CHAPTER 60: SLEEPING BEAUTY
The elevator doors slide open and Julia rushes out into a bright hallway. She glances left and sees a pair of double-doors at the end of the hall. She glances right and sees a female receptionist sitting at a desk. The concern in Julia’s eyes is nothing short of severe. She approaches the receptionist in a speedy pace.
"Hello, I’m here to see my daughter,” Julia rushes the words out of her mouth.
"Name please?" the young woman says while preparing her fingers on the keyboard.
"Iva Hill.”
"Okay, give me one second to look her up.”
The woman types the name into the hospitals database. Julia fingers dances nervously on the counter top as she waits, impatiently, for the receptionist to look up the information.
"She’s in room 223 ma’am,” the receptionist informs her.
“Which way is that?"
"It’s straight through these doors here…” she says while pointing to a pair of swinging doors on her left. “…then you want to go up the hallway, and it’s towards the end, on your right.”
"Thank you,” Julia says as she rushes through the hallway.
She pushes through the pair of doors and enters into a depressing waiting area. The first person she sees is Jason, who is sitting in an armchair. He's looking down at the floor with his fingers crossed. Then she sees Maria sitting next to him, covered in bruises, staring back at her. Jessica and Eric are sitting across from them with a pair of vacant expressions. Eric and Jessica shift at the door and notice her walking in.
Daniel is standing up with his back against the wall. Unlike the others, his eyes seem more livid than gloomy. He has quite a bit of facial bruises as well as swelling on his bottom lip, and his right arm is harnessed in a sling. Julia sees a young doctor talking to Kenya and five others. The other five people are Olivia, Charles, Margie, and their in-laws; Anne and Conroy. Their conversation ceases as they see her approaching.
"I came here as soon as I got your message. What happened?" Julia asks Kenya, anxiously.
"Are you Iva's mother?" the doctor asks.
"Yes, I am,” she confirms.
He reaches his hand forward and she shakes it with a nervous, sweaty, grip.
"Hello, I’m Doctor Butler.”
"Julia,” she responds.
"It’s nice to meet you, Julia.”
His smile falls flat.
"I was just discussing with everyone about her current condition. It seems that she has suffered a severe concussion. The x-rays show no significant brain damage. But she is still unconscious at the moment. Her brain function is at a basic level.”
Julia grabs her heart, nearly collapsing onto the floor.
"She’s in a coma?" Julia asks.
"I’m afraid so,” he responds. “It’s a miracle that she didn’t suffer worse.”
She shifts her concern to Kenya and asks…
"What happened?"
"They were in that huge car pileup,” Kenya explains.
“The car flipped.”
Julia looks back at Dr. Butler.
"Can I see her?"
"Of course you can,” he replies. "Follow me.”
Julia walks with Dr. Butler down the hallway.
"How long will she stay in the coma?" Julia asks with worry.
"I can’t say. Her MRI scan didn’t show anything permanent. But she has a heart of a horse. I’m not sure if you watched the news but there was one hell of a car pileup. The hospital had been busy since then. Her injuries is fairly mild compared to other people who checked in recently.”
He turns right in a room at the far end. Julia enters and sees her daughter lying on the bed in a deep slumber. Stinging tears instantly gather under her eyelids.
"Her breathing appears normal,” Dr. Butler continues. “The injury is on the right side of her head.”
Julia walks over to Iva and sits down in an armchair next to her bed. She gently brushes back her hair. She then closes her eyes and tries to reduce the stinging. She takes a quick timeout to meditate and ingest her emotions.
She sniffs a couple of times, trying to relieve her sinus pressure.
"Do you think she’ll regain consciousness anytime soon?" Julia asks in an uneasy tone.
Dr. Butler takes a slight recess before answering.
"I’m sorry Julia, but these things can’t be estimated. Only time will tell. Comas are unpredictable.”
Julia stares in Iva’s peaceful face then grabs her hand firmly, kisses it, and gazes back into her closed eyes.
"Iva honey, I’m here. It’s mom talking.”
She pauses and shifts over at the doctor.
"She probably can’t hear me, can she?"
"I’m afraid not. To her, everything is void right now. I’m sorry.”
She stands and kisses her forehead.
"I love you,” she whispers into her ear.
Meanwhile, everyone else is having a secretive discussion in the waiting area.
"They came out of nowhere,” Daniel says shamefully with his eyes downward.
"I knew it was a trap,” Eric adds in a low voice from a chair.
Everyone is still frustrated by what happened. They are still subconsciously blaming themselves for what happened. Eric leans back into the chair and looks up at the ceiling tiles.
"You all did the right thing going to her mother’s house to help,” Olivia says next to them. “None of you knew this would happen. It’s not your fault.”
"I just should’ve known it was Nelson. He told me that I was avoiding the obvious. The bastard was mocking me,” Daniel tries to shake the disgrace from his head.
Another person comes into the waiting room. It’s Detective Lancaster. The entire waiting room watches him walk in slowly. He looks utterly distressed and tiresome. Humble than ever, he approaches Kenya and the others.
