Dream State (Fairy Tales Reimagined Book 1)

by Amy Briggs

  Dr. Somers, the neurologist, had finally made it back to our ER for his consultation on her hours after we’d expected him. He had an excuse; something about a backlog of patients or whatever. The downside to the hospital was, of course, the sheer volume of patients who needed to be seen. Regardless, I felt like our sleeping princess deserved top billing.

  “She’s been here since last night?” he asked.

  Annoyed, I replied, “Yes. You saw her last night, don’t you remember? Our tests showed no internal injuries, and she came in without any serious harm, just a small bump on the head, so it doesn’t seem to be head trauma. You evaluated her.” I knew my tone was laced in irritation.

  “Who brought her in?” He gave me a sideways glance, noticing my annoyance and completely disregarding it. “It’s been a long night for all of us.”

  “The EMS from the next town brought her in. They received an anonymous call; that’s the report I was given. She had no ID, so we don’t know who she is.” I scanned her body as I stood next to the doctor. “They actually found her in a flower shop not far from here, but the other rigs were out on calls, so mutual aid brought her in.” It was in that moment I realized the possibility she had been found in the flower shop beneath my apartment. I wondered if I knew her, or if I’d seen her before.

  “No one has come to claim her yet?” he asked, surprise in his voice.

  “No, not yet,” I replied quietly, considering my realization that maybe I’d seen her before, unless she was a customer of the flower shop. Because I worked shit hours, I was usually sleeping during the day when most people were doing business.

  “Well, it’s not been a day yet. I’m sure someone will.” He sighed and then continued, “Right now, my findings confirm your initial assessment. I’m going to need to do a few brain scans to see if maybe she had an aneurism or something we didn’t pick up in our initial tests. She’ll need to be admitted and sent up to my floor, so I’ll write up those orders.” There was no evidence of a stroke, which would have been the only other emergent thing we would have needed to take care of with immediate medications, so we agreed on next steps and I sent her up for an MRI.

  Nodding, I acknowledged his report. “I’ll be here for another couple of hours, so I’ll see that it gets taken care of.”

  “You don’t need to do that. The nurses can handle it.” He grinned and walked away, still holding Snow White’s file. Wanting to chase after him to make him give me the file, I planted my feet in place to hold myself back. I had no need for the file. She was no longer my patient as soon as his orders went through. An orderly would come to collect her soon, taking her out of my reach and to a room of her own.

  “Are you all right?” A nurse I didn’t know stopped me, grabbing my arm gently, bringing me back to reality.

  “Yes, yes. I’m fine.” I took my arm back, adjusting my lab coat in the process. “I was just thinking; it’s been a long night.”

  “Oh, I just got here,” she said. “My name’s Ashley. I’m new to this hospital. What’s your name, doctor?” She batted her eyelashes in my direction while looking up at me with a sly smile. Ashley was definitely flirting with me, and I was most certainly not interested. Not only was I exasperated from trying to follow Snow White’s status all night, I was equally frustrated that she would be taken someplace else in the hospital. Well aware of how crazy that was, I smiled at Ashley, taking a step backwards.

  “My name is Jacob. Jacob Anderson. I’m a PA,” I replied.

  “Oh? Well, it’s nice to meet you, Jacob. Were you on all night?” Her lips curled to a little smile, and she respected my subtle attempt to move away from her, taking a small step back herself.

  “I was. I assume you’re just coming on shift now?” I asked politely, knowing it would be likely for us to run into each other often at this time of morning.

  “I am. I’ll be here until late tonight,” she replied with an affable smile. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Jacob. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.” She gave me a subtle wave and walked off toward the nurses’ station.

  “Have a good shift, Ashley.” I didn’t want to be rude to her; I simply didn’t want to date her or set any expectations for an ongoing flirtation. Everyone who works in a hospital knows that the quality of your relationship with nurses is directly related to the quality of help they’ll provide you. If you’re nice to them and treat them with respect, they’ll go above and beyond to make your life easier. I was all about that life.

