Tim Dray was reading these words with growing excitement. He’d been immersed in the trilogy by Dex Hart and the adventures of Harley Hurlman for a long time now. This book, the last of the three, was far more intense than he had ever imagined. So much that Tim could barely get on with his normal life. The only thing that he wanted to do was to read and to find out what happens next. He had already decided how he wanted the book to end so he was both nervous and curious to see if he was going to be correct. There was nothing worse than a book ended differently to the way you envisioned it. And Tim had invested too much energy into these books for them to not end the correct way. The ‘correct’ way, was of course, simply Tim’s way. But in Tim’s life that is what mattered most. He wondered if one day he would be able to produce a book as good as this one. He often came up with amazing stories in his mind but he wasn’t quite confident enough to actually put them to paper.
Tim was 20 years old, but seemed younger. He knew this because people were always telling him so. With his head constantly in a book he lived his life vicariously through fiction characters and had a special penchant for comics. His growing comic book collection was something he was proud of, despite someone once telling him that it made him look like a complete nerd. “If this makes me look like a nerd, then I will happily be a nerd, I mean, look at my beautiful collection. Who wouldn’t want this? If you won’t admit to wanting it then you’re simply lying to yourself” he had said. That was the difference between Tim and other ‘nerds’ his age. Tim simply didn’t care. He was who he was. It wasn’t as if he wanted to be any different to the way he was. Luckily for Tim he was a good looking guy, and if he had really wanted to, he probably could’ve become popular with the ladies. But he was always too busy reading to actually notice anyone around him. Because of this he was largely unapproachable and ended up having mostly fictional friends. Thankfully because he was good looking and not particularly as nerdy as some of the real nerds, he was simply left alone and not bullied or picked on. This made it easier, too easy in fact, to just blend into the crowd. But it was a feeling he had gotten very used to.
There were two things that he wanted to change about his life. The one was that he wished he had more time to read. The other was that he wished he could meet some girls. As a university student, Tim spent a lot of his time studying and working towards his thesis. He wanted to major in English Literature as well as Graphic Design and Illustration so that he could perhaps one day create his own set of comic books or become a great novelist. At the moment he wasn’t quite sure if his talent lay more in reading the books than writing and illustrating them but he was hoping to one day find out. He had been told he was talented but it was very hard to believe. He looked up to all the authors and illustrators that he knew with such reverence that it was hard to put himself alongside them. As long as he worked in that sort of industry though he would be happy and if it meant a few years at college then he would just have to get through it. He didn’t enjoy the social aspect of college so much but as he lived off campus he was lucky enough to avoid most social gatherings. It wasn’t that he hadn’t been invited before or that he hadn’t wanted to go. It was more a case of not wanting to feel like an outcast. His parents had died when he was only a young boy and his grandparents had taken him in and raised him as their own. They were older than most grandparents though and because of this he always felt that his home life was very different to the kids around them. He loved his grandparents but he always felt slightly embarrassed to bring kids home, choosing books and comics as his friends instead. Then, two years ago, they passed away, leaving Tim their home and leaving him more alone than ever before. It was strange living in that big house all by himself – a house he knows his college friends would trash the moment they found out he was living there all alone. He could only imagine the type of house party they would have – and he felt determined that they would never find out. He was asked once by another boy in class why he doesn’t stay on campus and he simply replied that he was living with his aunt and uncle as it was nearby. Thankfully the boy had not probed any further and he silently apologized to his grandparents for telling the lie.
He was happy with his life though. He had made a promise to his grandparents that he would go to college and because of this he refuses to give up – even though sometimes he so desperately wants to. They left him a decent amount of money and he could easily live a few years without worry; without even having to work a bit. But he wasn’t stupid enough to think the money would last forever and he knew he needed some sort of push in the right direction. Right now, all he wanted to do was read, but he knew that reading wouldn’t pay the bills.
Walking home from college that day he crossed the big open field to get to the road. The field was littered with students in bundles, crouching in together conspiratorially. He always wondered what it would be like to have an actual group of friends, and he always wondered what these people were talking about every time they met up on the field. But as usual he walked past them like a whisper in the wind, with nobody even glancing up at him. It was like he didn’t exist. But he couldn’t complain. This was a life he had created for himself. He had distanced himself from all forms of social interaction – so he couldn’t blame them for not trying either. Just then he saw Willow sitting by the tree that he knew he had to walk past and he felt his heart do a double take. Willow was one of the only girls he had ever met that had made him feel this way. She was tiny, like a porcelain doll, and she was breathtakingly beautiful without knowing it. If she wanted she could have been the most popular girl in school but because of her apparent shyness and her love of books she was completely disregarded. While everyone found her boring, Tim simply found her fascinating. And of course, the two of them shared a love of books, which was not something he came across often – especially in this modern age. The two of them had spoken briefly before but it had never gotten much further than asking about a particular book or speaking about the weather and each time Tim cursed himself for not trying harder. Also he was dying to find out why she was called Willow – he assumed her parents must be very interesting people indeed.
