Finding Alaska

1

Alaska

I take a deep breath as I drive down the wooded path deeper into the forest. The further I drive down the jacked-up path in my jeep, the more consuming the darkness becomes. The moon is hardly shining through the autumnal branches. Ominous shadows are cast around me when the light happens to seep through.

The directions on my work phone stopped working when my signal cut out about forty-five minutes ago. I've been winging it ever since. I thought I knew my way around the county I recently transferred to, but I'm way too turned around to have any idea of where I'm headed. I have about an hour and fifteen minutes before I've failed to make a timely arrival to my new assessment. My stomach churns with anxiety. What if I don't make it in time?

I'm realizing just how badly this could end. I should have made Calvin come with me. I know better than to go against my gut, but it's three in the morning and I always feel guilty calling back up at this hour. I've been in the field for two years, so why am I feeling like a newbie on their first two-hour response? It's nothing I haven't handled before, but this time, it feels off. It feels like someone is using a pasta spoon to serve up my intestines on a plate.

The trees begin to thin out, but before I can see where the path is leading, my jeep jerks to the right as something with the force of a god knocks into the driver's side. I screeched and attempted to regain control of my jeep. Within a millisecond, I crashed into a tree. The momentum smashed my head into the wheel, knocking me out cold.

A fist smashes into my face sending me to the floor from the impact. My eyes are trained on the ground. My tears hit the ground, mixing with the blood that drips from my broken nose. Frantically, I look back up to be met with his haunting blue eyes. His knees collide with the floor on either side of my body, entrapping me with his knees.

"Papa, please-"I sob, shoving my forearms out defensively. His left hand fists the cloth of my Sponge Bob pajama shirt.

"Hush child. I'm putting you to sleep." His lips quirked up into a wicked grin as he readied his right fist.

I jolted up, my torso resembling a jack-in-the-box toy. The movement incites excruciating pain to ricochet in my skill. I gasp viciously for air, my eyes darting around what I can only assume to be the campus infirmary. How did I get here? The room is rather large, way too big for a campus nursing facility. The rapid beeping of my heart monitor only urges my hyperventilating forward. My throat starts closing when the door to my right flings open. A red-haired woman in scrubs runs over and kneels by my bedside. Even with my lack of glasses, I can tell how striking her green eyes are.

"I know you don't know me, and I know you're scared, but breathe with me honey," she gently grabs my right hand and opens it, so my palm is facing up. She begins drawing a square in my hand with her finger while speaking in an even, calming tone, "Breathe in," she pauses until she completes a straight line and starts a new line, "and out. Breathe in" she proceeds to guide me through breathing in and out as she draws a new line of the square. After drawing two full squares with her finger, she takes my left hand in hers and guides my finger to pick up where she left off.

My panicked wheezing slows to deep ragged breaths. The panic attack did nothing for my sore, dry throat. When the beeping monitor begins to mellow out, the door to the room slams open again. My head snaps towards the sound, making me wince. What's with these people and slamming doors? The monitor beeps faster when a large man strides into the room. His skin is rather rich and earthy-toned. The way the aura of the room shifted as he entered left me uneasy. The power radiating off him is enough to make me feel like a quivering five-year-old. I can't make out the details of his face without my glasses, but I can tell he's looking at me. His stature towers over the lady I think is my nurse. He's easily six feet. He is sporting a baggy white sweatshirt and knee-long black sports shorts. He doesn't look like a nurse.

"Andi, don't. I just got her to calm down. She needs a few minutes to get her bearings, she's only been awake a few minutes. You can talk with her later." The redhead stood firmly between me and the man, the annoyance tainting her soothing voice.

"While" he pauses and carefully continues, "Kaden is away, I'm in charge, Tobi." The man huffs out.

"I didn't inform you she was awake so you could come in here and interrogate her. You may be in charge, but this infirmary is mine. I'm in charge here. My patient needs rest, and you'll give it to her. Plus, Kaden should be getting home today anyway." Tobi assertively crosses her arms under her bust and pops her hip out. Andi's head tilts down ever so slightly, and I realize he's looking at the "V" of Tobi's scrubs. Tobi snaps her fingers and gestures for his gaze to meet her eyes. Well, he's rude.

"Fine," there's a slight playfulness to his tone, "she's not to leave the infirmary until I get to speak with her."

"Yeah, whatever Beta Bitch," she waves a hand dismissively at him. His eye twitches in annoyance before he makes a swift exit. "I'll teach him to not talk to his-" she pauses her mumbling to turn her focus to me.

"What happened? Where are my glasses?" I cross my arms in a comforting manner only to tug on the tubing of my IV, "and when can I get this out?" I croak out, gesturing to the inconvenient tubing.

Tobi sighs before collecting miscellaneous medical equipmentand water in a paper cup. I  greedily gulp down the water as she sits on a wheeled stool to the left of the bed. She begins conducting her exam as she speaks, "Well, you hit your head pretty hard. You have a nasty concussion and a pretty bad gash on your right eyebrow- don't touch it!" she redirects my stupidly curious hand.

"Sorry, I'm really not thinking straight," I begin muttering, "how big is it?" Tobi launches herself on the rolling stool to a cabinet on the opposite side of the room before sliding back to hand me a small, square mirror. I'm taken aback when I see how bruised my face is. The gash lays diagonally about half an inch long towards the arch of my brow. There are dark bruises with a slight curve pattern.

"It definitely could have been worse. Your glasses are broken from the impact. You're lucky it isn't worse."

"Impact? What happened?" I rack my brain trying to figure out what she's talking about. I realize I have no idea how I got here or what I was even doing to get here. Tobi closes her eyes and takes a long deep breath before pinching the bridge of her nose briefly. She slicks back her ponytail and exhales.

"What exactly do you remember, honey?"

"Well," I think back to my dorm room on campus where June is probably rejoicing in my absence, "I'm in college, uh, and I'm a semester away from starting my practicum with DCS. I was studying in the library on campus." The concept that I went from the library to the nurse's office without the faintest idea of how I got there was mind-boggling.

"Tobi jots down some notes on her arm with a black gel pen, "Where are you enrolled?"

"Uh," I trail off feeling stupid for forgetting the name of my university.

"It's okay, don't push yourself too hard. Temporary memory loss is not uncommon when you're concussed. What's your name and age?" Oh dear. Memory loss wasn't in that game plan for this semester. Or ever in fact. I'm meant to be preparing for my exams.

"I'm Alaska Clark. You can call me Allie. I'm 23." Tobi's green eyes flick back up to me as she jots down more notes on her pale skin.

"Date of birth?"

"August 2, 2000," I recite. Tobi pauses. These people sure do take their time pausing.

"Alright honey, I'm going to bring you some food, I'm sure you're hungry. I'll be sure to grab you a larger cup of water."