Aeteanilise

December 22nd, 2045
St. Joseph’s at Altadena Hospital
2:25 p.m.

I opened my eyes. I was greeted with this bright as hell light. Jesus. Who put a lamp directly into my face? I shut my eyes and felt around for a switch and slowly opened my eyes letting little by little amounts of light to let me see without being blinded. I eventually gave up my search for a switch because my eyes adjusted to the light first. I looked around. Ah. Hospital. Right. Shot. Pain. Injury. Usually means hospital after…or I died. And at the moment, I kinda hoped it was the former. Living is nice. No offense to the dead of course.

I sat up. Oh ho ho ho big mistake. My shoulder hurt like hell. I looked at it. It was mostly healed. It didn’t even have a bandage. It was just really, really, REALLY sore. I shifted my body to be more comfortable. I supposed sore made sense. Bullet equals pain. I should’ve remembered that from biology class.

I looked around. I knew it was a hospital but I didn’t know what hospital. I looked at the table near the window in my room. I’d never seen flowers like that in my entire life. I raised an eyebrow. They were beautiful but… unfamiliar.

I looked at my monitor. I’m no doctor but, since I didn’t hear or see anything that I saw on TV shows that indicate bad things, I determined that I was stable. I pulled some of the little sticky things off my body (which by the way, hurts to pull off your arms because of arm hair). The monitor flat-lined. I then rolled to the side of the bed. The soft cotton screamed for my return and I slightly wanted to because it was freezing cold. I wasn’t in a regular patient dress thing that my doctor gives me in check-ups. It was a light white satin dress. It covered about the same amount of skin though…almost nothing. Ugh. Hospitals. I slipped out my left foot from out of the covers and slowly lowered it to the tile below. My toes were greeted with cold. My toes spread out until I lowered my entire foot down to the floor. I moved over and then did the same with my right foot. I slowly stood up, trying to make sure I didn’t collapse.

As I stood up, a little band in my hair snapped and my mane of curly nonsense fell down. It stopped at the middle of my butt which was weird because I was pretty sure that it used to stop at my hipbone. Then I realized that maybe I had been in the hospital longer than I would have guessed. I looked at my hair. It had grown at least six inches.

I took a step forward; then another. Everything seemed to be working. I looked around. It was very white. White walls, white tile. White, white white. I looked at the white door. I walked over and touched the doorknob. I turned it and peered outside. There was no one in the halls. I pursed my lips. I wondered what time it was. I assumed it was late since I couldn’t hear anyone. I stepped out into the hall. I decided to turn right. I walked down the hall and each door I passed was the same. No numbers or anything. I turned a corner. I realized it looked exactly the same.

Dear God… what if this wasn’t a hospital but like, someplace people go when they die? Man, if this was heaven… how depressing. If it was hell, could be worse I guess.
I turned back around and returned to my room. I walked in and stopped in my tracks when I saw someone else in the room. It was Leitun. He was leaning against the wall looking at my empty bed. When I walked in, he turned to me. He looked at me through his dark hair.

I noticed the bags under his eyes. He looked so tired. He appeared more than haggard, there was something else. Even his little floaty crystal was flickering. I had never seen that before.

But I only noticed this for the halfest of seconds because once he registered it was in fact me that was there, his crystal stabilized and his face regained its normal cocky, patronizing face.

“Well, there she is,” He chuckled. “I was wondering what happened to you. I mean, I leave for one minute to piss and come back and poof! You’re gone.” He sat down in a chair that I hadn’t noticed was there earlier.

I stepped forward. “How long have I been here?”

He pulled a water bottle from under the chair. “About 68 hours and 34 minutes,” He told me as he opened the bottle. “But who’s counting?” He took a swing of the water. I looked at him. So he had been here for almost three whole days waiting for me, I would be tired too.

I walked over to my bed. I curled under my cotton blanket and tried to warm up. “I’m guessing I am in some sort of hospital, right?”

