When consciousness came closer, she began to feel pain. At first it was all over, the same intensity. Just a full-body pain. But then the pain in her arms and her head began to ease a little, and she discovered the source of the pain. It was somewhere in her leg. She couldn't be certain of where in her leg, but she could tell that it was her right leg, and it was a strong pain. Apparently she wasn't dying, or dead, because if she was she wouldn't be feeling pain.
'So I'm still alive,' she thought to herself. 'Still alive. But for how much longer can I stand this pain?'
"Y'know, sis, when you're young an awful lot of your day is just waiting," Thomas said to Joanne. The two of them were sitting in the waiting room of the hospital. "At least today is. All we've been doing is waiting. " He sighed and picked up a month- old issue of People magazine and began to read. Joanne immersed herself in a few plastic toys that were lying around. Joanne yawned, and Thomas looked at his watch. It was nearly ten thirty now. He yawned, too. "I know Jo, I'm tired, too," he said, and yawned. He leaned back in the uncomfortable plastic chair and shut his eyes. Joanne laid her head on his lap and was out in a matter of moments.
When she awoke again, she could feel a little less pain. The sharp pain that had been in her leg was now a bit more numb, and she could see a little better now. She blinked a few times and saw that she was in a hospital bed. The walls were decorated with a pastel colored wall paper and the curtains were a similar pastel. The blankets on the bed were white and there was a TV in the corner. Nicole yawned and leaned back. Her head still hurt slightly, but most of the pain was gone. She looked down and saw that her right leg was bandaged.
"What happened?" she wondered out loud. Just then the door opened into the room. She hadn't even noticed the door before, but it was there and it was opening. Peter entered the room carrying a cup of coffee and looking about as exhausted as she felt. He turned and saw she was awake, and was so startled he nearly dropped the coffee.
"Hey," he said softly. "Look who's come back to earth." He flashed a smile and the contagion spread. She smiled back.
"What happened?" she asked again. He sat down in a chair next to the bed and drank a sip of the coffee. Then he said in as calm of a voice as he could muster:
"You were shot." That was a shock to her.
"I..I was?" she managed. He nodded solemnly, sipping some more of the coffee.
"Don't you remember the burger place, Dave-the-guy-with-the-gun, me and Thomas incredibly worried?" Peter asked, getting worried. Nicole thought for a moment, and found that she did.
"Yeah," she began. "But I don't remember being shot." Peter grinned.
"That's ok. Probably it happened pretty fast. "
"Where are the kids?" she asked remembering suddenly. "In the waiting room. Both of them were flat out tired. The others are coming, I already called them, so I hope you weren't planning on sleeping," he added. Nicole moaned.
"Oh, brother."
"Yeah, him. And Micky and Davy, too," Peter said, grinning. She looked at him, made a face, and swatted at him with her hand. "But don't worry. Everything's fine now. You're ok. Joanne's ok. Thomas and I are ok. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the hostage situation is over. "
"Over?" she asked. He nodded.
"Yeah, they did some sort of a raid, and he was dragged out of there about a half an hour after you left. Nobody was hurt. " She smiled, remembering.
"That's good," she said, and leaned back in the bed, tired enough to catch a bit more sleep.
