Beep. Beep. Beep.
Muffled mumbling from just outside the room became more clearer, distinct voices. It sounded like Cyra and he sounded angry. Why was he angry?
Beep. Beep. Beep.
What is that annoying sound? Why is Cyra angry? The other voice… a man. Was Cyra angry at the man? A pain pierced through Clara's head.
"I should be the one to go, this is why you pay me. You aren't thinking straight. Do you even know where you are going?" Was that Natalia? She sounds angry too, why is everyone so angry?
"It must be me. No one else can do this. It's personal now. Whoever did this must die.
Look at her!" That voice was definitely Cyra, are they fighting about me?
"Cyra…" Clara finally called weakly. She blinked her eyes open as Cyra's blurry face rushed in front of her and became clearer.
"Yes Darling, I'm here I'm right here." Cyra stroked her hair gently. "I called a doctor my Sweet, he has you on medication but you must lie still."
Clara's vision came in and out of blurry darkness. She still needed rest but needed to talk to Cyra before her body would give out again.
"I went to see the other man from the warehouse." Clara breathed, almost a whisper.
"You did what!? Clara why would you do such a thing without me? What were you thinking going alone!? You should have wait for me or asked Natalia to go with you!"
"Can you shut up. I'm trying… to tell you… about the warehouse." Clara's exhaustion was winning. Every word took so much energy. "He's at the warehouse. Midnight."
"It's almost midnight now." Cyra looked over at Natalia who was standing behind him, out of Clara's sight. "What is the time Natalia?"
"I already told you. You're not going." Natalia put her arm out to stop him but he didn't stop.
"Stay with Clara. We don't know the details about how she got here or if she was followed while fleeing. You need to protect her." Cyra demanded.
"Cyra…" Clara moaned.
"I'll be right back love. I promise." He grabbed something heavy off the mantle before rushing out into the darkness. Right as he opened the door a soft voice stopped him.
"You were right. I'm not a hero."
Cyra paused at the door for a long while before he descended from Clara's view.
Clara fought hard to keep her heavy eyes open. She finally gave up and let the darkness engulf her. Warmth filled her body. "That must be Natalia with the morphine. It feels so nice." She thought happily.
Natalia pressed the morphine button a few times and pulled up a chair to sit next to a sleeping Clara. She removed the muddy shoes and socks, pausing at Clara's swollen ankle. She stood and walked off, returning with a pile of clothes, a towel and blanket. She placed them on the bed and left again. This time Natalia returned with a bowl of steaming water. She gently undressed Clara, being extra careful around any bruises. She took the end of the towel and dipped it in the bowl of warm water and carefully wiped Clara's wounded skin. The water turned brown and cold by the time Natalia was finished scrubbing all of the blood. She slowly sat the unconscious and slightly broken girl upright and slid a white cotton dress over her head, watching for the IV. She put fresh clean socks on Clara's feet. The bandage that the doctor put on her head was also drenched in blood and Natalia replaced it. When she lifted Clara's head she felt mats from sticky blood and tangles. She touched them remorsefully. She carried away the dirty clothes and water and returned again with a blue detangling brush. She sat down next to Clara and began brushing her mats out slowly. The brush got stuck and Natalia held the piece of hair and gave a gentle tug. To her horror a chunk of hair with blood on it came out much too easy. "Shit!"
"Natalia raced out of the room and returned with the phone to her ear, speaking quickly. "Where are you?? You said you'd be right back? You picked up equipment, yes? A truck! Ok fine, hurry. If she dies you die, kapeesh?" Natalia hung up the phone angrily. She turned to Clara again and put a clean blanket over her. She sat down and stared at the small girl in front of her and her blood boiled. She pressed the morphine button again. The doorbell rang just a few moments later.
Natalia slinked to the door silently. She pulled a blade out from her pocket and opened it slowly.
"It's about time! What took you so long!" Natalia barked, pulling the door open quickly now. She put away the switchblade.
"The patient needs a ct scan. I needed to bring the portable brain scan to make sure she doesn't have a brain bleed", a short man with a lab coat hurryingly said.
He rushed by with a large machine, about the size of a very large microwave. It was all white with a hole in the front. He placed it on the bed next to Clara.
"This is the first of it's kind, a portable brain scanner by BioWorld. It can produce images using AI and…"
"I don't care." Natalia interrupted.
"Right. Well, in you go there gal." The doctor said as he put Clara's head in the scanner. As it whirred Natalia pulled out the clump of hair for the doctor to see. He pulled his round rimmed glasses closer to his face to examine it.
"I know that looks bad but see how there's no pieces of scalp attached, she might have just gotten her hair pulled out during this… um… this confrontation."
"She was beaten." Natalia corrected.
"Look ma'am, I don't judge. I help stitch up people that can't go to the hospital and would most likely bleed out before risking jail. I save the lives of criminals. It's morally grey at best but I try not to think too hard into things." The doctor explained.
"I kill people for money. I am also grey" Natalia tilted her head and shrugged.
"That not… that's not what that means. Oh, the scan is complete." The doctor removed the machine and tapped rhythmically on a tablet. His nose wrinkled as he examined the screen. After a long pause he finally spoke.
"I want to wait for Cyra." Is all he said.
"What is it?" Natalia asked. She was sitting on the chair now.
"Hand me that box please." He pointed at a small machine.
Natalia handed it to him but didn't let go when he reached for it. She snarled at him. "Do you like to live Doctor? What is wrong with Clara!" As she shouted the last words the door opened.
"Are we accosting the doctor my loyal companion?" Cyra glided in, nonchalantly.
"Remember dear, he is the only one keeping Clara alive. We need him alive to do that, ok?"
"Fine." Natalia sulked.
"Doctor, any news?" Cyra hung up a coat and went to Clara's side. Natalia offered the seat she was occupying and stood behind Cyra.
The doctor had already lifted Clara's dress and was squirting jelly on her bruised abdomen. "Clara's brain." He started. "There's something wrong with it."
Cyra was lifting the blanket up to Clara's hips to cover her exposed thighs when he stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean doctor, I implore you to speak straight with me please."
The doctor swished a small probe over Clara's abdomen, side, pelvis, and under her ribs, squinting at monitor.
"Good, no internal bleeding just a little of inflammation." The doctor breathed a sigh of relief.
"Back to her brain. Clara's brain is like nothing I ever seen before. There is so many electrical signals going off all at once. It's like a fireworks display in there. Here, let me show you on the tablet." He showed Cyra the tablet but there was nothing on it but a white screen. "Oh darn, let me scan again. I'm not sure what happened."
The doctor put Clara's head back into the machine.
Cyra clasped Clara's scraped hand. Small sparks started to flicker.
The doctor hesitated for a moment. He rubbed his stubbled beard, his eyebrows furrowed. "I don't get it. It was different just a moment ago."
Cyra let go of Clara's hand to get closer to the screen. All of a sudden the image started flickering little lightening sparks.
"There! That's what I seen earlier!" The doctor proclaimed.
Cyra went to Clara again. "It's the moon gem. Damn. I'm so sorry little Love, this is my fault" he clasped her hand in both of his and kissed her fingers.
"Now it's clear again. What on earth…" the doctor puzzled. He rubbed his beard with his forefinger and his thumb.
"How about now." Cyra asked the doctor and let go of Clara's hand.
"Yes, it changed, the electricity is back." The doctor confirmed.
"And now" Cyra picked up her hand again.
"Yes! Yes! I don't understand what is going on or why but I am confident that this young girl needs you to survive…. Oo I hope you two get along!" The doctor joked.
"She hates everything about me. But I think I might be in love with her."