A Series Of Sci-Fi And Fantasy Anthologies

Star Lady Tales by Mari Collier

Series Excerpt

She drifted slowly upward, the pain a dull, stabbing throb pushing her toward awareness, yet dragging her numbed body back to the recesses of darkness and forgetfulness. She opened her unbandaged eye, not really able to focus, but aware that she was lying in a strange bed, her right arm restrained by a cast, her face half bandaged and her left arm strapped against the railing with tubes and needles protruding from her wrists. Her mouth was dry and puffy. The dryness extending downward into her throat making every cell pulse with desire for liquid, something soothing, slightly salty, and warm, she thought lazily.

The room was small and its white walls gave a false image of space. To her left, she sensed a window and wondered what time of day or night it was. If it were day, were the drapes drawn? Before the panic could overwhelm her, she realized it was night. There was light seeping under the door. It was the bright artificial light of night. Content that there was no danger, she almost drifted backwards to the dark world she had just left, but the pain kept nudging her into wakefulness.

Why do I think I am female? Her mind was working in slow loops, not connecting with useful information.

Oh, yes, she thought. I am female because my name is Valda. No, that’s wrong. I changed that. It was my father’s Aunt Catryn who named me that, she who had fled Hungary before World War I and started the family business. It was she who gave me that old-fashioned Slavic name. I am Valerie, Valerie Trepas. No ancient crone could dictate who she, Valerie, would be.

Her identity was now established, but where was she? For a moment she panicked as shades of yellow and gray exploded in her mind, blocking any thought process. Once more she opened her uncovered eye, gasping in pain and confusion. Attached to the needles and tubing that were lodged in her wrists, she saw two plastic bags suspended on a metal frame. Liquid was slowly dripping into her body. One liquid appeared yellowish, the other was blood. She could smell it.

Now it made sense. She must be in a hospital, but how did they know her need for blood? And how did she get here? And why was she able to see so well in this half-light? She relaxed against the pillow. Think, Valerie, think, she told herself.

She could hear movement outside. It sounded like someone pushing a cart. It seemed to halt and she could hear another door open and she fought the blackness hovering in the background. Awareness slowly returned. She knew she had been awake earlier, before they brought her to this room. There had been asinine questions.

“Who is your primary care provider? Where is your family? Who is your insurance carrier?”

Bah! Stupid creatures. She had been unable to respond and all she could do now was to remain here and endure the pain. Once again she forced her mind back to recall how she came to be here.

Yes, there had been an accident. Valerie remembered hurrying home to be there for Robert’s arrival when some maniac came blasting off the paved, county road, slamming her vehicle into a waiting hemlock. She remembered flooring the brake pedal before everything blacked out.

Now her head was throbbing again. No, not throbbing, it hurt, hurt damned hard. It was too difficult to recall anything else. Outside a cart stopped and someone entered the room, upping the light volume. Valerie tried to raise her hand for protection, but she was tied on one side and encased on the other. She turned her head and moaned, biting at her lips, wishing for the taste of….

“There, there,” came a soothing voice. “You’ve been in a bad accident. This is your second day here and now we are going to take your temp. Then if you want, we can give you something for your pain.”

She inserted a probe into Valerie’s ear and then clamped something on her upper arm. “We need to take your blood pressure too.”

Valerie would have preferred to pull all of the painful, helpful things off, but she was aware enough to sense that for now she was dependent on the good graces of those who were caring for her. Since most of them were hired at menial wages, they were quite capable of behaving in snide ways if a patient became too obnoxious. No, it was better to wait until she was strong enough to move.

The pressure relaxed on her arm and there came the noise of a keyboard. The woman moved to check the fluids, “Hmming,” at the blood bag and stopping to check the chart. “Yes, I see you are to have that.”

“Well, how are we feeling now?” The woman’s cheerful noise scratched at Valerie’s nerves. Valerie would have preferred to tell the woman exactly how she felt and how the woman would soon feel, but instead whimpered, “I hurt and I’m confused. Where am I?”

“You are at Providence Hospital.”

“What time is it?” Valerie was ready to panic again.

“It’s a little after five a.m. I go off duty at six a.m.”

Valerie wondered why the woman would think she would need to know the latter, but wisely held her tongue.

The woman continued. “Paul will be here to care for you next. I’ll move the communicator closer to your fingers. Can you see it? Just push the red button if you need assistance for the bed pan or anything. The doctor doesn’t want you to be up just yet. Would you like the drapes open?”