Off in the distance, it was like a drum pounding off in the distance. Softly at first, then it grew slowly, rhythmically . In a minute it was like a kettle drum in his ear Victor awoke with a start. It had been his own beating heart pounding. Instantly there was a horrendous pain in his forehead. As if someone had pierced his head with a ten penny nail.
“Oh God!” he cried out, grabbing the attention of the attending nurse.
She ran over, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, looking up at the bio readings.
“Stay still Mr. Stone, please stay still.” she reached for a hypo spray and pressed its cold tip to his neck. The pain began to subside, now he felt numb across the top of his head.
“Where am I?” he closed his eyes against the painful light.
The nurse continued to fidget with the monitor. “You’re in Hospital Mr. Stone. I’m afraid you have been unconscious for a bit more than a week.”
He let the information set in. Out of it a week. But how did he get here? The last thing he could remember was…….the mine. He had been in the mine. In the Cavern. Who had found him? How did he get here?
“Who found me?” he asked.
“Mr. McGregor brought you in. Said you were collapsed at the mine entrance.” she came back to him and pressed a cool cloth to his forehead. He could smell something in the cloth. But the pain continued to abate.
“What happened to me?”
“Well, that’s the mystery isn’t it Mr. Stone? The doctor will be in shortly.”
She left him alone in a small room, the cloth still on his head, no longer any comfort.
It was several minutes before a young man in a doctors uniform and Duncan McGregor came thru the door.
“Well, well, Mr. Stone. Finally awake.”
Duncan looked at him, a genuine smile on his face. “Thought we’d lost you there lad.” he said.
Victor looked at his Security Chief, it looked like Duncan McGregor, but …..he’d never seen the man with a smile like this. Not ever.
The Doctor looked at he bio readings and took Victors pulse in the old fashion way, holding his wrist and watching a clock. “I need to do a compete scan Mr. Stone. Now that you’re awake I think it will be safe.”
“What…what happened to me?”
The doctor looked over at Duncan. “Mr. McGregor here. Found you at the main gate to the Mine. Unconscious. You had all the indication of a coma.”
“Gave us quite a start you did.” Duncan agreed. “We haven’t’ a clue why you collapsed. I’ve been telling you you’ve been working to hard. Would you listen? Hell…no. maybe now you’ll be slowing down a bit.”
Then there was a movement at the door. Victor turned his head and in the door way was Samantha. She came running across the room and leaned over, kissing him on his forehead. Pulling her hair back she smiled and stood beside Duncan, grabbing his arm. Duncan patted her hand. “See …. I told you he’d be ok.”
Samantha took Victors hand and squeezed. “Uncle Victor…don’t ever give us such a scare again!”
Victor felt a stabbing pain again thru his brain. ‘Uncle Victor?….What the ..?’ he thought.
“You’re just damn lucky Daddy came looking for you!” she said. Looking up at Duncan.
The breath was knocked out of him. He couldn’t breath. The doctor looked up at the monitor, worry on his face. Victor looked past Sam and Duncan, his eyes going out of focus. Then at the door another figure appeared.
No!…he screamed in his mind.. It can’t be…..
Katherine smiled and walked in, putting an arm around Duncan.
“He’s going to be fine.. See … I told you.” Duncan said.
Victor looked into the eyes of his dead wife. It was not possible. What had happened? Where the hell was he? The sight was more than his mind could take in and at once he slipped back into the peace of unconsciousness.
Victor Stone.
Stone Energy
Camelot.