  I made my way back to Snow’s room; she hadn’t been admitted yet, so I thought I could spend a few minutes watching over her before she left. When I quietly skirted through the curtain into her room, I immediately saw that the bed was empty. Not only was it unoccupied, it had been remade with clean sheets and was ready for a new patient. Panic set in and my heart fell to my feet, which felt as though they'd cemented me in place.

  Chapter 8

  Jacqueline

  I felt like I had slept or something, but then when I woke, I still couldn’t talk or move. The woman named Ruth, who I’d surmised was a nurse, was nowhere to be found. Or heard, I supposed. I’d been taken somewhere different, a much quieter place, but no one here had communicated with me the way the others had. I hoped that Ruth would come back, but I also missed the doctor who had been watching over me.

  After much thought, which I seemed to have plenty of time for, I had figured out that the place I was before must have been the emergency room. No one had come for me, and I wasn’t sure that they would have. My aunt was retired now and probably traveling somewhere exotic, and my parents had both passed away. I’d been raised by my aunt, which is why she gave me the flower shop; also, she’d never had any children of her own. I had some friends, but so many of my friends had husbands and children, I realized it could be days before anyone would even think to look for me.

  One thing was clear; the people in this hospital had no idea what my name was. Ruth had started calling me Snow White. I heard her say it to the doctor, who’d I overheard say it as well. I guess it was kind of like I was under a sleeping curse, but if I were Snow White, I was in some big trouble, because there was no Prince coming to wake me.

  It sounded like no one could figure out what was wrong with me, and that made me think that I was going to be trapped here for a while. When I got frustrated, I counted, and I tried to scream, and I felt like I was crying, but nobody seemed to notice. I was in the middle of trying to remember the stories my aunt used to read to me as a child when I heard someone quickly enter the room and heave a tremendous sigh of relief.

  “Finally!” he exclaimed. It was becoming easier to hear people and didn’t quite feel as though they were talking in a wind tunnel anymore. I recognized the voice as the doctor’s from the emergency room.

  As his footsteps grew closer, I heard his breathing slow as if he were calming down. I wished he could hear me. I wanted to tell him it would be okay. He seemed troubled, which affected me.

  “I’ve been looking for you,” he said softly. Continuing to talk to me, he cleared his throat gently before speaking. “They decided to admit you and moved you up to the neurology floor. We’re still trying to figure out why you won’t wake up, though. I couldn’t find you for awhile; they moved you before we could even explain what was going on. Has anyone come to talk to you?”

  I tried to tell him that no one had come. No one had explained anything at all; they just moved me. But as usual, nothing happened. Words I tried to force out, scream out, fell into silence.

  “Well, I’ll make sure they do, beautiful,” he replied anyway, without my answer. “I have to go take care of some things, but I’ll be back to check on you soon.”

  I wished so badly that I could see his face, thank him for taking care of me. Wanting to wake up and see him became central in my thoughts for the remainder of the day, or night, or whatever it was.

  Chapter 9

  Jacob

  Once I was able to calm down somewhat, I regained m
y composure and returned to the nurses’ station to find out where they’d taken her.

  “Oh, we got orders to admit her and take her up to neurology about an hour or so ago, and they had room right away,” Beth, one of the nurses I didn’t know that well, informed me.

  “I didn’t sign off on anything,” I replied more shortly than I should have.

  “Well, Jacob, I’m sorry, but the neurologist came down and did it, and he gets to decide.” She tried to refrain from snapping back at me.

  “You’re totally right. I’m sorry. I just went to check on her and she was gone. I didn’t see her paper chart anywhere, either,” I hinted lightly, attempting to smooth over the annoyance my attitude had caused. I totally could have looked her up in the system and sorted through any other Jane Doe’s we may have had, but sweet-talking the nurse was way easier, and I needed to be nice to them. Getting salty with a nurse was a great way to have a horrible shift for the rest of your existence in a hospital. They’d band together and crucify you if you wronged them, and I had a great relationship I didn’t need to ruin, even if it was over Snow White, who I was beginning to obsess about.

