The next moments are fast, hot, and hurried. Everything is loud and the world is shaking. I close my eyes.
Then comes the impact. The sudden jolting stop of it. Shrieking folding metal. The world blurs.
Then nothing.
I open my eyes to dim lights and curtains. Turning my head I see a holoscreen covered in numbers and graphs. Well, there are worse places to be than a hospital.
Then panic begins to creep back because this hospital could be anywhere. Even—
I try to focus on my breathing but it’s just getting faster. I quickly decide I can do this without being centred and push my awareness outwards. My breathing slows.
Wrenis (7/V)
I’ll be okay. (Probably.)
I sit up slowly. The world spins slightly. I look down and find a cast starting at my right elbow and coming down to cover my hand with openings for my finger to stick out of. I move the blanket covering me and find a similar cast over my right thigh, ending at the knee. Whatever they gave me must be really strong because I feel no pain.
I check my bracelet for my holocom and relive my frustration as I remember it’s missing. I look around for a clock and spot one on my monitor. 8:43.[1]
Damn, does Wrenis use 15- or 20-hour days? The number on the screen means nothing to me. I blink at it for another minute, hoping that it’ll reveal its secrets.
I sigh, lean slightly over, and hit the button to call a nurse.
After a short wait, someone pulls aside the curtain and smiles at me. The smile is warm and feels genuine; it makes their entire face shine, almost to the point of radiance. Something about it calms me a bit, providing an assurance of safety and care. They have golden brown skin and wear a small name tag that reads ‘Hollis, he/him.’ His hair is pulled back into two round puffs on either side of his head.
“Glad to see you’re awake!” he says.
“Thank you.” I try not to fidget as my discomfort starts to return in presence of his apparent kindness. “What day is it?”
“You’ve been asleep only a few days. It’s”—he checks the holocom he’s holding—“16:86 CDT[2] on the 16th of the Seventh month. I can change the display there”—he points to the holoscreen with my vitals—“if you want.”
“It’s okay, thanks.”
“That was some crash you were in. You’re lucky to have gotten out alive.”
Hmm lucky. “Did anyone die?” I ask. The pain from digging my fingernails into my palms is sharp.
His smile falters and I stop breathing. “No one that we found,” he says. “We don’t know if there’s anyone missing. Crisis services are looking into it.”
I nod silently and he gives me a long look. Finally, he moves to check over my charts. After a bit, he turns back to me, smile firmly back in place though toned down a bit.
“Seems like you’re healing up well. You should be able to leave at the end of the day with some care instructions if you’d like. You’re also welcome to stay longer if you don’t have anyone to help you out during your recovery or if it’s more convenient for you for any other reason.”
Who’s there to look after me? I can feed my whole family by eating alone. “No, it’s fine. I’ll leave tonight then.”
Hollis nods. “Sure. I’ll come by later to make a final assessment and give you care instructions.”
“Thanks.”
“Of course! Is there anything else I can help you with before I go?” He’s so happy it hurts.
“Did you umm… put anything in me? Like replace any parts or—”
“Nope, nope. Nothing to worry about there. You’re still 100% organic.”
“Ah, thanks. I think I’m okay then. Thank you, Hollis.” I pause realizing I said thank you twice and try to decide if I should comment on it.
He nods and waves once. With a quick “See you later!” he’s gone and the moment is lost.
Up until my release, the day is fairly nondescript, happily whittling itself away while I lay in bed and think about the choices that got me here.
Just before the day-night cycle turns, I recite the short prayer thanking the past Day for its service and welcoming the new Day. I ask for its patience and kindness. Now is not the time to be frugal with my prayers.
That evening, after the casts are removed and I’m released with orders not to jump around for a few days, I wander a bit to refamiliarize myself with the city. I’m in a bubble neighbouring the capital’s, a thin layer separating the city from an endless onrush of water. I walk to the bubble’s edge. In the dark, I can just make out the silhouettes of giant fish passing nearby.
Seeing the fish makes me realize I’m hungry, which I feel vaguely bad about. I turn, heading back towards the bubble’s centre, taking note of food options as I pass them. Finally, I settle on a small soup place.
I sit in a corner, slurp some noodles, and try to figure out what to do next. I need to get out of this dimension but my funds are running dry. Another shuttle would put me in a really difficult spot. It’ll probably be easiest to find some work that’ll take me off-dimension. I finish the soup and pay with the bank chip attached to my bracelet.
Stepping back into the street, I’m surprised by how dark it’s gotten. Streetlamps and windows offer pools of light that are absorbed by the vast waters surrounding the bubble. I watch the street and try to summon my resolve.
As I step out, a vendor at a small stall waves to me. They’re selling small, bioluminescent flowers, and I head over to take a closer look.
The vendor’s hair is black, streaked with silver and pulled into neat braids. A wrinkled hand points me towards a small black flower that glows faintly compared to the rest.
“Matches your eyes.” Their voice carries a smile and a wink.
I purchase the flower even though my eyes only look black in the dark. I carry it with me to a bench, where I sit and roll the stem between my fingers. I sit there for too long, watching the petals spin, thinking about everything or thinking about nothing. Once I’m done, I get up and tuck the flower behind an ear. My feet start carrying me towards a neighbourhood I half-remember.
My best bet is probably tracking down an old acquaintance. I don’t know much about what’s happening on Wrenis these days but Marinek will.
[1] Most dimensions use the base interdimensional time which has 100 minutes per hour, 100 seconds per minute, etc. However, they vary how many hours they have in a day based on the length of their day-night cycle. It usually works out but this has caused some dimensions to have very slightly shorter or longer seconds. This doesn’t have much of an impact in the long term and is often corrected with leap minutes on certain days to keep time synched up.
[2] Central Dimension Time.
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