Tree of Wishes

Sleeping Beauty Syndrome: An Emma Perspective

I have my fair share of experience working as a nurse, but Sylvan Hospital had to be the most unique workplace I'd ever been a part of. This was to be expected from a hospital that specialized in treating those with powers, yet it was still a sight to behold. Nothing in medical school can prepare you for dealing with fire breathing hiccups, flower blossoming sneezes, or bull rampages fueled by night terrors. Because of this, the staff were required to have their own arsenal of powers to counter these bizarre occurrences.

In my case, I lucked out with a two-for-one type of ability. I gave up the toy doctor kit I loved playing with as a child, and obtained the power to wrap people with bandages that can cure most injuries. This not only made it easy to tie down a rowdy patient, but usually fixed whatever was causing them to act up in the first place. I got the reputation as 'Band-Aid Leigh' because of it, even though Leigh is my last name. I guess there's nothing that's as catchy or rhymey with Emma. Maybe Emma the Dilemma Solver? Hm... no. That's too much.

Since I was normally assigned to the emergency room because of my abilities, I thought it was peculiar when I was given the task of tending to a comatose patient in the intensive care unit. This included monitoring the patient, moving them around to prevent bedsores, providing them with necessary nutrients through a vein or tube, and changing out their catheter. Fairly standard procedure. Any well-trained nurse could do it. So why me? I was better suited for treating brain hemorrhages than swelling anyway.

As I went to go meet the patient for the first time, I noticed the other nurses glaring at me as they whispered to one another. Gossip was a common malpractice I tried to ignore, yet having it targeted at me put an uncomfortable weight on my shoulders. As I approached the patient's door, I was startled by a fellow nurse being dragged out of the room by two security guards.

"Let me go!" she shouted as she kicked about. "I have to save him! Me! I'm the only one who can do it!"

"Calm down, miss!" one guard said while trying to fight back. "This isn't what you want! You're being controlled!"

"Shut up! I said let go!"

Reacting out of instinct, I shot out a stream of bandages from both of my arms, wrapping them around the nurse's arms and legs. She squirmed for a bit, but once the effects kicked in, she began to calm down. The guards sighed with relief and gave me a grateful smile.

As if broken free from a spell, she looked around with a confused expression as she said, "Huh? What's going on?"

Dr. Galen, one of our veteran doctors, stepped in to answer her questions. "I'm afraid you're unqualified to work with this patient. For now, it's best if you go home and get some rest. Expect to be reassigned shortly."

Taking this as a sign to release her, I watched the nurse as she stood up and sulked away in defeat. Dr. Galen's disappointment was clearly written all over his face despite how hard it was to see through his thick, opaque glasses, large, bumpy nose, and bushy, gray mustache. After taking a moment to accept the loss, he craned his neck upwards to make eye contact since he was barely up to my hip. I was a tall girl by default, too afraid to worsen it with high heels, but his shortness was always a constant reminder.

"I appreciate the assistance, Miss Leigh," he said. "As you can see, this patient has been causing quite a bit of a stir."

"What's going on exactly?" I asked.

"Mind control, I'm afraid. Many doctors, nurses, and visitors have been afflicted by it."

I quirked a curious eyebrow. "How can the patient do that while comatose?"

"That's what makes him so dangerous. We're currently rotating staff to see if we can find people immune to its effect. So far, I've been the only doctor, but I can't handle him on my own."