  “Her chart must have gone up with her,” she replied as she began typing on the computer, not looking at me. I wasn’t sure if she was done with me or if I was supposed to be waiting for her to continue, so I softened my shoulders and leaned over the desk, feigning ignorance. “Oh, hold on, Jacob, I’m looking her up for you.” She quickly looked up over her reading glasses and smirked at me.

  “Thank youuuuuu, Beth,” I said with a grateful smile.

  “She is in room 537. Now, get out of my hair, Jacob. You should have left an hour ago, and I have other things to do.” She shooed me away with her hand and gave me a wink.

  “You’re a doll!” I hollered in her direction as I took off toward the elevators, trying not to break into a jog. I was relieved and excited, and again, with no real reason why. I just wanted to get back to her and make sure she looked comfortable. I also wanted to see her chart.

  When I found my way to her room, which of course seemed to take an eternity, I found her in a large room by herself, which made me very happy. I knew it’s standard procedure, and from a cost perspective, it of course makes sense for patients to share rooms, but I couldn’t imagine that any patient in any hospital anywhere wouldn’t want their own room. Sometimes they were hard to come by, though.

  I breathed a huge sigh of relief while still standing in the doorway, taking her in. She was just as beautiful as when I’d seen her last, which truly hadn’t even been that long ago, maybe an hour or so, but certainly not longer. The IV fluids she was receiving along with some antibiotics had helped return some of the color to her face, but she also lay there motionless, just as she had before.

  I let her know quietly that I’d been looking for her and explained where she was in case no one else had. I have always been a firm believer that people in an unconscious state are really in more of a dream state. I absolutely think that they can hear us, and I was positive that she could hear me.

  Assuming that no one had explained anything to her, I continued talking to her while grabbing her chart. “You probably noticed that we’ve been calling you Snow White, but that’s because you didn’t have any identification when you came in. I actually think I might know who you are, though, so I’m going to do some investigating while you rest today.” Standing at her bedside, I reviewed her charts and the tests that had been ordered, so that I could see what they had ruled out thus far. I also wanted to see what the snarky neurologist had planned, if anything yet.

  I rested my hand on the bed rail near her tiny hand, taking note of the pale pink polish on her fingers. She was so sweet- and feminine-looking, it didn’t surprise me that she surrounded herself with flowers. Her aura reflected something cheerful even though she was obviously quite sick. As I thought about what she might be like, I leaned down and rested both my forearms on the bed rail, cupping my hands together.

  “Well, Snow, we haven’t figured out who you are yet or why you won’t wake up, but I promise you we will,” I whispered softly. I knew I couldn’t stay there all day. My body was becoming exhausted from the long night, and I needed to go home for at least a little while to rest before I came back.

  I talked to her for a few more minutes, asking her if anyone had come to check on her and letting her know I’d make sure someone would soon. “I have to go take care of some things, but I’ll be back to check on you soon.”

  Letting out another long sigh, I slowly left the room, wishing I didn’t need to.

  Chapter 10

  Jacqueline

  I wished he didn’t have to leave. Even though I didn’t even know him, he appeared to truly care about making sure I knew what was going on around me. He kept an eye on me, and he didn’t even know who I was. So few people reacted to strangers in that way. I felt like caring and compassion had faded to the background and become replaced with bad news, negativity, and angst.

  Having him find me brought me comfort, and when he left, I missed him. As I lay there in the quiet, thinking, I wondered about the stranger. If he’d told me his name, I didn’t remember it. From what I could recall, the only person who had told me their name since I arrived in this prison inside myself was Ruth. I missed Ruth, too. She chatted with me a lot when she came to take my vital signs. She told me about her kids and how her teenage son was driving her crazy with breaking curfew and that she was going to go find out where he was when she was done taking care of me. I chuckled a bit, which she wouldn’t have known.

