Chapter 3

"My head aches," she said.

The bed on the other side of the dividing curtain rattled.

"Let me call the nurse," I said.

"Who are you?" she asked, "And why are you in my room?"

"Well, according to the hospital ... I'm your brother..."

"I'm an only child."

The way she said that made me shiver. It was, like ... brother ... HAH! I have no use for one of those.

"The Child Protective Services says I'm your Dad..." I said.

"What?" she screeched.

"We have the same last name," as if that explained bureaucracy.

"But you're not?"

"If I were your dad, you would have some manners..."

"I have manners..."

"You couldn't prove it by me," I said. "You act like a spoiled princess."

That conversation? Been going on for a week. Wendy wakes up in a new world everyday. If she naps ... it's a new world twice. Personally? I'd prefer she had Alzheimer's ... it would be easier.

"Let me ring the nurse," I said.

Ring ... actually ... when I pushed the button, a light flashed over the door to our room and a buzzer sounded at the nurses station. Nurses don't nurse ... no ... Nurses fill out paperwork. Nurses aides answer the buzzer.

Usually, they are constantly on their feet fetching water, ice, coke, pencils, paper for inconsiderate old men and crotchety old ladies who are used to being waited on hand and foot.

Wendy wanted something for her constant headache ... but the Aide can't issue it, nor can she even carry it ... that has to be done by the MED Nurse. And that takes awhile ... and paperwork.

Aspirin, either by itself or in a combined formulation, effectively treats primary headaches. Those are the tension headache(the most common), the migraine, and the cluster, but its effectiveness may be questionable for others.

Secondary headaches, meaning those caused by another disorder or trauma, should be promptly treated by a medical provider. Wendy was one of those.

The Aide skidded to a stop just inside the door. She always did.

"Headache?" she thrust her chin at the curtain.

"Yup," I agreed. "Me, too."

"I'll get the MED nurse." and she was off like a shot.

That 'Me, too'? I wasn't strapped in and got thrown around ... a lot. And I suppose I hit my head a time or two ... but, it was the stop.

The partition window was still down. It's not a very big hole ... it's car width but not all that tall ... and I must have been aimed just right. The bulletproof windshield didn't agree with my neck ... and it didn't do my face any favors either. My mother didn't know me ... neither did my dad ... or brother ... or sisters.

But since I was riding in the Princessapality's limo ... the doctors didn't let me die. And at this very moment ... I wasn't exactly sure I was grateful.

My face was the reason the dividing curtain was drawn. It sure wasn't to keep me from looking at Wendy ... my neck didn't turn that far. Besides ... who wants to look at fire engine red hair, swamp water green eyes and an acre of freckles set against an alabaster field of skin ... with pink globes surmounted by teenage pointy nipples ... not me!

Neither did I wish to see dancers legs that stopped just short of her chin.

OK! OK! OK! I do! I do want to look at a 14/35 year old short, beautiful, amazing sex bomb ... I do ... really.

It's the appliance called the Halo that keeps me from sneaking peeks.

In accordance with Health Department rules and Hospital sanitation guidelines ... they shaved that tiny red bearded pussy ... and I watched.

There used to be a power mirror over my bed and I could see Wendy ... but they took it away.

"She's not getting better?"

"No, if anything ... she's getting worse."

"Why?"

"There doesn't seem to be any reason," the attending said.

"She hit her head twice, Doc," I said.

"What? Who is that?"

"The bed next to her." I said, "She got thumped by the hailstone and hit the back of her head when she fell."

"Secondary Trauma. Feel the back of her head," another voice said. "Nurse! Prep her. We don't have a lot of time."

By now, Wendy was sleeping heavily ... almost a coma. They shaved off the rest of her beautiful hair, two burley orderlies transferred her to a gurney and Wendy was out of my life.

Good!

I think...