've got Nightmare creepin'. As for Georgie's knowledge of the game and his promise…hmmmm…

So, I know I was like 'I have no clue if I'll do more with this', but, I was in the car (where all great ideas slap me upside the head) and was like '…yup, writing more'. Plus, I found this great song called 'Hey, Alice'. If you type that in on youtube, it's the search result with the thumbnail of the woman with the glowing eye. I had it on repeat last night as I finished this chapter.

So, again, no clue where I'm going with this, but, I saw the two favs/follows and thought I'd give you something. Also, suggestions for shenanegans/plot/who Clary will end up with would be great. I'm kind winging this. The only plot I've got planned out is that specifically revolving around Clary and Georgie and a couple other possible OC's. Other than that, I am, as author Mike Mullen would say, 'pantsing' it (go read his stuff. He's a really cool guy. I had the chance to do a writer's studio that he put on and had dinner with him and stuff.)

Anyways. Sorry about the long author's note. Please, reviews are wonderful. Flames are fuel for marshmallows. Have a nice day~!