Chapter 6: Perchance to dream

Ada didn't stay down the rabbit hole forever.

She came out to the soft sound of beeping and the presence of others around her. She also felt like she had been swaddled in cotton wool and placed on a comfortable bed. But that still didn't stop some of the pain she felt.

She opened one eye, trying to force the other, but found she couldn't. It felt swollen. And she herself felt drugged. Like she had been given a sleeping aid, but right now, it wasn't working.

She looked around slowly and found a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces.

"Miss Daly," a woman whom she didn't know spoke gently to her from the side, "you're in the medical bay. These gentlemen are from the police and want to ask you some questions. We've given you something to help with the pain but if you want to stop at any point, just let me know. Ok?"

Ada couldn't really see her properly but managed a little nod.

The two men in question were the familiar faces of Detectives Holland and Sheridan. And sitting down beside her bed was Doctor Octavius.

Beyond the glass, she could also see the concerned face of Norman and a doctor she did not know.

"Miss Daly, are you comfortable answering some of our questions?"

Ada gently moved her tongue in her mouth and then, slowly shifted her jaw, making sure nothing was broken.

"Yes."

Her throat hurt, but she would speak.

"Miss Daly, we reviewed the camera footage from the lab and heard what happened. The man's face was obscured for most of the video, but we could identify him as a white male, somewhere in his thirties and with black hair. Was there anything else distinguishing about him you can tell us?"

She thought for a moment, but his face only appeared to her as a blur….with the occasional flash of wild, brown eyes.

"Brown eyes. He had brown eyes," she looked at Sheridan, "he got away?"

He nodded solemnly and then, she felt something gentle press against the back of her hand. She looked and saw Otto with a look on his face that he had never shown her before.

He looked…vulnerable. Human.

"I took the elevator up and saw the bloody handprint on the door and followed it down."

"He hit my head."

"I found you and heard him but…I'm sorry. I didn't leave you so I couldn't stop him."

Ada managed to turn her hand over and felt his fingers enclose her own.

"Thank you."

"Miss Daly, do you know what this man wanted?" Sheridan attempted to interrupt but Otto jumped to her defense.

"Don't push yourself. We've got what we can on camera."

"Doctor Octavius, if we could-"

"I," she stuttered remembering his face close to hers, "I was working. He was looking at what you brought us."

"The machine?" Sheridan queried.

"My hands…feel strange," she wiggled her fingers to try to rid herself of the pins and needles sensation. She didn't know why she told them that, but maybe the drugs were beginning to work again?

Her nurse leaned over her, quickly checking her over and fiddling with bits of wire that Ada could feel going into her. There was a needle in her arm…and her hand…and where else?

"You…brought in doughnuts," she turned to the Doctor, who frowned even more so than usual.

"Ada…I was going to tomorrow."

She began to feel dizzy. Confused. Didn't that happen yesterday?

"Miss Daly, please," someone spoke, but she couldn't tell who it was, "I know it's difficult, but try to remember-"

"For god sake," Otto turned to them, a dark warning in his voice, "she's already told you-"

"I can't-I can't remember. My head-"

Suddenly, Ada felt her hands begin to shake. Then her legs.

It was horrible. She could feel her whole body beginning to shake. What was happening?

'Help me!'

She couldn't speak anymore.

"Ada?! Ada!"

The darkness came again. Engulfing her.

Xx Otto xX

"Get the doctor! Get in here, now!" Otto stood up and leaned over Ada, "Ada! Ada, can you hear me?!"

Chaos ensued inside the small room for the next couple of minutes.

The nurse quickly began to read off information from the machines attached to Ada and the Doctor came in, trying to keep her as still as he could without hurting her.

"Nurse, press for assistance, she's seizing!" He turned around and gave a look to everyone, "Everyone out of the room now."

The police left immediately, looking back only once in frustration, but Otto lingered and looked down at the horrifying scene before him.

"I said-"

"I'm a doctor, I can help," he didn't know what to do in this circumstance, but he was sure they'd let him stay if he told them he was a medical professional.

"Otto, out," Norman had come in and gently took the man's arm, "let them deal with her, there won't be enough space for you."

"I can-"

"You CAN help her," the tone changed to that of a boss instead of a friend, "by letting them see to her. It'll be too crowded for all of you. Come on."

Otto took one last look and turned away, feeling helpless.

The next few hours went by in a daze.

Medical personnel rushed in and out with various pieces of equipment and machines until finally, they pulled a curtain across and locked the door from the inside.

All they could do was wait and the wait was agony.

He sat down with Norman and the police until they eventually left, seeing they would get no more information from anyone that night.

Norman stepped away briefly to make phone calls and Otto was left there.

Waiting.

Alone.

And for the first time in a long while, he found himself quietly praying. Reached out to whoever was there to look after her.

