remember. I think I hit my head.”
Molly proceeded to examine her head.
“I’m fine.” Sierra insisted again.
“You are not fine.” Molly said. “You were unconscious and you’re going to the hospital to make sure your head isn’t broken. Ambulance will be here any minute. I’m going to get you some clothes. Don’t move .”
Sierra slumped back in the bed, unwilling to argue. Molly pushed herself to her feet. She paused to look at the palm of her hand, which had several long, cinnamon colored hairs on it. Molly glanced around at the fur covering the bed.
“Are you hiding a dog?” she asked.
“Joe got a dog. Must have rubbed off.” Sierra lied quickly.
Molly accepted this without question. She tossed Sierra some yoga pants and a t-shirt out of the closet.
“Should I call the Governor?” she asked.
“I’ll call him.” Sierra reached for her cell on the nightstand.
The sound of the doorbell emanated from the living room. Molly rushed out of the bedroom to let in the paramedics. Sierra pulled on her clothes and dialed Joe’s number. He picked up after the third ring.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said cheerfully.
“You have to get a dog now.” She said in a rushed undertone.
“What?”
Three EMTs rushed into the room, closely trailed by Molly.
“Here, let me take that,” Molly said, taking the phone out of her hand.
“How are you feeling ma’am?” an EMT asked.
“Could you look up?” another said as he shined a flashlight in her eyes.
They proceeded to wrap a blood pressure cuff on her arm and produce a stethoscope in a flurry of activity. Molly was talking to Joe.
“I don’t know, it just broke…They’re checking her now…How do you know she’s fine? You’re not here. That’s what she keeps saying. She’s not fine. I had to take the damn door down!”
The EMT with the stethoscope was listening intently.
“Ma’am, do you feel any shortness of breath? Light headed?”
“No.” Sierra insisted. “I’m fine. Really.”
“She’s tachy.” He said to the other EMTs. “Heart rate’s 180.”
“Temperature’s 105.6.” another said.
Before she even had a chance to protest, two of the EMTs picked her up and deposited her on the gurney, while the other was asking Molly if she wanted to ride along.
“Joe, they’re taking her to the hospital. I have to go. You can meet us there,” Molly said into the phone.
The EMTs were cutting off her clothes and covering her with ice packs. Sierra shivered violently.
“I’m fine,” she insisted again.
“You’re not fine. We’re taking you to emergency. This is going to make you sleep.”
“What will?” Sierra asked, and then felt the needle slide into her arm.
“Count back from ten.” They instructed her.
Her vision went gray around the edges.
“10…9…8…”
*
There were no dreams this time, but there were several moments where she woke up, if only for a few seconds.
The first time was in the ambulance. The siren was blaring. It made her head hurt. She saw Molly’s worried face floating over her own. Molly was holding her hand.
“She’s waking up.” A voice said.
Her eyelids felt so very heavy. She let them slide shut again.
The next time she woke to bright lights in her eyes. She was being wheeled down a hospital corridor. Masked faces loomed over her, exchanging urgent comments in medical jargon her sleepy brain couldn’t comprehend. She squinted against the lights for a few moments, then allowed her eyes to close again.
The next time she was looking up at the ceiling of a hospital room. It was quiet. Dark. There was moonlight shining through her window. It must have been hours later.
Joe was standing at the foot of her bed next to a doctor. The doctor was counting a rather large stack of cash. Sierra tried to talk, but only managed a small moan. Joe smiled at her.
“Go back to sleep, beautiful.” Joe told her. “Everything will be fine.”
She obliged.
She woke again later
Molly proceeded to examine her head.
“I’m fine.” Sierra insisted again.
“You are not fine.” Molly said. “You were unconscious and you’re going to the hospital to make sure your head isn’t broken. Ambulance will be here any minute. I’m going to get you some clothes. Don’t move .”
Sierra slumped back in the bed, unwilling to argue. Molly pushed herself to her feet. She paused to look at the palm of her hand, which had several long, cinnamon colored hairs on it. Molly glanced around at the fur covering the bed.
“Are you hiding a dog?” she asked.
“Joe got a dog. Must have rubbed off.” Sierra lied quickly.
Molly accepted this without question. She tossed Sierra some yoga pants and a t-shirt out of the closet.
“Should I call the Governor?” she asked.
“I’ll call him.” Sierra reached for her cell on the nightstand.
The sound of the doorbell emanated from the living room. Molly rushed out of the bedroom to let in the paramedics. Sierra pulled on her clothes and dialed Joe’s number. He picked up after the third ring.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said cheerfully.
“You have to get a dog now.” She said in a rushed undertone.
“What?”
Three EMTs rushed into the room, closely trailed by Molly.
“Here, let me take that,” Molly said, taking the phone out of her hand.
“How are you feeling ma’am?” an EMT asked.
“Could you look up?” another said as he shined a flashlight in her eyes.
They proceeded to wrap a blood pressure cuff on her arm and produce a stethoscope in a flurry of activity. Molly was talking to Joe.
“I don’t know, it just broke…They’re checking her now…How do you know she’s fine? You’re not here. That’s what she keeps saying. She’s not fine. I had to take the damn door down!”
The EMT with the stethoscope was listening intently.
“Ma’am, do you feel any shortness of breath? Light headed?”
“No.” Sierra insisted. “I’m fine. Really.”
“She’s tachy.” He said to the other EMTs. “Heart rate’s 180.”
“Temperature’s 105.6.” another said.
Before she even had a chance to protest, two of the EMTs picked her up and deposited her on the gurney, while the other was asking Molly if she wanted to ride along.
“Joe, they’re taking her to the hospital. I have to go. You can meet us there,” Molly said into the phone.
The EMTs were cutting off her clothes and covering her with ice packs. Sierra shivered violently.
“I’m fine,” she insisted again.
“You’re not fine. We’re taking you to emergency. This is going to make you sleep.”
“What will?” Sierra asked, and then felt the needle slide into her arm.
“Count back from ten.” They instructed her.
Her vision went gray around the edges.
“10…9…8…”
*
There were no dreams this time, but there were several moments where she woke up, if only for a few seconds.
The first time was in the ambulance. The siren was blaring. It made her head hurt. She saw Molly’s worried face floating over her own. Molly was holding her hand.
“She’s waking up.” A voice said.
Her eyelids felt so very heavy. She let them slide shut again.
The next time she woke to bright lights in her eyes. She was being wheeled down a hospital corridor. Masked faces loomed over her, exchanging urgent comments in medical jargon her sleepy brain couldn’t comprehend. She squinted against the lights for a few moments, then allowed her eyes to close again.
The next time she was looking up at the ceiling of a hospital room. It was quiet. Dark. There was moonlight shining through her window. It must have been hours later.
Joe was standing at the foot of her bed next to a doctor. The doctor was counting a rather large stack of cash. Sierra tried to talk, but only managed a small moan. Joe smiled at her.
“Go back to sleep, beautiful.” Joe told her. “Everything will be fine.”
She obliged.
She woke again later
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