Snow came in early that year, with the looming polar vortex threatening to extend its icy fingers again for two years in a row. The glass window pane was now covered with sleet pellets, as the autumn snow tucked the yellow and crimson leaves under its blanket of ice.
Kerrigan felt toasty inside the hospital room. It had been like this since yesterday. She sat beside the hospital bed as the heart rate monitor beeped, hoping for Chris to wake up from the coma he slipped into.
It’s really amazing how no two snowflakes are alike, isn’t it? She fondly remembered that same question she asked Chris a year ago, one winter night. Any guy would nod right away just to be spared from her lecture on science and the life cycle of a snowflake. Not Chris. He had been the only person who could shake her off her tracks.
“Uniqueness is overrated, Kerri. Copies of ourselves, or should I say alternate selves, and everything else coexist simultaneously in different alternate realities. Including that precious snowflake of yours.” That was how Chris said it that time.
Kerrigan smiled wistfully at Chris, still in his overdue sleep. She then lets her mind wander with random thoughts, as random as the path of snowflakes that danced their way to the ground.
Three knocks at the door interrupted her reverie, followed by the creaking sound of the door as it opened. A nurse entered holding the day’s ration of hospital food, and a log book on the other hand.
“Hi, Ms. Shaw, how are you doing this chilly morning?” asked the nurse.
“I’ll take hospital food over snowy weather, thank you.” Kerrigan smiled.
“I’m sure Chris won’t mind.” The nurse placed the hospital food over the table beside Kerrigan.
“Any news from Dr. Stevenson?”
“Yes, X-ray shows negative for internal injuries. We are still monitoring his vitals. The results for the EEG should be available shortly.”
“Thank you,” Kerrigan said in a dejected tone.
“Please call me if you need anything,” the nurse said and left.
“Yup, will do.” She acknowledged but her eyes were wandering far away. Her eyes grew warm, just as her nose became stuffy. As she shut her eyes close, tears rolled down her cheeks and drop by drop, soaked the bed sheets.
That was some plan you got there, genius! Taking off like that, like you were some kind of superhero! She screamed inside. Her lips pursed as her brows furrowed. She took a deep breath followed by a deep sigh.
I might as well be on my way. She slipped her arms into her purple down jacket, and put her knapsack on. Just as she was about to leave, she heard a faint voice. She turned her head towards the hospital bed and saw Chris, struggling to sit up.
With haste, Kerrigan opens the door wide. “Nurse! Anybody!” Her voice echoed across the ward.
“Wait!” Chris managed to get her attention.
Kerrigan turned around.
“T-There’s… someone with me.”
“Huh? I don’t understand.” She quickly walked over to his bed.
“In the portal… I - I saw someone,” he said with a weak voice.
“Portal? What are you talking about?”
Chris closed his eyes as he cleared a lump in his throat. “I saw myself, Kerri. The person with me in the portal, was me!”
The door slammed open as Dr. Stevenson and the nurse entered the room. Kerrigan just stood there, completely baffled with what she had heard.
YOU ARE READING
The Parallel Shift
Science FictionAfter Professor Chris Reid crossed the portal to another Parallel Universe, he gained the ability to control space and time. However, a dark figure followed him and threatened to destroy the balance of his reality. Only Chris could stop him there i...
