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Waking
Feb 12, 2009 17:14:14 GMT -5
Post by Charlie on Feb 12, 2009 17:14:14 GMT -5
The storm today was a wicked one, the wind blew about ruthlessly making trees bend to its powerful gusts and had already blown a few down, having had ripped them from their roots. As Charlie road into it, Sunny had to struggle slightly against the massive force, his head down as the wind seemed to pull and catch his mane in its strong fingers and pull him back. It was all Charlie could do at times to simply stay seated against the blows, her hair, once tied back seemed to have been ripped from its restraints at some point and now whipped about fiercely, her cloak flew out behind her like some sort of black flag being aggressively waved at the few other passerby’s struggling to make it home, shops everywhere along the street had already closed their doors. When she had reached the stable where the ship’s crew stabled their horses the stable manager had to scramble from his small office to open the barn for her and Sunny, he knew who she was, and even had he not he probably wouldn’t have stood around long enough to find out before allowing entry. Charlie hopped down and had to help him open the large door, just enough to admit the pair before closing it again behind them. She led Sunny over to where she found her father’s large chestnut to be stabled and tied him up outside the other’s stall and took off his saddle, patted him on his rear and headed back into the storm to greet her father upon his return to the yard, this time using the smaller door meant for human passage.
This was nothing unusual for Charlie; she often came down to the docks to welcome her father back from the sea after he’d been out for so many days. She loved to greet him with a warming smile she knew would warm his chilled bones and today, despite the weather, was no different than any other.
She made her way down the docks, salty sea spray splashing her from the huge waves that crashed against the giant dock from between already moored ships, their crews long gone home to their families after months out at sea. This didn’t bother her, she’d spent many a day down here and really quite enjoyed the smells of the water and the feel of the spray on her cheeks.
Ahead would be her father’s ship just beginning it’s tie-up to the docks, the men obviously fighting with everything they had to keep the large vessel from ripping the ropes from their hands in the powerful wind, sometimes slipping on the wet dock one or two would have to be caught and pulled back to their feet before being dragged into the sea by the huge waves that swelled onto the dock.
Charlie spotted her father then, he was rushing over to where one of ropes had come untied and was leaning over to grasp the line just as a giant wave moved swiftly towards him, unseen as he was preoccupied with gathering the line back around the large pole. Charlie saw it coming though and she began to rush forward, her screams going unnoticed by the men around her, swept away with the wind and yells of the remainder of the crew trying to control the wildly bucking ship.
What happened next all seemed to happen in slow motion for the girl. She was running forward, yelling as loud as she could, the wave rose looming over her father it seemed, poised for a split second and then crashed down on him and pulled him into the water. Other figures were rushing over to him at this point, huge sailors, too late, as the water receded back Charlie’s fathers head came up from the water and as he took hold the hand of a shipmate who had him half pulled from the freezing water, the ship lurched and came crashing against the dock, with her father between it’s giant form and the solid structure of the dock itself.
Charlie’s feet stopped moving, she seemed to have stopped breathing as she watched her father’s body being pulled the remainder of the way to the dock and dragged back away from the edge where the sailors knelt beside him, hiding him from her view. That was when Charlie re-animated and ran over to the huddled mass of sailors and forced her way to her father’s side. He was already dead, was the moment his human structure had been crushed between the too massive clashing forces of ship and dock.
Tears streaming down her cheeks she knelt down and took his hand in her own, then leaned over him, taking his head, she slid beneath him and cradled it in her lap as she just repeated over and over again. “No, no, no…” her head shaking slowly to emphasize the word. The world around her seemed to disappear, the movements of the sailors all seemed a blur, as if smeared paintings, sounds not coming through everything became surreal as the sailors reached down and began dragging her away. She struggles against them, tried to get back to her dad, tried to fight, they were talking to her, saying something but she couldn’t hear them. She barely felt the stinging prick of a needle in her arm or the burning sensation it created as the tranquilizer entered her body.
Charlie woke up in the hospital, she opened her eyes slowly, the lights of the room had been dimmed though she felt she still had to squint against it, her head burned and throbbed as she lay there, now staring up at the ceiling, and then she moved a hand to feel her head, it was bandaged. She had no idea what the time was, and she really didn’t care.
