Angel in Scrubs

I woke up with a start, and my ribs screamed in pain as I tried to instinctively sit up. A warm hand immediately pushed me gently back down, as I collapsed in defeat in the bed, bones aching and burns stinging.

"It's alright." A soft voice told me, and I recognized it to be Gerard. "Do you need more morphine? I can add more to the drip, or we can get pills for you."

I was quite thirsty, and my hand went towards the pen and pad of paper on the nightstand thing, as I scribbled out, I NEED WATER. Gerard read my handwriting and nodded, getting up and tucking my blankets under me. "Just so you know, Emily's coming in an hour, to ask about the details of the fire and such." I drew a little thumbs-up on the pad, and he grinned as he left the room, which left me to stare at the ceiling to contemplate this - all of this.

What happened? I didn't remember anything, but bright orange and red flames, angry flames that licked up the walls the home - my home. Everybody in the house had died except me. I didn't know how it happened, didn't know when it happened. All I remembered was that it was now a week past, and I was officially homeless. I would have sighed, but even simple movements like blinking hurt, and crying only stung my cheeks and required the dressings to be changed, which was a pain. I also noticed they had removed all reflective surfaces from my room - mirrors, glass anything had all been taken away from my room, which was a tiny single with all the machines - heart monitor, oxygen support - standing next to my gurney. The bathroom was next door, connected to the room by a door, and I was allowed in twice a day, Emily helping me both times.

I suddenly heard the door click open, and Emily stepped in, with a glass of water and a cup, presumably with pills. "Open." Emily said, and I opened my lips just enough for her to put in two pills, and stuck a straw in, which I sucked in water with. I swallowed the pills and gulped down the rest of the water, and Emily began.

"Okay, so we need some information about you, to see if we can find anything about previously existing conditions. First, your name?"

I wrote on the pad, OLIVIA ASHLYNN RYAN. BORN 1984. Emily nodded and wrote it down on her own clipboard. "Were there any previous medications you were taking recently?" I shook my head very slightly. "Did you use drugs, or binge-drink?" I shook my head again. "Previous conditions?" Again, I shook my head. I was really an average normal 26 year old before the accident. "Any surviving family?" I thought for a moment, and wrote, AUNT AND UNCLE IN CHICAGO, GRANDMA IN CALIFORNIA, GREAT UNCLE IN FLORIDA.

"Alright, thanks. You should sleep, or I can turn the TV on for you?" I nodded, and Emily grabbed the remote off the nightstand and turned on the TV. "You can change the channel." Emily smiled, and she left the room.

I sighed out loud this time. This was going to be a long hospital stay.