Streams of Consciousness

Aftermath

        She walked with a fast, confident pace towards the hospital. She was running late. She had promised the previous week that she would be on time, but her line of work had gotten in her way. Now her time was winding down. She burst into the waiting room and straight up to the service desk. The people who saw her pass by would only remember one thing about her. They would remember her flaming red hair.

        "Can I help you?" the young woman at the desk said.

        "I'm here to see the patient in room 196," she stated.

        "Are you a relative?" the woman asked.

        "I'm an old friend," she said.

        "You do realize that the patient has a certain form of dementia? Meaning that he most likely will not remember you?" the woman questioned her.

        "I am well aware. I've been visiting him weekly," she responded.

        "Oh. Sorry, I didn't realize that. Go right ahead," the nurse said, pressing a button that opened a door. She thanked the woman, and rushed past the open door. She went down a few hallways, until she arrived at room 196. She gave a brief knock, then slowly opened the door. The room was rather dark, and there was only one bed. A television was turned on in the corner, and an old cartoon was playing.

       "Who are you?" an elderly voice called out from the bed.

       "It's me, Jinx," she said. The man slowly raised himself up. Sitting on the bed, she saw Brock Stanton. His face was wrinkled, and his hair was patchy and gray. His once bright eyes were now a dull green. His body was now frail and broken.

       "Jinx? You don't look like you've aged a day," he croaked.

        "I wish I could say the same of you," she said with a laugh.

        "Where am I? What happened to me?" he asked.

        "You are in a hospital Brock," she said.

        "No no no no, I can't be back here," he said with fear, tears streaming from his eyes.

         "You aren't at Hudson Hospital anymore, I promise. No one is here to hurt you," she told him.

        "Why am I here? What happened?" he asked.

        "You grew old Brock. You lost your memory. It's natural at your age," she answered.

        "No no no! I can't forget, I can't forget! Please tell me, did we win?" he asked.

        "Win what?" she asked sweetly.

       "The war! Did we beat the Enterprise?" he asked.

        "Yes. The Enterprise has been gone for sometime now," she responded.

        "Good! Good. Is Paige okay?" he asked.

       "I do believe so, just not in the way you may think she is. She passed away," Jinx said cautiously.

        "No, that can't be... I just saw her... she was here," he said, his tears starting back up.

        "She died so you could win. She was an unfortunate travesty," Jinx said.

        "Did I move on?" he asked.

        "Eventually you did. It took a while, but you did fall in love again. Her name is Gwen. You had two children, one named Derek, and the other you named Paige," she told him. His face brightened up, and he smiled.