Finally, the people inside the room came out and the doctor, pulling off his surgical mask, looked between Otto and Norman tiredly.

"Miss Daly's head injury was worse than we thought. We've operated and stopped the bleeding, but…the next few days will be touch and go. I would suggest moving her to the local hospital, but it's risky."

"Anything she needs, she'll get here. I'll pay for everything," Norman appeared like a normal businessman when he proposed that.

Otto had a feeling he wanted to try to keep this situation under wraps, but there was a worry about Norman. As a father might have for their own child.

"Someone will need to notify her parents and let them know," the doctor shrugged his shoulders, "there's nothing else we can do for her, just…keep her comfortable."

And that's what Otto and Norman did. For the next week, they ensured she had a comfortable bed, and clean sheets and was attended to by a nurse every day.

The surgery had gone well, but Ada…Ada remained asleep. There was brain activity, but they couldn't seem to wake her up. And seeing her every day, her wounds healing slowly was almost too much.

But Otto stayed. When he wasn't working, when he was on his break, when he should have been home: he was at Ada's bedside, reading and talking to her. His sleep was affected, but the nurse was kind and understood his need. She also brought him snacks and drinks to keep him going.

And he needed to keep going. For the first few days, he would sit there and talk about experiments and what he was doing, but on his way out of his apartment one morning, he'd walked by the bookshelf where some of Rosie's old favourites were.

And one title had jumped out at him and before he could think anymore, he'd grabbed it and headed to work.

And now, when he sat by her bed and talked to her, he would read her a bit of Little Women each day and night.

Otto hated Little Women. He just found it boring, but Rosie had always adored it. She'd read it at Christmas, tucked up on her comfiest chair, and sometimes fall asleep. When she read it out loud, Otto never really listened to the words, but he loved her voice. Her soothing, comforting voice.

But chapter eighteen proved very difficult for him. Reading about how the sisters coped with Beth's illness and that dreadful moment when they are told to call for their mother by the doctor.

"She was back at her post in an instant, and to her excited eyes, a great change seemed to have taken place. The fever flush and look of pain were gone, and the beloved little face looked so pale and peaceful in its utter repose, that Jo felt no desire to weep or to lament," he paused for a moment before shutting the book and looked at Ada with a wry smile, "you know, I think you'll forgive me for skipping this part. It doesn't seem appropriate somehow."

A small knock sounded behind him and he turned to find a familiar figure standing in the open doorway.

"Mr. Parker," he stood up and carefully placed the book at the end of the bed, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Peter Parker, one of the smartest students at Columbia University had been writing a paper on Otto a couple of years back. He also happened to be good friends with Harry Osborn and occasionally the two would meet at Oscorp and have lunch together. Life had been tough for Parker, but his friends had looked out for him, and Norman had even offered him a position. But despite this, he managed to pull through. He had his own job, a fiancé, and was highly respected amongst his peers.

"Doctor Octavius," Peter looked between the elder man and the occupant of his bed, lowering his voice, "I'm sorry to interrupt. Harry told me you were down here. I didn't expect-"

"It's fine," Otto could see the young man getting a little flustered and calmed him down, "I don't believe Miss Daly would mind if I took a minute or two to step away and talk to one of the best student minds I've ever known."

Peter gave him a sheepish smile and led the way out so they could have their conversation without disturbing the young assistant.

That was high praise, considering Otto had previously called him, 'Brilliant but lazy'.

"I just wanted to see how you were. Harry and Norman were saying-"

"I haven't eaten, I haven't slept?" Otto had already heard all of this but quickly put out the flames of gossip, "I am eating, the nurse brings me food, I nap when I can, and I get seven hours of sleep a night. It's not affecting my work, but I can understand their worry since whenever they come to find me, I'm here. Maybe it's just the lack of overtime that concerns them?"

"I don't think it's that, Doctor," Peter looked back through the glass at the young female and wondered something, "does she not have any other visitors?"

"Her parents do come by every few days to see her. I've yet to meet them," Otto tucked his hands into his pockets and looked at Ada sadly, "I just worry she'll get bored."

"Is that so?"

Peter looked at Otto for a moment and recognised the same pain he felt whenever MJ had been in danger. How helpless and hopeless he felt. It seemed that Doctor Octavius had found someone he truly cared about

"She's been a good friend to me."

"Doc, I'm sure she'll be ok."

He wouldn't hound him anymore about the situation. He could see how deeply it affected the good Doctor.

"If you need me to do anything," he threw out what help he could be, "bring you anything. Even if you need to step out for a few minutes, I'll come by."

Otto turned and gave Peter an appreciative nod.

"Thank you, Parker," he looked back at the still figure of Ada and smiled, "I will head home. Just…one more chapter for the night."