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Waking
Feb 22, 2009 11:05:27 GMT -5
Post by Surreal on Feb 22, 2009 11:05:27 GMT -5
The clinical lights were too bright, practically hang-over inducing even without the partying that usually brought about such agony. Everything had a steady beeping rhythm, too quiet to be painful, but just loud enough to be annoying. Coupled with the lights, the beeps had the unfortunate capability of giving a blazing headache to anyone just trying to sleep. The smell of the place didn't help any. The scent of alcohol and sweat dug its stinging claws into people's nostrils until they weren't sure whether they had ever smelled anything remotely good at any point in their lives.
Hospital. The word seeped into Surreal's consciousness. She was familiar with the smell, the lights, the noise, and she hated every bit of it. It never comforted her, it just made her wish she was at home in the graveyard. She opened her eyes slowly, fully expecting to be there for the flu again. Instead, she was suspiciously without the usual sniffles, queasiness, and cough. She knew she felt an IV, but that was expected. She groaned, letting her eyes drift down. Her arm was swathed in bandages, and although it hadn't really hurt before, she now felt a dull ache after noticing its state.
The entire day came back to her in a rush. The boy in the street, the thief she tried to bend to her will, and the way that thief pushed her. She remembered clearly the sound of her bones cracking and the sight of her bones jutting out of her arm. So she hadn't died. What a pity, she truly wished she had.
She was wondering what drugs they had filled her up with to make her arm so painless when she heard a rustle. She let her head fall to the side, her eyes focusing on a woman with her head bandaged. The woman was awake, but she seemed more dazed than distressed at her condition. Surreal coughed slightly. She could leave the woman alone, but emergency rooms got boring, and maybe if she made a friend she would be entertained until they let her go home.
"What are you in for?" Surreal joked with a weak smile. "Because I'm pretty sure I'm here for the lovely sights and sounds."
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Waking
Feb 22, 2009 19:19:11 GMT -5
Post by Charlie on Feb 22, 2009 19:19:11 GMT -5
Charlie continued to look up at the ceiling, her mind reeling at what might have happened between her watching her father die and her current state. Questions rose in her mind as to how she had ended up in her won hospital when she couldn’t even remember being hurt in the first place. She had no recollection of anything beyond the sight that now played through her mind of her fathers last moments of life. She closed her eyes then and took a deep breath to steady herself, she wouldn’t cry, wouldn’t allow it and then a sudden thought came to her mind. “Mom…” Her words whispered the thought and she moved to sit up, mistake, her head pounded loudly and the pinpoints of light she saw dance before her eyes made her lay back down again with a sigh.
It was several long moments again before she heard stirring on the bed next to hers and she opened her eyes again, though still squinting at the little light that was there. She wondered who had been there, had that person been there the entire time she’d laid in this bed and she just hadn’t noticed her before? It was possible; she wasn’t exactly without the influence of drugs that much she could tell.
Another few moments and she heard the girl speak to her, it took her a moment to take in what the girl was saying and her lips actually turned up slightly at the corners. She knew all too well that these rooms, this place was not anyone’s favorite place to be, and even less she imagined with one less nurse to attend to and help move people out of it.
“If I only knew.” She responded and turned to look at the one who had spoken. “It just might be that I have been taken hostage by my own people.” She smiled over at the girl who had spoken. “Hi, names Charlie, I’ll be your nurse for your stay, that is, if I could stand.” She gave a lighthearted chuckle.
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Waking
Feb 25, 2009 10:27:33 GMT -5
Post by Surreal on Feb 25, 2009 10:27:33 GMT -5
It was startling that the woman didn't know how she had landed herself in the hospital. Then again, her head was bandaged up, so maybe she had amnesia; it would have to be short term amnesia because obviously she remembered who she was and what she did for a living. Maybe she had just hit her head hard enough to have a concussion. Any which way Surreal looked at it, she didn't want the woman to have to get up to check on her when she obviously needed someone to check on her as well.
"You know, I feel just peachy," Surreal let her voice sound cheerful. "I'm Surreal and with any luck, I'll be out of here soon. I mean, my arm couldn't have been messed up too badly." She winced a little as she remembered seeing her bones poking out of her arm. "It's nice to meet you though, Charlie. You're a braver woman than me if you can stand to work in a hospital."
