Whispering Voices

003 • Her Ice Walls

His whole body quivered. What the fuck just happened? Helplessly Hayes stared at the girl on the ground. His thoughts couldn't process the events. It had seemed as if lightning struck her, but there were no thunder clouds. The thunder did not roar, nor was there lightning. Still he had seen a flash, and now she was on the ground, motionless.

He tore himself away from his bewilderment. "Aella?" His voice cracked. What if she was dead? He shook her shoulders. "Aella!"

Nearby people ran towards them. Hayes ignored the questions they fired at him and knelt beside her. She was still breathing, but for how long? How many people survived a lightning strike without permanent damage? It felt as if he was choking. What could he do?

A man knelt beside her and a woman called an ambulance. Hayes kept sitting next to her, although it felt like he saw everything from a distance. It had been horrible. The bright flash, her shaking body, the way she fell to the ground...

Hayes didn't know how much time had passed before an ambulance stopped in front of them. Two paramedics came out of the vehicle, checked her vital functions and lifted her onto a gurney. 

"I believe this young man was with her.", The woman who had called the ambulance placed a hand on his shoulder. "He must be in shock."

"Come, ride with us."

Hayes wasn't able to object. Quietly, he climbed in the car and stared at Aella's pale face. 

"What happened?" the paramedic urged carefully after the doors of the vehicle had closed.

"She... she was struck by lightning."

"Lightning?", the paramedic asked surprised. 

"Yes!" A sudden fit of rage overwhelmed him, even though he did not know where it came from. Suddenly, he really realized she could die. A power surge like that couldn't be good for her heart. 

"Hmm, there are no burn wounds," the paramedic mumbled. "I'll do an EKG."

Hayes bit on the nail of his little finger. He wondered whether he had to call somebody. But who? She had no friends at the university and he had no idea how he could contact her family. That would have to wait until they were in the hospital. 

If she made it that far.

On the echocardiogram there were no abnormalities. Still Aella's condition hadn't changed when they arrived at the hospital. They rushed her inside. In a hurry he was directed to the waiting area of the E.R. 

. . . 

Hayes bent over in the bucket seat and leaned with his elbows on his knees. What a horror. After insisting for more than a year he had finally taken her out and then this happened. It felt as if the universe wanted to punish her for even peeking inside her icy walls. 

Every time he heard footsteps, he looked up, hopefully. An hour passed without anyone informing him about her condition. All this time he stared forward, reliving the moment the lightning struck her. 

When Hayes started to feel they had simply forgotten him, a nurse finally came out and told him that Aella was stable, but she was still unconscious. She said that the patient's family was informed, although Hayes couldn't take comfort in it. He didn't know them anyway. 

"You want to see her?"

Hayes nodded, although he did not know if he really wanted to. Still he walked with the nurse.

A lump appeared in his throat when he saw her laying in that hospital bed. Her eyes were closed, her face looked peaceful. 

God, she looks dead. 

"Is she in a coma?" he asked. His voice trembled. 

The nurse nodded pitifully.