Artificial Earth

02

I WAS ON A MEADOW WITH MY Mother, She was holding my hand and I was eight again."Abby I'd like to show you something." she said, smiling at me. She led me across the field where a single flower could be seen, we moved closer, or should I say "floated" closer... the way things do in dreams. "A Rose!" I gasped... "It's so pretty." I softly said. I turned around and noticed that my mother's gone, I was all alone. "Mom?".... nothing...."Mom?"....panic was slowly building inside me..."Mom?"....."Mom!!!" I shouted...

I OPENED MY EYES... still feeling a little bit disoriented..."Where am I?" I asked no one in particular.
A long cylindrical plastic tube's been inserted on my left arm, it was connected to a transparent bottle with clear liquid in it and was hanging just above my head. An Odd looking piece of machinery with digital numbers lay adjacent to my bed. The room was small, white, pristine. "Hospital." I thought out loud.
"Professor, You're awake." a gentle voice said. The doctor, an elderly man with glasses and a kind smile walked towards me."How are you feeling?" he asked.
It took me a minute to answer, I was still trying to collect my thoughts,."Lucky." I blurted out.
"I guess you are.,"He agreed, slightly amused.
"Well, I'm Doctor Roger Stevens,..and you're at St. Patricks Medical Center. I'll be back to check on your progress later..." he said. "Meanwhile, you just get some rest,..and..I almost forgot, you have a visitor.."
Grey was standing at the door waiting for the doctor to leave.
"You can come in now." the doctor told Grey.
"Thanks Doc." Grey replied.
"Don't take too long, she needs to rest." "The doctor left and Grey casually walked towards me.

"You're a mess." Grey greeted.
"Thanks." I replied.
Grey took a small metallic chair from the corner, placed it near my bed and sat.
"Doctor Stevens told me that you only sustained minor injuries, except for the fractured wrist and the swelling on the head, your pretty much fine..considering....you almost dying.
They're still keeping you under observation though, in case you have a concussion."
"What happened?" I asked.
"According to the Police Report...This huge branch from a tree fell directly on the cabs windshield causing the driver to lose control."
"And the Cab Driver?"
"He never made it, suffered a heart attack on the way to the hospital."
It got quiet for a while, I tried to think of something to say but I really don't know how to respond to that.
I broke the silence first.
"How long was I out?" I asked instead.
"You've been unconscious for about eight hours. It's already nine in the morning."
"Nine in the....and...and the Storm?"
I inquired.
"It already escalated into a Typhoon, some of those who live near the Bay Area have already been evacuated. The Districts directly affected by the Typhoon are being evacuated by the Military right now. "
"Anything new from the lab?"
"Nothing yet...data's all sketchy,..I have this meeting with the board at 10 a.m and a Press Conference after, So....I'll probably head back to the lab at around 2 O'clock in the afternoon." he said, looking at his watch.
"I need to go to the lab and check those glitches." I said while trying to sit up.
"Hey, hey...take it easy." he said, holding me down.
"Abby...first of all...we're not sure if there "are" any glitches. Number two...You are not in any condition to go walking around....three.....I'll go call Peter and have him check the data...and lastly,...ummm...I'll...I'll... Oh stop squirming Abby,.." he snapped at me.
" I'm not squirming." I snapped back.
My eyes narrowed and we stared each other down. "Okay...You win. I'll see what I can do...." Grey said, feeling resigned then headed outside to look for Doctor Stevens.
I really hate doing that to Grey but it's also kind of fun too. He's cute that way...Grey Langcaster's 34 yrs. old, six years older than I am. He's around six foot one inches tall with broad muscular shoulders, like an athletes, with fair skin, dark brown eyes and golden blonde hair. The type of guy that women drool over...well, not all women. It's not that I don't like him or the way he looks,...maybe it's because we're good friends and anything other than that feels wierd.
Me and Grey go a long way back, I first met him back in college. He was working for this company called Nano Tech Inc. and have this promising career as Production Manager. I on the other hand was trying to get a degree in Artificial Bio Engineering. We met at a party during spring break and instantly became friends.
"Abby!" Grey exclaimed as he entered the room with this huge smile on his face.
"Guess what? I was able to convince the good doctor to let you out..." Grey said, obviously proud of himself. "Provided that you promise that you come and visit him for check-ups on a regular basis." he added, showing two rows of perfect teeth.
"Done." So when do I get to go home?" I impatiently asked.
"As soon as all the papers and bills are signed and settled."
"When?" I stubornly asked again through narrow eyes.
"After I get back from the press conference."
"When?"
"Jeez...You never give up, do you?"
"When?"
"ETA 1 o'clock in the afternoon."
"Thanks Grey, for everything." I sincerely said.
"No Problem."...."You better rest for a bit while I handle things, I'll be back for you after the Press Conference."

A few minutes after Grey left, a nurse came in to check my vitals. "If you need anything, just press this button here, okay?" she said, smiling.
"Thank you." I replied.
I closed my eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.

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Author's Note

I'll be posting new chapters every two to three days.
Enjoy!