Surreal let her eyes wander around the room they were in. It must have been part of the emergency wing because there weren't too many posters on the walls advising patients on how to take care of themselves. In fact, there were just a few plaques on doctor-patient protocol and what to do in case of an emergency. Every bed had a plain white curtain hanging by it that could be used to close it off from view. Every bed had plain white sheets. And, of course, Charlie and herself were dressed in plain off white gowns. The place was pristine enough to give Surreal the chills.
"Much, much braver than me," she muttered.
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Waking
Feb 25, 2009 15:28:06 GMT -5
Post by Charlie on Feb 25, 2009 15:28:06 GMT -5
Charlie continued to watch the girl from her position, lying in bed. She could tell the other was still in quite a lot of pain from her arm and wondered, though would not ask, the situation that had brought this poor girl to have broken her bone. This though, of course drew her away from trying to figure out what it was that ultimately found her in her current state.
“Indeed, sometimes I wonder how we do it all.” She commented, taking her gaze from Surreal to look about her own surroundings. “I think though, that we do what we do, not out of bravery, but out of our general love for people as a whole.” She told her as her green orbs moved around to fall once more on her what seemed to be her only roomie at that point. This of course, was a good thing in Charlie’s mind.
“You are brave to think that you are fine, when you obviously have a nice break there.” Charlie stated, her natural nurses instinct coming about. “Not that the break will threaten your life, now that it has been attended to that is.” She continued. “It is a good thing that you came here, that in itself I think…” Charlie chuckled once more. “Was brave.” She continued with a warming smile. “I know this place isn’t the most inviting of places, but we like to keep it that way, under the thought that if people don’t want to be here, then maybe they will try harder not to get into situations that will put them here in the future.” She winked at the girl.
Of course, the place was the way it was out of sanitary necessity and had nothing to do with trying to be unpleasant or pleasant, Charlie always liked to think of it as a way to try and keep people from wanting to come here, it added a sort of humor to what went on in these rooms at times.
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Waking
Feb 26, 2009 22:57:24 GMT -5
Post by Surreal on Feb 26, 2009 22:57:24 GMT -5
Surreal got more comfortable in her bed as Charlie spoke. She turned her IV arm out so it didn't bother her so much. Thinking about it made her wonder why they had given her one. Maybe she lost too much blood on the way over and they had given her a transfusion and now they were trying to rehydrate her. She probably had to go into surgery, so it would make sense that they would want her to stay for a while. She knew from experience the IV wouldn't come out until they were checking her out. She gave the needle a grimace and tried to focus on what Charlie was saying.
A love for people as a whole. Surreal wondered how much love it took to be a nurse and what a nurse's limits were. After all, its not all that hard to love a saint, but loving a sinner is an act of God. Surreal had a few seconds to try to convince herself not to ask. Before her brain could instruct her mouth, she was already looking earnestly into the other woman's eyes while words tumbled from her lips.
"Would you still treat someone if they murdered someone else?" She blurted it out, then winced and tried to backtrack. "I mean, we were talking about bravery and I thought it would be brave to ask and all because I could imagine helping one of the good guys, but not really one of the bad guys. Not that I think I would let them die either. I just don't think I'd care it they were sick or not."
She looked away and thought about the thief. If he were in trouble would she call on the grave to aide him or would she let him die? She honestly hadn't a clue. She gave a glance under her lashes at Charlie. Maybe her answer would help Surreal to decide whether or not it was right to help someone who would just get better and go out and hurt someone else.
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Waking
Feb 26, 2009 23:48:47 GMT -5
Post by Charlie on Feb 26, 2009 23:48:47 GMT -5
Charlie watched the girl as she messed with her IV and saw how she turned it just so, so that her arm could be a bit more comfortable. This one was no stranger to the emergency wing and Charlie had wondered if she had actually treated her before. She couldn’t remember all those that had come through here over the years so it had been a possibility, though if she had, she couldn’t remember just now and so gave that line of thinking up and put it to rest.
Sudden Surreal had burst out with a line of questions, a line in which Charlie had heard many times before and that warm smile that had been on her lips did not falter at all. This was easier to answer than the other thought it would have been.
