Paper Folds | On Hold

Grey

1. Grey - RAY

I touched my head, feeling slightly sleepy. The noise was disconcerting, and I felt vaguely aware that it was night.

I tried to trace the noise, but nothing made sense, and for a moment I thought somebody was knocking on the door. I slowly opened my eyes, trying to discern shapes in the dark.

But listening closely, sleep robbed off my eyes, the noise seemed to come from my left, and the door was to my right.

The 'tap tap' continued, so I looked around the room, hoping to find what was making that noise.

No such luck.

The room was dark, the door was shut, and the air-conditioning was working in full blast.

I moved the blankets from over me, then slightly shivered. My pillow had wet blotches and felt cold, my face felt dry, and the hospital gown wasn't giving me much coverage against the brutal onslaught of the air-conditioning.

Sitting up, I touched my wet pillow, fingers tracing patterns.

I knew it was way past midnight, since I heard a dead silence, only broken by the 'tap tap' now and again.

I closed my eyes and breathed in, turning my head up, thanking my good fortune. I could now go to him.

But only after I knew what was making that noise.

I ripped the morphine drip from my arm.

I winced, but I clamped my mouth shut, slowly taking in the pain.

I stood up, slowly letting my eyes adjust to the darkness.

I could easily switch on that small light-bulb, it would help my eye-sight. But the dark gave me leverage.

I strained my ears, and slowly moved closer to the constant 'tap tap'.

My hands touched the glass window.

The noise came again, and I could feel the glass vibrate.

For a moment I stood, clueless, slightly scared too.

Then as my eyes started to recognise things in the dark, I figured it was a branch.

It must have been windy outside. The branch of that huge tree I saw this morning, hit the window again and again, making that 'tap tap' noise.

I shifted away, and sat down on my bed, fisting the blanket.

What do I do now?

I don't have my phone. No purse. No money. Nothing.

And I don't even have spare clothes.

How the hell do I go to Iridium?

I got up and started pacing the room, still begging the Lord above, to keep things favorable.

I need a way out, and fast.

After a lot of thinking, I decided I would go home.

All the essentials I'd need would be back at home, and I'd sneak in and hopefully be lucky enough to sneak back out undiscovered.

Lovely. Sneaking into my own home.

Mind set, I slowly opened the door. The lights were on, but they were dim. It took me a while to adjust my eyes, even though the lights were dim.

I felt helpless at first, since I had never gone out of my room. Also, there was a probability of doctors and nurses roaming around the corridors. But, if I did have luck by my side and the corridor was empty for a moment, then what? Where were the elevators? Or the stairs?