LJ Idol, Week 3: “Without You”
Jul. 22nd, 2024 05:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
roina_arwenThe darkness pulled at her, sucked her inert form deep below the surface. She couldn’t stay afloat any longer.
“Hit her again.”
KERTHUNK
Beep… beep… beep…
“We’ve got her! Hold on… just hold on.”
***
She stubbornly fought her way out of the viscous, gloomy mess. It was a herculean effort for her atrophied muscles, but inch by inch she beat off the naysayers and determined her own fate. A pinpoint of light helped guide her onward and ever upward.
Opening her eyes, she weakly lifted her head an inch off the pillow and glanced around. Soft sunlight suffused the small room from two large, curtainless windows. The sky was pale blue and clear, but the leaves on the maple trees had turned autumnal colors. How long had she been here?
She lay her head back down, raised one thin arm and examined the tubes and lines of life-giving fluids that snaked their way into her body, keeping her fed, hydrated, and free of infections. Monitors somewhere behind her beeped, steady and sure. She sighed, exhausted beyond all belief, and drifted back off to sleep.
***
When she awoke, a young woman wearing light yellow scrubs stood by the bed. She checked the readouts and jotted notes on her computer pad. Her dark wavy hair was held back with a matching yellow scrunchie. The nurse noticed she was awake, smiled, and slowly raised the head of the hospital bed. She reminded her of her sister.
“I’m so glad you’re awake, Jane. My name is Amy, and I’m your nurse. Do you know where you are?”
Who was Jane? ”I’m… well, I’m in a hospital, but I don’t know where.”
Amy nodded. “How are you feeling?”
She remained silent for a few moments, listening to her body. “Weak. Hungry. Very thirsty. I’m surprised that I don’t feel worse, to be honest,” she said with a slight chuckle. “And my name isn’t Jane, it’s Ember.”
“Ember – what a lovely name. It’s nice to officially meet you.” Amy proffered a plastic cup of water with a bendable straw in it, and let Ember have a taste.
It was the sweetest and most refreshing water Ember could remember drinking. She was parched. After a few more small sips, she stopped. “How long have I been here?”
Amy put the cup down. “About four months. When Search & Rescue brought you in, you didn’t have any identification, and your fingerprints weren’t found in any government system. We didn’t know what to call you, so naturally you were our Jane Doe until we got information otherwise,” she explained. “You were found in a ravine, far off the interstate, apparently left for dead. They almost didn’t get you here in time.”
Ember nodded. “What about Aisling?”
Amy shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean. You’re ailing, of course, but did you have a specific question?”
“No, I mean my sister, my twin. Her name is Aisling. I… I tried to save her. I think I saved her? She was hurt, too, but I got in the way of the attackers, and took the brunt of the violence.” Ember looked away, out the window. “I can’t really talk about it. Aisling probably thinks I’m dead. Can you contact her? I miss her, so much – more than you can imagine,” Ember paused, turned back toward Amy and met her eyes. “You remind me of her. I want, no… I need Aisling to know I’m alive and healing.”
Amy smiled and pushed a few buttons on her computer pad. “Let me update our data – I need your full name, and Aisling’s, and whatever contact information you have. I’ll do my best to find her. Surely she’s feeling lost without you, too.”
Ember provided what details she could. Suddenly exhausted, she dozed off with a smile on her face.
Amy exited and locked the door behind her. She pushed a tiny comm device behind her ear. “I got her information, General. Very soon, we’ll have both of them under our control.” Amy listened to the voice on the other end. “Yes, I can handle it, General,” she replied confidently, then cut the link. Amy stepped across the hall to a supply room, stripped out of the scrubs, and donned her usual olive drab uniform.
She marched quickly down the hall. There was work yet to do.
————————-
This can be read as a standalone, but if you want to read the first installment you can read about Aisling here: https://roina-arwen.dreamwidth.org/12157.html
“Hit her again.”