  No nurses or doctors had come to see me, and I became bored and agitated. I wanted to go home and screamed out again, calling for help. Of course, no one came, no one heard me. If I could have cried, I would have, but eventually, I drifted off into some version of sleep within my sleep.

  Chapter 11

  Jacob

  After I walked the few blocks to my apartment, I paused in front of the flower shop. I leaned toward the glass window, observing the store. Inspecting the layout, I noticed a large wooden table in the center of the room with an industrial-type orange bucket filled with what appeared to be hydrangea. They were white and puffy but looked like they probably should’ve been put back in a cooler or something, as they were beginning to wilt.

  Glancing around the room with my face practically pressed to the glass, I also noticed a fruit basket and a small card next to it on the front counter. The basket had been opened, so she’d likely eaten something from it the day before. As I continued to observe what I was sure was her place of business, thoughts of why no one had come for her distressed me and a pit in my stomach formed. Her shop wasn’t huge, so I also wondered if she had employees who might look for her, or a boss if it wasn’t her shop. Something about her made me believe it was hers, though. She had the gentle beauty of someone who would commit themselves to something like flowers.

  Nothing unusual struck me in my little investigation, so I dragged myself up to my apartment. There were actually two apartments up here, but I had no idea who lived in the other one because of my schedule. I’d never even considered that it was occupied before that moment. My thoughts immediately moved to the consideration that it might be her apartment. I placed my hand on the door across the hall, noting the large number two on the door next to the peephole as my heart rate picked up. I intended to knock but didn’t. Unsure why, I had a feeling that it was her apartment, and any attempt to knock would be fruitless, since she was back at the hospital.

  I worried about her most of the morning, which made it almost impossible to get any sleep. I lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling, and shifted my thoughts to what might be causing the coma. I ran through her MRI and X-ray in my head, centimeter by centimeter from memory, but couldn’t think of any abnormalities that I might have missed. I knew I would need to look at it again when I got back to the hospital. It wasn’t lost on me that she was no longer my case, but as far as I was concerned, I was going to stay on to
p of it until she woke up either way.

  Finally, I drifted off into sleep, having the craziest dream. I guess calling our little patient Snow White found its way into my subconscious, and I dreamed I was in a forest, looking for her. During the strangest dream I’ve had in years, I ran into a peddler on the road, as if it were the olden times. He was pulling a large cart himself, which was overloaded with trinkets and crafts to sell. He told me she was waiting for me to wake her, that she’d been poisoned, and that I needed to help her. I asked him who she was, but he never answered. I woke up after only a few short hours of sleep, completely bewildered.

  It was late afternoon that day, and I was off that evening but had planned to go back in to check on her. She’d clearly begun to consume my thoughts, yet I didn’t want to acknowledge why it was happening. In fact, I didn’t really care. Her case, or her in general, I suppose, had ignited feelings inside me that made me feel alive. It gave me more purpose. Whether it was intrigue, compassion, or some other unexplainable kismet, I was connected.

  After I took a shower and got myself a giant cup of coffee, I decided that I’d swing by the bookstore before heading back to the hospital. This whole Snow White analogy had me thinking that maybe I’d sit and read to her. I didn’t know anything about her at all, but who doesn’t love fairy tales? Even guys can get into a decent story; if you separate yourself from the whole cartoon element of fairy tales, they’re good stories. In fact, I’m not ashamed to admit that one of my fondest childhood memories is my mom reading me a variety of fairy tales from The Brother’s Grimm to Hans Christian Anderson’s stories.

  I perused the literature section looking for an anthology of fairy tales, because buying just Snow White and reading only that to her seemed silly, and it also ended up not existing unless you were in the children’s section. I wanted the adult versions, not the rewritten children’s cartoon versions, so once I finally found what I was looking for, I got another cup of coffee before I headed back to the hospital.