Sapphire Angel - Superheroine

Chapter 5 - Hospital

As the ambulance sped through the city streets, Beth looked down at John. He had awakened, if only barely, and met her gaze with fearful, tired eyes. Tubes ran from machines into his arms, and a breathing mask covered his mouth.

Competing odors assailed Beth's nostrils. Most prominent was an antiseptic smell, like from a bleached and sanitized shower stall. But combatting it was a putrid stench, like that of meat left out on a hot summer day until an army of flies buzzed around it. The further they drove, the more the putrid smell seemed to win out.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and the exhilaration of power from just an hour earlier was gone. In its place, anchors of impotence and guilt weighed on her psyche. As strong as she had become, she could do nothing to help John. And she had put him in this spot. If she hadn't insisted on sneaking into the Fizzure building, none of this would have happened.

When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, nurses whisked John away, leaving Beth to wander the crowded emergency room to find a seat. As she stood staring at the wall across from her, her head snapped back with the realization she hadn't contacted John's parents. It had been a crazy night, but there was no excuse for the oversight. They lived nearby and would want to see him.

As she dialed his parents, she shook her head in disgust at her forgetfulness. When John's father answered with his booming voice, she held a hand over one ear to block out the noise in the room. She spoke in monotone, telling them John was very ill. Stanley and Betsy Devor arrived less than thirty minutes later, rushing into the waiting area, their faces tight with stress. They both gave Beth tight hugs.

Stanley Devor looked older than his years, with wiry grey hair sticking out in odd directions. Mrs. Devor was slender, with her brown and grey hair tied neatly in a bun on her head. Mr. Devor went to the front desk while Mrs. Devor sat in the chair next to Beth and took her hand.

"What is it?" the older woman asked, keeping her voice quiet.

Beth glanced over at Stanley, who stood talking to an older man wearing a name badge. Beth wondered if Stanley' decision to go to the desk showed he had passed judgment on her. She shook her head as she stared at the floor.

"I don't know, Mrs. Devor," she answered, the words spilling from her in a hurried, clipped tone. "He was in pain, then got better, then got really sick. I shouldn't have left him alone. I thought he was fine. He said he was fine. I should have known better. He didn't want to come to the hospital. I should have made him. We should have been here an hour ago. Maybe that would have helped."

Beth realized she was babbling, nearly incoherently, so she stopped. Mrs. Devor squeezed her hand, but said nothing. Mr. Devor returned a few moments later, moved to a quiet corner of the room, and motioned Beth and Mrs. Devor to his side.

"The doctors are with him now," he began after they reached him. His voice, deep and authoritative, didn't match his frazzled, unkempt look. As he spoke, his wiry hair bobbed along on top of his head, as if riding waves in tune with his words. His hand wandered to his hair, patted it as if to remind it to stay in place, and returned to his side. "Nobody has anything to tell me yet, and they won't let me see him. Beth, can you tell me everything that happened?"

Beth took a deep breath. His presence calmed her. "Sure, Stanley," she said. She had always called him by his first name, for a reason she couldn't even remember. "This was all my fault."

After glancing around to make sure nobody was within earshot, she discussed the events of the evening. She left nothing out. Beth talked about sneaking into the facility, hiding in the cylinder, and running for their lives. She even mentioned the strange abilities she had displayed during their escape, and how the necklace seemed to be the source of her fantastic powers.