Leitun nodded. I looked around. “It’s not for humans is it?”

He shook his head. I nodded to show my understanding.

“So,” I began. “Aeteanalise hospital. Care to explain what’s goin’ on here?”
Leitun shrugged. “Nothing major. Just a sign of gratitude.”
“Gratitude?”
“You know- for saving the life of me and my fellow Aeteans.”
I hoped Leitun couldn’t see my face slightly flush. I pursed my lips.
We stayed in awkward silence for a bit. I suddenly felt self-conscience about the fact that I was in a
nightgown in front of a boy. It was a little embarrassing.

After a bit, Leitun stood up.

“You’re leaving?” I asked.

Leitun smirked. “Well, it seems that I make you uncomfortable.”

I rolled my eyes. “As IF,” I scoffed.

His smile softened. He walked over to me and sat down next to me. I could feel his body heat from through the blanket I had wrapped around myself. He reached over and touched my face. I looked at him directly in his eyes. I could see the color of his eyes clearly for once. His deep gray color was gentle as he looked at me.

“I just think,” he started, “that you need…”
I raised an eyebrow. “What?”
He sighed. “Just some rest. You need some rest, Lilly.”

I looked away. “Whatever.” I lied down on the bed and curled up, pulling my knees as close to my chest as I could manage. “Just go.”

He didn’t say anything as he left. But when he did, even though I had already been cold, I suddenly couldn’t feel anything.

December 23nd, 2045
St. Joseph’s at Altadena Hospital
8:47 a.m.

Lilly put down her spoon. Aeteanalise hospital food had possibly surpassed human hospital food in grossness. Lilly swallowed again in attempt to be rid of the disgusting taste.

The Nurse walked in. “Miss Lilly, you are able to be released today.” She informed Lilly. “We just need your signature.” She handed Lilly a blue iSheet and a iPen. Lilly looked over the release form quickly and found no discrepancies so she signed.

“Very good,” she said. “We will wait for a guardian to-“
“-That won’t be necessary,” Lilly said sharply.
“But the Director would feel better if your famil-“
“-It will not be necessary,” Lilly repeated sternly.

The nurse looked at Lilly. She was no longer injured but the nurse could see the tiredness in Lilly that other teenagers would not have. The nurse could not help but show her concern on her face. Lilly noticed.

“Nurse, you don’t have to worry,” Lilly said calmly. “I’m used to it.”

The Nurse nodded and left the room. As she left, Lilly’s doctor walked into the hall.

“Nurse Instylis!” he called in the Aetean Language. “What was her condition?”

“Rather okay overall,” Nurse Instylis replied. “But her body seems to now reject the blood. I think it is causing her physical exhaustion.”

“But we can no longer hold her without disclosing why.”

“But the child-“

“It’s very simple,” the doctor whispered. “I have received orders to release her and that is what we shall do.”

Nurse Instylis pursed her lips and her ilitis glowed furiously. “Doctor I cannot risk that child’s life because of the Hospital Director’s lack of sensitivity to the lives of our-“

“NURSE!” the doctor hissed. “These orders don’t come from the Director…” The doctor looked around to be sure no one was listening in. He lowered his voice. “It comes from the Top. Both Aeteanilise and the President of the United States.”

Nurse Instylis looked back to the patient. The girl was slowly pulling herself out of bed. Nurse Instylis looked down. It felt wrong. This girl needed help not to be a lab rat.

Nurse Instylis turned to the doctor. She leaned in close to his face to a point where he could feel her breathing. “If that girl dies, it won’t be on just the Intergalactic Directors. It will be on you, Dr. Stylanic.” She turned away and went back on rounds.

Dr. Stylanic walked to the room with the girl, Lilly. His silver hair reflected in the doors window. Lilly noticed and turned to him. She smiled through the door and waved to him. He waved back.

“Nurse Instylis you are right,” Dr. Stylanic whispered to himself. “This girl is no lab rat. She’s going to be so much more.”