Loop part 2

Alaine sat staring as goosebumps shot up her arm. The hospital was cold. Its whitewashed walls was a backdrop to pain and fear. Once it had been a refuge for those in need. Alaine could remember the days when doctor appointments were a yearly norm. Her mother used to take her. She could see her mother in her evening wear: high heels, a form fitting dress, and pearl necklace around her neck. The necklace was a present her father had gotten; a birthday present. These days were a stark contrast; to what used to be. These days you could be forced into labor camps to work off debt. In practice this had populated labor camps with the diseased and injured. The most likely to have unpayable debts were those who had no other choice; because a choice between death and hard labor is not a choice at all. What was once a respected place for healing had since become a mere processing facility for those who would be forced to work the coal mines, fields, or waste facilities. The sick were a burden and healthcare was a luxury.

Alaine made her way through the halls of the Sunrise Medical center. The hall was filled with people on hospital beds faces sullen... eyes bloodshot. The tension here was palpable and alaine felt as if she was swimming through the air in front of her… These people were either destined for body bags or hard labor. Did she make the right choice? Bringing Daron here was risky. Would she be able to pay? Alaine and Daron had some money they’d saved… would it be enough? What if he needed serious surgery?

She had been able to convince the woman at the desk to take Daron back by telling them he worked for the government. Whoever the government was these days would probably care less what happened to him; but there was a certain amount of caution people took where the government was involved. This afforded people like daron, scientist although he was an advantage if mentioned in the right tone.

“My husband works for the government.” She had said

He was not her husband but she felt that phrasing it that way was more forceful than “my boyfriend… or partner” The word husband had a certain authority to it and she had used that. Alaine had grown up in a large family and was practiced at getting what she wanted. She would compete with her siblings for resources. Whether that was personal time with a parent or the passkey to her father's M216 Spherco personal vehicle. She would ride around in autopilot and look down at the city below… so full of lights and life. She leaned against the wall across from darons hospital room and looked down at her feet imagining a city below her; as Dr. Kim the lead physician on this floor passed her and made for Darons room.

She could see the silhouette of his hospital bed on the door as Dr. Kim bruskly closed it behind him. It gave her a supernatural feeling. It was like his shadow was trying to escape; but the door closing forced it back inside. She thought about going in… and fought the urge. She needed to distance herself from this for as long as she could. Going inside that room would make it real and she wasn’t ready for that quite yet. She broke from her malaise as the intercom sounded at the nurses desk in front of her.

“Paging Dr. Kim… You are needed in radiology… Dr. Kim you are needed in radiology.”

Dr. Kim quickly moved to exit Darons room and made his way down the hall. Alaine steeled herself and caught the door before it closed. Closing the door behind her she could see Daron on the gurney head wrapped in bandages. She moved to his bedside and reached for his hand. It was cold to the touch… She took his hand in hers and started to rub them as if she were trying to create a fire between them. She leaned in and kissed his forehead… His head was fire on her lips and his hands so cold. The dichotomy between them was astonishing. How could someone be so cold and yet so hot at the same time? She sat back in a chair next to his bed and closed her eyes as the hum of the machines and shuffling of feet just outside the door was the lullaby that lulled her dreary mind to sleep.

Reviews

[Srchaud]

Good start. I would like to know more. Im guessing its in the future in an alternate timeline under a harsh goverment but you never really say. I think this chapter would benifit from expending when and where it takes place. Not to much as you dont want to dump all kinds of information right away but enough to get an idea.

[miahstr]

Hey Srchaud,
Thank you for the review. If you are interested in this story I have the first part posted which goes into a bit more detail about the world. However, the world will open up a bit more as the story starts to unfold. Again thanks for the review.