KERTHUNK
Beep… beep… beep…
“We’ve got her! Hold on… just hold on.”
***
She stubbornly fought her way out of the viscous, gloomy mess. It was a herculean effort for her atrophied muscles, but inch by inch she beat off the naysayers and determined her own fate. A pinpoint of light helped guide her onward and ever upward.
Opening her eyes, she weakly lifted her head an inch off the pillow and glanced around. Soft sunlight suffused the small room from two large, curtainless windows. The sky was pale blue and clear, but the leaves on the maple trees had turned autumnal colors. How long had she been here?
She lay her head back down, raised one thin arm and examined the tubes and lines of life-giving fluids that snaked their way into her body, keeping her fed, hydrated, and free of infections. Monitors somewhere behind her beeped, steady and sure. She sighed, exhausted beyond all belief, and drifted back off to sleep.
***
When she awoke, a young woman wearing light yellow scrubs stood by the bed. She checked the readouts and jotted notes on her computer pad. Her dark wavy hair was held back with a matching yellow scrunchie. The nurse noticed she was awake, smiled, and slowly raised the head of the hospital bed. She reminded her of her sister.
“I’m so glad you’re awake, Jane. My name is Amy, and I’m your nurse. Do you know where you are?”
Who was Jane? ”I’m… well, I’m in a hospital, but I don’t know where.”
Amy nodded. “How are you feeling?”
She remained silent for a few moments, listening to her body. “Weak. Hungry. Very thirsty. I’m surprised that I don’t feel worse, to be honest,” she said with a slight chuckle. “And my name isn’t Jane, it’s Ember.”
“Ember – what a lovely name. It’s nice to officially meet you.” Amy proffered a plastic cup of water with a bendable straw in it, and let Ember have a taste.
It was the sweetest and most refreshing water Ember could remember drinking. She was parched. After a few more small sips, she stopped. “How long have I been here?”
Amy put the cup down. “About four months. When Search & Rescue brought you in, you didn’t have any identification, and your fingerprints weren’t found in any government system. We didn’t know what to call you, so naturally you were our Jane Doe until we got information otherwise,” she explained. “You were found in a ravine, far off the interstate, apparently left for dead. They almost didn’t get you here in time.”
Ember nodded. “What about Aisling?”
Amy shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean. You’re ailing, of course, but did you have a specific question?”
“No, I mean my sister, my twin. Her name is Aisling. I… I tried to save her. I think I saved her? She was hurt, too, but I got in the way of the attackers, and took the brunt of the violence.” Ember looked away, out the window. “I can’t really talk about it. Aisling probably thinks I’m dead. Can you contact her? I miss her, so much – more than you can imagine,” Ember paused, turned back toward Amy and met her eyes. “You remind me of her. I want, no… I need Aisling to know I’m alive and healing.”
Amy smiled and pushed a few buttons on her computer pad. “Let me update our data – I need your full name, and Aisling’s, and whatever contact information you have. I’ll do my best to find her. Surely she’s feeling lost without you, too.”
Ember provided what details she could. Suddenly exhausted, she dozed off with a smile on her face.
Amy exited and locked the door behind her. She pushed a tiny comm device behind her ear. “I got her information, General. Very soon, we’ll have both of them under our control.” Amy listened to the voice on the other end. “Yes, I can handle it, General,” she replied confidently, then cut the link. Amy stepped across the hall to a supply room, stripped out of the scrubs, and donned her usual olive drab uniform.
She marched quickly down the hall. There was work yet to do.
————————-
This can be read as a standalone, but if you want to read the first installment you can read about Aisling here: https://roina-arwen.dreamwidth.org/12157.html
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Date: 2024-07-23 01:30 am (UTC)I love the name Aisling. I think I first read it in Lisa Carey's "In The Country of The Young."
Dan,
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Date: 2024-07-27 04:45 am (UTC)Please, please tell me there's more.
Wonderful, but more! More! (Rebel yell!)
❤❤❤
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