She had a flash of sneakers, dirty soles, and half-undone laces, covered in blood.
Rin whimpered in fear as the woman touched her shoulders and forced her to lie back on the bed. Her touch was neither soft nor firm.
Rin was still gripping the pillow, and her head lay flat without it.
She stared up at the woman as she waved a keycard over the table by the bed, then a drawer unlocked, sliding open to reveal glass bottles of liquid, syringes, and gloves. She lifted a glass bottle and a syringe, eyes sliding to Rin as she fit the needle at the top of the vial and slowly withdrew the contents within.
Rin mustered every bit of energy she could with her heavy mind. She swung the pillow up until it hit the side of the woman’s head. The vial fell to the ground and shattered.
The pillow fell on top of the glass with a muted thud.
The woman tsked. "That was too strenuous for your current state. You are still healing. You sustained many injuries after the earthquake." She spoke too quickly for Rin’s mind to keep up. She lifted the full syringe. "And your body is still healing after your procedure. You burned through the sedative far too quickly. No matter."
Rin struggled to sit up, but the woman easily kept her down with a firm hand on her shoulder, forcing her to lie flat against the bed.
"Where… am I?" Rin whispered, voice barely audible.
The woman shoved Rin’s hair to the side. She felt the prick of the needle against the side of her neck, and then it slid into her body. The woman pressed down on the plunger, and Rin tried to struggle, but it was a losing battle. The effects were instantaneous.
The woman released her, and Rin stayed staring up at the ceiling. It was so bright she could see her reflection staring down upon her.
"We need you somnolent," came the woman’s voice. "Don’t worry, the next time you wake up, you should not feel such pain."
Rin felt hands on her abdomen, then cool air as her cotton slip was pushed above her hips. She was bare beneath, and was too out of it to care as the woman touched a thick bandage wrapped around her middle, just under her navel. She would have groaned in pain, but her lips couldn’t move anymore.
"Healing well. That’s good." The woman’s voice grew thinner to Rin’s ears. "You should be ready within the week."
The next timeshe woke up, she was not alone; though, she sensed it had been many days.
Voices murmured over her.
"She’s awake. Should I increase the sedative so she won’t try to hit you with a pillow again, Dr. Mercer?"
"No," came a woman’s voice. Something about her tone was familiar. Rin blinked sluggishly. "Any more, and she’ll be effectively unconscious. We need her to remain responsive and able to understand us."
A face came into focus above Rin. She knew this woman. The memories were slow to arrive. Her head shifted against the pillow.
A soft beep filled the room. "Your heart rate is spiking." The woman stared off at something. "That is good. You’re coming out of your anesthetic. We were worried about having to keep you sedated for much longer. You should still feel sluggish, and your limbs will not cooperate. This is all normal—not to worry."
Rin’s lips struggled to form words. The woman watched patiently. Finally, Rin was able to push something out. "Where am I? Who are you?"
The woman’s eyes crinkled. A mask covered her mouth, but Rin thought she might be smiling. "I am Dr. Mercer. I was tasked with seeing to your recovery after your injuries." She held up her hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
Rin’s eyes watered. "Four?" Her voice was weak.
Dr. Mercer lowered her hand. "Very good." She turned to her companion. "Vision is intact. Write that down in her file. Mrs. Blackfall will want to know."
Blackfall.
Rin began to struggle. The beeping in the room grew. "No, no?—"
Dr. Mercer hovered over her. "Vesperin, can you hear me? It is fine. Calm down. If you do not calm down, we will have to administer more sedative." Her tone was even and loud.
And the words were utterly useless in soothing Rin.
Dr. Mercer sighed and waved her hand. Rin saw a man, wearing a lab coat and a face mask, too. He looked younger, maybe the same age as Rin. His eyes briefly found hers before he injected a liquid into her IV port.
It mingled with whatever else they’d been giving her, and against her will, she sagged back against the bed.
