Waking up, what I can only guess is several hours later, my eyes squint as my pupils adjust to the harsh light. Turning my head to the left I ignore the lash of pain in my face. Staring at the hall way I can see the nurse's station just out side of my door. Groaning, I roll away from the harsh light.
As I now face the outer wall of my room I come face to face with a blue-eyed dragon. At first I am shocked and jump, sending the heart monitor's beeping higher. I don't hear a nurse walking through my door, so I don't panic. Obviously they know what is in my room.
Finally I remember what happened yesterday. Or was it three hours ago? Shaking the thought of time from my mind I smile at my dragon. "Hey Aztec." My voice croaks. Clearing my throat I reach for the water on the table. Though, I think better of it and sit up first.
At my first movements a nurse came dashing into my room. Grabbing a remote from the wall she pushed a button that brought the upper half of my bed to a comfortable angle. Idiot. Why didn't I think of that?
Slowly my arm reached for the water glass and brought it to my lips. As the nurse watched me with a careful eye, I gulped the water down. Only once I had drained the last drop from the plastic cup did I realize that my brother wasn't here.
"Where is he? My brother." My voice is still croaking, but doesn't sound like I gurgled nuts and bolts. Leaning my head back, I try and relax and ignore the pounding in my head.
"Darling, he left. Visiting hours end at nine." The nurse, I could tell, was vaguely annoyed. She obviously thought that I should know what time it was. Thought that I was stupid thinking he would be here after visiting hours. Rolling my head over I stared at the clock. Was it really four in the morning? Holy shit! I had slept way more that three hours.
At last I am able to find my voice. "Well sorry for sleeping until now. I thought nurses were suppose to be caring. All you seem to care about is your pay check."
I could tell that really made her mad. As she rose to her feet and walked over to my bed I watched her hands ball into fists. "My pay check doesn't cover half of what it should. After all I get stuck here caring for you complaining brats, old geezers that shit themselves, and balling babies with mothers that should never had them." When she leaned in close to me I could smell a hint of brandy on her breath.
Recoiling into my pillow, I try and hide from her. Though the nurse seemed intent on making sure that I didn't cause her any more trouble, tonight.
It seemed like hours before another nurse walked in. "Beatrice. Stop scaring that poor girl. She has already been through a lot. Go talk to the supervisor and have Lisa transfer Cameron on to my list of patients." At that the nurse, Beatrice, stood and walked to the nurse's station out side of my room.
"I am sorry that you got her. She is usually very nice. My name is Lativa. But you can call me Lati. Every one here does." Lati said as she walked over to me. I could tell that she was very nice. As she sat in the chair by my bed I could feel my eyes wanting to close. Though I tried to force them open again. "Go do sleep dearie. I will make sure that no one bother's you." When she stood to go, she left something on the counter by the door.
Aztec immediately jumped from the bed and, unsteadily, flew over. Snatching it up he turned to the nurse and smiled.
"You are very lucky to have this one. Sometimes things are covered by a mist that only makes things look hard. Just find the thing that makes that mist go away." Turning back around she gently shut the door behind her, allowing only a liver of light into my room.
I greatly welcomed the darkness of both my room and my mind. Slipping back into my sleep, I felt the cool scales of Aztec in the nape of my neck. Relaxing my body, I dove into the abyss of my mind.