“I would aid the devil himself if he were lying on one of these beds Surreal, it is what I do.” She replied easily enough. “I am no saint mind you however even should I dislike or even loathe the character that lies before me in need of help, I would help them.” She went on, her voice unmarred by thought, just simply honest truth. “I have been given a talent and with it, came a certain obligation to the world around me. Though there are times when certainly, I would not be so gentle in my aid to make one as comfortable as I would, say for instance you, I would aid them none the less.” This last part she said with a bit of a devilish note inside her normal warm tones.
Charlie laid there for a moment and then started to chuckle slightly. “I remember this one time, a man had come in here with a dislocated shoulder, he was a Paladin in fact, a rather foul mouthed holier than thou attitude too boot.” She grinned from ear to ear as she remembered. “He had the thought, somewhere in his addled brain that I was a lower being then he, and decided he would treat me as such.” She grinned even more evily than would be thought of one usually so seemingly kind. “Needless to say, I do believe that when I set his shoulder back in, they probably heard the great Paladin scream like a little girl all the way to the palace itself.” She giggled then with something of a joyous and evil sound. “Oh yes, I would help anyone, anyone at all, but that doesn’t mean I have to make them comfortable, now does it?” She winked at the girl lying beside her.
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Waking
Mar 9, 2009 15:34:07 GMT -5
Post by Surreal on Mar 9, 2009 15:34:07 GMT -5
Surreal's grin got wider and wider as Charlie spoke. It was obvious that she loved to play with patients as much as she enjoyed healing them. When she winked, Surreal laughed in disbelief. It would take such a strong woman to watch people come and go in the hospital and still retain a sense of humor after it all. Her respect for Charlie was indescribable at that moment. It even encouraged her to see the thief in a new light. Sure, she wanted to go watch her corpses eviscerate him and play kickball with his head, but what if she just caused a slight nuisance.
Instead, she was starting to think of demanding an apology. It couldn't be simple, no, it had to be annoying. She hid a smile behind your hand. "I think you've inspired me," she announced. "See, I'm in here because this thief in town slapped me and I fell. I was thinking about revenge, but wouldn't it be better to just send....people....after him to demand an apology for me? I mean, I bet they could find the thieves hide-out." Her senses would probably even lead her right to them. Thieves killed plenty of people, she was sure one of the corpses in the graveyard could whisper some secrets in her ear.
"I mean, who ever said that good girls can't find nice ways to solve their problems? We can totally fix things without having to resort to evil. Well, maybe a little evil. Just enough to know what you need to, and then you can deal with the rest as a good girl, right Charlie?" She gave Charlie doe eyes. It was obvious she just wanted permission.
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Waking
Mar 12, 2009 18:36:37 GMT -5
Post by Charlie on Mar 12, 2009 18:36:37 GMT -5
Charlie listened to the woman and pursed her lips together in thought as the other spoke. This was not something her room buddy was joking about, Surreal really had a decision of morality to make that was weighing heavily on her mind and she was now looking for Charlie to aid her in her decision, though perhaps not so much aid her, as make it reasonable in the others mind to do what she saw fit to retaliate against the man who thought himself so big as to harm someone smaller than he. This of course made Charlie angry as she had always hated the bullies and so, this was Surreal’s lucky day, she’d just so happened to find the right person to confide in, if revenge of sorts was what she was after, who would Charlie be if she didn’t give her the ok, so long as it wasn’t murder, and she didn’t think the woman next to her would actually be able to live with murdering someone any more than Charlie would have been.
“Oh yes Surreal, I think you should have the right to retaliate and demand an apology from this jerk.” Charlie replied, no longer smiling at this moment, she really did hate bullies. “If it were me, I’d probably have him tortured into an apology and then taken him to the hospital so I could fix him up later.” She near growled. “No, it is not evil to want your apology and no, using force to get it if it is not given freely I do not believe is wrong either, he broke your arm, he slapped you and so obviously this male needs a lesson in manners.” She then ended and grinned, turning her head to Surreal and offering her a warm smile. “I do apologize if I sound a bit harsh, I just really do have a problem with bullies.” She admitted.
Charlie closed her eyes for a moment and relaxed, her head was beginning to tell her she’d best calm herself before it began to try and explode again but it wasn’t long before the girl opened them back up and was once more staring at the ceiling after a wave of pictures plaid in her mind when she had closed those emerald orbs.
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