“Good evening, Detective,” Kenya says modestly.
“I’m trying to have one. I’m trying,” he replies in a low tone.
“Your partner, is he okay?” Kenya asks him with great concern.
Frank places his hands on his hips and looks at the floor tiles. He exhales, trying to keep his emotions bottled in.
“He didn’t make it,” he says with a shaky voice.
“I’m sorry.”
He marinates in silence in order to collect his emotions.
“Listen…” he continues in a low voice, nearly whispering. “People are starting to ask questions about what happened. You all are saying the car crashed on the highway but they found it five miles away. And worst of all, I lost my partner. And I don’t even know what to tell his family.”
“Tell them the truth,” Kenya informs.
“Which is?”
“A war is imminent. You’re now a part of it. Tell them to prepare.”
“A war against what? I’m just a small-town cop,” he says.
“You can help. This here is just a glimpse of what’s to come. Soon, their allies will hear about this and they will come for us,” Kenya explains.
“Their allies? You’re telling me there’s more of these things?”
“Yes, the reptilians,” Anne informs him. “They are a race of intelligent beings. Most of them are in powerful positions.”
“And who are you?” Frank asks.
“I am Anne. This is my husband, Conroy.”
Frank shakes both of their hands.
“I recently resigned from the CIA,” Anne clarifies. “What I’m about to share with you is classified. We believe the CIA has been compromised. A scientist working for the British intelligence just went rogue a month ago. He is a reptilian that goes by the alias Mr. London. He has double-agents working under him, along with the Blaires. He is very intelligent and very dangerous. He must be stopped at all costs.”
“So, you expect me to believe that these things are walking around in our government, disguised as normal, everyday, people?”
“Yes,” Anne replies with sincerity.
Frank shakes his head with disbelief.
“Jesus.....”he whispers. “And Julie, does she know about all of this?”
“Not yet. We will wait for the right time to tell her,” Kenya answers. “You should go see her. She needs some comfort right now.”
Frank begins to walk down the hallway but Daniel walks up behind him.
“Hey Frank,” Daniel says sternly, trying to grasp his attention.
Frank turns and watches him approach. Daniel lowers his voice as he speaks…
“Hey, I never thanked you.”
“For what?”
“That day when you saved my life. Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about things and I wouldn’t be here today if…”
“Hey buddy, you don’t have to think me for anything. I would do it all over again if I had to. I met your father, he was a good man. If he was here today, he would be proud to see you stand up for what’s right. Actually, I should be thanking you for saving my niece.”
“I guess we’re even,” Daniel says, almost smiling but not quite.
“I guess so. See you around,” Frank finishes.
He then nods at Daniel modestly and Daniel returns the favor. Frank continues into Iva’s room. He sees Julia, looking over Iva’s body, and the doctor giving her lessons on brain recovery. Julia eyes brighten when she sees her brother in the doorway.
“Frankie,” she calls out to him as they meet each other with a gentle hug.
They break apart moments later.
“I’ll leave you guys alone. I’ll be back in the morning to check up on her.”
“Thank you doctor,” Julia says as he exits the room.
“How’s she doing?” Frank asks.
“She’s in a coma.”
Frank pauses momentarily for reality to settle in.
“She’s a tough gal, she’ll be fine. Everything will be okay, Julie. Don’t worry,” he reassures her.
“I was so scared. I thought she was in danger. You never told me what was going on.”
“Oh, that was nothing. I just needed to speak to her about something. That’s all,” he lies while looking her in the eyes.
Meanwhile, back in the waiting room, Kenya is speaking to the depressed.
“I’m proud of all of you,” Kenya says to the humble few. “This is why we must stick together. We’ve turned their plans against them.”
“I’m not sure if I’m ready for all this,” Eric says.
“None of us are,” Maria adds.
“Then make yourselves ready,” Olivia tells them. “After today, the reptilians are going to come at full-force.”
This only makes their grim expressions worse. Jason is the only one who has a hint of motivation.
“She’s right,” Jason confirms. “If we stick together, nothing can stop us. We have each other. We just need to give it our all, even if it cost us our lives. I have no problem dying for either of you. A storm is coming. But we’re family. And family can handle any weather.”
Jason’s slim speech lifts a little bit of the tension that shrouded the room.
“I would die for you guys,” Jessica adds with a very humble smile.
“I would too,” Maria says.
“Me too,” Eric says.
“I’m in til death,” Daniel adds.
Julia comes walking down the hallway with Frank. She brings along a bleak smile as she make herself present to everyone.
“I just want to thank everyone for your support,” she projects her voice. “You all are my daughter’s first and only friends,” she pauses to unblock her sinuses. “She has been searching, her whole entire life, for a place that she could fit in. And she found it. I have tried, for so long, to make her feel like a person. But you all have done something I could never do. I am forever grateful for that. Thank you all.”
Kenya comes to her with moist eyes and a warm smile.
"Your daughter is more important to us than we are to her. For just bringing Iva into this world has placed us into your debt forever,”
Kenya then gives Julia a long hug…