Lauren arose from her slumber, exposed to a room of white. It was bright; an unknown source of light illuminated the distant palace of the Afterworld. She had visited here before, thinking back to the time when she was on the brink of death and life. Perhaps this time, she had actually passed on.
Then, a subtle beeping noise echoed in the empty air. As Lauren stood, silent and stiff, the sounds grew louder and louder. Everything began to dissipate into a never ending swirl of black. As each piece of her dream fell apart, her eyes snapped open as she returned to the even more terrifying reality.
Lauren breathed in, tasting the stale stench of the hospital room on her tongue. Scrunching her face in disgust, she peered down, staring at the large needle sticking out of the inside of her elbow. Propped up against a pillow, she located the droning beeping noise: a heart monitor resting on a metal stand. A clear tube forked at the end was placed into her nose. Other medical equipment was scattered about her body; some she didn’t even know the name of.
She leaned against the back board, running a hand through her hair. To her great dismay, the daunting thought hit her.
Pounding her worn, rough hands covered with scars against the sheets, she let out a cry of misery. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she took out her anguish on the bedspread.
Hearing her calls of distress, a nurse rushed into the room, a troublesome look consuming her. She hurried by her bedside, studying each apparatus. Seeing no harm, she pursed her lips, looking momentarily at the patient, her cheeks wet and flushed.
“May I ask what is troubling you?” The nurse inquired while checking her IV.
“Sam...” Lauren wept, burying her face in her hands. “Where is she? What has happened to her?!”
“Sam? Are you referring to the other girl that was found with you?” Lauren nodded quickly in response. “From what I heard, she is in the ICU isolation unit.”
“She’s alive?” She gawked in surprise.
“Yes, but barely holding on. I was just in her room a few moments ago. According to her reports she is in a coma.” Lauren shivered in disgust, shutting her eyes tight. “Don’t be so anxious. She has a chance of making it.” She frowned.
“A chance?” Lauren screeched, grabbing the nurse’s shoulders. “What do you mean?!”
“Let go of me and I’ll tell you, Miss. Salvatore.” She growled through clenched teeth. Lauren reluctantly removed her hands from her, pressing them firmly against her sides. “Lauren. She’s infected. However, the virus still has yet to advance beyond the beginning stages, which means she is responding positively to an experimental drug we’re giving her. “
“She…She’s sick?” Lauren whimpered, fresh tears welling up on the brink of her eyelid.
“Lauren, she was bitten by multiple infected citizens, for reasons unknown. Since she is only a child, her immune system isn’t strong enough to fight something of that magnitude off.” She massaged Lauren’s upper back with a sorrowful look.
“If I am to answer your question, I can only reply with a yes.” The nurse confessed. “I’m very sorry, Lauren. Like I said, we have her on some medication.. It now depends on how they will react with both her body and the illness. But, if our recent cases have been any indication, and the drugs don’t work…we’ll have to move her to Chamber I by the end of this week.”
“D-Does that mean…I am sick, as well?”
“No.” She murmured and spoke something under her breath Lauren could not hear. Then she continued, “You only left with a couple of stitches and a concussion. If only your friend had received the same fate.”
YOU ARE READING
Never Give Up: A Novel
Science Fiction"And today we mourn the loss of a life, of respect, and a friendship. All was reborn into pain and hate." A wicked, merciless dicatator. A battle-scarred friend fighting to save what's left of her plague-ridden world. And behind it all...a dark secr...
