Read Online One Kiss: An Apocalyptic Urban Fantasy (Transmissions from The International Council for the Exploration of the Universe., #1) by Emily Kimelman, E.J Kimelman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Emily Kimelman, E.J Kimelman
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face above me came into focus and then blurred.
But the hair, the red golden hair was so familiar. "Megan?" I said, straining to open my eyes. When I did there was nothing but fluorescent tubes of light above me. Struggling with a woozy head and weak arms I pushed myself into a sitting position. I was in a long hallway, my gurney pushed off to the side. A doctor and nurse I didn't recognize walked by, their heads down, conferring with each other.
I looked down the hall and thought I saw her hair, its effervescent red bouncing through a door at the end of the hall. "Megan," I tried to yell but only a croak came out. Pulling the thin blankets off me, I swung my legs to the side of the gurney and lowered my feet to the floor. It was laminated, and cold against my bare toes. "Megan," I said again, using the gurney to push myself into a standing position.
"Darling, you shouldn't be up," I heard behind me but I stepped toward the door. My legs were soft and unsure; I stumbled a step forward and clutched onto the gurney to keep from falling. A hand touched my shoulder and I wheeled around, flailing out at the person trying to stop me. It was Dr. Tor. He took a step back to avoid my attempted blow. His hands up, he said, "Darling, you need to lie back down."
My vision darkened at the edges, keeping the doctor at the center of a pinpoint. I turned again toward the door I'd seen Megan go through and stepped toward it, determination strong in my gut. I felt a tug on my arm and looked down to see the needle in my IV straining to break loose. I ripped it out, a small spurt of blood followed.
"Darling." It was the doctor again; he was in front of me. "You need to lie down." I tried to push past him but ended up just kind of falling onto him. He held me up, his arms around my waist; I could feel his fingers on my naked back.
"No," I said. It came out hoarse and low, barely a protest. But I pushed back at him.
"Darling, please," he said, his voice close to me, his breath touching my cheek.
I wrenched free, falling backwards, landing on my hip. The cold floor felt almost like it was wet against my bare skin. Suddenly a nurse was by my side. "Darling, what are you doing?" she asked, crouching next to me.
"Megan," I said.
Her face fell into a deep frown that conveyed sympathy and disappointment, all in one sad expression. "Megan's gone, sweetheart. I'm sorry, but she's not coming back."
The edges of my vision darkened again, slowly closing on the nurse's lips, bare and honest. "No," I whispered before the darkness enveloped my vision.
****
W hen I woke again the sun was slanting through a window to my left, covering my body in a warm glow. I was in a real bed this time, a blanket and sheet tucked around me. The IV was gone. The TV in the upper left corner of the room was on.
"You're awake," a voice said. I turned right to find I had a roommate: an older white guy, his mustache yellow, an oxygen feeder resting on it. He wore the same sort of gown as I did. It was loose around his shoulders, so that I could see gray hairs sprouting from his chest and back, reaching toward his face.
"Yes," I said, my voice cracked. I swallowed, feeling the saliva travel down my dry esophagus. Turning to my side table, I saw the ubiquitous yellow cup with its straw. I reached out and took the cup in my fingers. The movement made me realize how much my body ached. Then the memory of falling in the hallway came flashing back to me. Embarrassment chased on the memory's heels. I sipped at the water, realizing what a fool I'd made of myself. That had never happened to me. I'd always woken up feeling totally fine. What was different this time? I felt a shiver as I remember with vivid detail Megan leaning over me. A hallucination? I wondered. Or a reason to hope?
"Can you believe this?" the man said, pointing at the TV. I looked up to see the news playing. "That guy who survived the crazy druggie attack. He got killed right here in this hospital."
"He
But the hair, the red golden hair was so familiar. "Megan?" I said, straining to open my eyes. When I did there was nothing but fluorescent tubes of light above me. Struggling with a woozy head and weak arms I pushed myself into a sitting position. I was in a long hallway, my gurney pushed off to the side. A doctor and nurse I didn't recognize walked by, their heads down, conferring with each other.
I looked down the hall and thought I saw her hair, its effervescent red bouncing through a door at the end of the hall. "Megan," I tried to yell but only a croak came out. Pulling the thin blankets off me, I swung my legs to the side of the gurney and lowered my feet to the floor. It was laminated, and cold against my bare toes. "Megan," I said again, using the gurney to push myself into a standing position.
"Darling, you shouldn't be up," I heard behind me but I stepped toward the door. My legs were soft and unsure; I stumbled a step forward and clutched onto the gurney to keep from falling. A hand touched my shoulder and I wheeled around, flailing out at the person trying to stop me. It was Dr. Tor. He took a step back to avoid my attempted blow. His hands up, he said, "Darling, you need to lie back down."
My vision darkened at the edges, keeping the doctor at the center of a pinpoint. I turned again toward the door I'd seen Megan go through and stepped toward it, determination strong in my gut. I felt a tug on my arm and looked down to see the needle in my IV straining to break loose. I ripped it out, a small spurt of blood followed.
"Darling." It was the doctor again; he was in front of me. "You need to lie down." I tried to push past him but ended up just kind of falling onto him. He held me up, his arms around my waist; I could feel his fingers on my naked back.
"No," I said. It came out hoarse and low, barely a protest. But I pushed back at him.
"Darling, please," he said, his voice close to me, his breath touching my cheek.
I wrenched free, falling backwards, landing on my hip. The cold floor felt almost like it was wet against my bare skin. Suddenly a nurse was by my side. "Darling, what are you doing?" she asked, crouching next to me.
"Megan," I said.
Her face fell into a deep frown that conveyed sympathy and disappointment, all in one sad expression. "Megan's gone, sweetheart. I'm sorry, but she's not coming back."
The edges of my vision darkened again, slowly closing on the nurse's lips, bare and honest. "No," I whispered before the darkness enveloped my vision.
****
W hen I woke again the sun was slanting through a window to my left, covering my body in a warm glow. I was in a real bed this time, a blanket and sheet tucked around me. The IV was gone. The TV in the upper left corner of the room was on.
"You're awake," a voice said. I turned right to find I had a roommate: an older white guy, his mustache yellow, an oxygen feeder resting on it. He wore the same sort of gown as I did. It was loose around his shoulders, so that I could see gray hairs sprouting from his chest and back, reaching toward his face.
"Yes," I said, my voice cracked. I swallowed, feeling the saliva travel down my dry esophagus. Turning to my side table, I saw the ubiquitous yellow cup with its straw. I reached out and took the cup in my fingers. The movement made me realize how much my body ached. Then the memory of falling in the hallway came flashing back to me. Embarrassment chased on the memory's heels. I sipped at the water, realizing what a fool I'd made of myself. That had never happened to me. I'd always woken up feeling totally fine. What was different this time? I felt a shiver as I remember with vivid detail Megan leaning over me. A hallucination? I wondered. Or a reason to hope?
"Can you believe this?" the man said, pointing at the TV. I looked up to see the news playing. "That guy who survived the crazy druggie attack. He got killed right here in this hospital."
"He
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