So You've died. Now What?

Chapter 2: What? I have to go back to school?!

My head was pounding hard, like someone had been playing the drums on it. At first when I opened my eyes I couldn't see a thing. A couple seconds went by and they adjusted, everything seemed to glow into existence. I heard people around me crying, others looked completely mortified. To me it looked like I could've been in a train station, but then I remembered the car. So this had to be the emergency room, but then why am I in the waiting area? Did Theo's human shield really work? Maybe he was the one who was being seen here, my mom had dropped me off, and I accidentally dozed off. Yeah that was probably what had happened.

            This hospital looked different than anyone I had ever been in. At one end of the room was a tall black iron gate with points at the top. A thick chain was coiled around the bars, and somewhere near the middle was a heavy looking lock. I was sitting right next to a pair of double doors with Exit painted in red on the center of both. That was pretty much it except for the front desk and chairs people were plopped into.

            I waited for twenty minutes, but no one ever called my name. I don't think anyone even noticed me. What if Theo was in there, but didn't know I was out here? Finally, having decided to go find him, I got up. Immediately I fell to the floor, my legs wouldn't work right. I couldn't even move them. Could I move them before? After starring at my kneecaps trying to force them up with sheer will power, I gave up and lay back onto the floor. My eyelids felt heavy, like I hadn't slept for days and the mass of the world was weighing them down.

            When I let them have their way, Theo popped into my mind. What had really happened, who really brought me here? I could've arrived in an ambulance with Theo, and maybe they wanted me to wait out here. I think I looked ok, I don't remember anything missing. Besides the headache and failing lower limbs I was sure I was fine. Where was Theo...?

            Something was prodding the back of my head. When I didn't open my eyes for fear of reality kicking in, it stopped. Above me someone called out.

            “Okay, listen up! Is anyone here Maebe Vladimir? Do I have a yes?” a couple people behind me coughed “You're making me spell it out? Aw come on! Ok, M-A-E-B-E.”

            Grudgingly I peeled my eyes open and turned my head toward the voice. A boy not much older than me was the one calling my name. He had scruffy facial hair, and a bandage wrapped around his head to cover his right eye. Chunks of his black hair poked through spots in the white gauze, it didn't look very well wrapped to me. From what I could see, the pupil of his uncovered eye was a deep glowing red that sparkled in the light.

            He glanced down at me and smiled, showing his large white canine teeth.

            “I thought you might have keeled over on the floor there!” he laughed a while and stopped when no one else joined in. “I thought it was funny” he muttered.

            He flung his hand out for me to grab, but I just starred at it dumbly. The palm of his hand was wrapped in gauze, leading up his fingers so only the tips were exposed. He looked like a mummy that was unraveling. When I didn't grab his hand he bent down and scooped me up, holding me in his wrapped arms.

            “They told me you had been run over.” he paused but I didn't know how to respond “That means your legs will feel like jelly for a few days, but you'll be able to walk in an hour or so.”

            He made his way through the throng of bewildered people, and up to the towering front desk.

            “Benny, I got mine so I'm going to check out. Her name is Maebe Vladimir, like maybe but spelled all crazy. Her parents must've been hippies or something.”