As he walked towards her he watched her in fascination. How could anyone not think this girl to be beautiful, he wondered. I should tell her, he thought, but almost laughed out loud. There was no way that he would ever have the nerve to do something like that. That is just not the way that he operates. Awkward – now that he could do well. Nevertheless, he felt a bit more emboldened today, for reasons he could not quite explain himself. As he got closer to the tree he said “Hey Willow, what you reading?” as casually as he could, but cursing himself for going immediately to a ‘book’ conversation rather than the normal ‘how are you’ that other people seem to do so well. At first Willow didn’t even look up and Tim thought with a crushing spirit that she was ignoring him. But then as his shadow crossed her book she looked up with a fright. “Oh Tim. I’m so sorry; I was so involved in this book that I didn’t hear you coming. Did you say something to me?” Tim was about to reply when he noticed the book that she was holding. It was none other than the Harley Hurlman book that he was reading – volume three. “I’m reading the same book,” he announced, his voice perhaps a bit too loud and squeaky for his liking. He couldn’t help himself though; he was excited by this revelation. He noticed that she was further along than he was and he quickly backed away, “Wait, don’t say anything – I think you’re ahead of me.”
She laughed - a sweet, pretty sound. “I won’t say a thing! There is nothing more horrific in life than someone telling you something about a book that you haven’t yet read yourself. Tell you what, why don’t we meet for coffee next week and talk about it? By then I’m sure we will have both finished it. Truthfully, I’m probably going to finish this today if I ignore all my actual studies.”
Okay, thought Tim, did she just invite me out on a date? Is this actually happening to me right now? Can I pinch myself? Tim cleared his throat. “Yeah, that would
Because he never quite knew when the opportunity to read would present itself to him he had the book in both a paperback form as well as an audio form. And as he still had a bit of a walk to do he got out his audio player and pressed play. Immediately he was transported back into the imaginary world…
He was through the walls. A feeling more powerful than the power he was able to conjure up himself. It was as if he was walking to his destiny – to the place that he had dreamt about his whole life. This was it. Soon he would be there, and nothing or nobody would stop him. He wondered briefly whether she would be waiting for him and how she would feel about the way he looked now. He wasn’t anything like the way he used to be. But that was on the outside. On the inside he had always been the same. He looks around wondering what –
But just as Tim was listening to these words he felt himself getting thrown to the curb with an unexpected force. Too involved in his audio book he hadn’t even noticed that a car was coming straight towards him when he crossed the road. The car did everything that it could to avoid colliding with him but as it swerved it still hit Tim slightly on the side, and pushed him over. Thankfully the driver had barely touched him but Tim was still out cold by the sheer force of it all. The driver got out the car and ran towards him, grateful to see that he hadn’t knocked him face on but worried nonetheless. He got out his phone and called the ambulance. When the ambulance arrived Tim was starting to awake again, mumbling incoherently. They lifted him into the ambulance and drove him to the hospital – where a new adventure was waiting for him. He just didn’t know it yet.
Chapter 2
When Tim woke up he had no idea where he was. All he knew that it was that he was in a place that was very bright and that his entire body ached. He was sure he was in a dream and so closed his eyes, hoping that once he opened them again he would be back in his normal life. Of course, when he opened his eyes again he was in the same place. He tried to sit up but everything hurt too much so he craned his neck from left to right and looked around. I’m in hospital! What the heck am I doing here? He felt panicked and rubbed his temple, trying to remember what had happened. Things were coming back to him and bits and pieces but he couldn’t quite figure them out. He remembered Willow, sitting by the tree. He also had a vague notion that she had asked him out on a date but now the more he thought about it the more he was unsure if that had even happened. He also remembered the trilogy that he was reading, and that he had decided to listen to his audiobook. He wondered briefly what part of the book he was on but everything seemed like a blur. He was about to call out for help when a nurse walked in followed by the doctor.
“Ah, Mr Dray,” the doctor said, “You’re awake. You’ve been knocked out for quite some time. Glad to see you’ve joined us in the real world again. I’m Dr. Ordono.”
“I don’t understand what has happened,” Tim said, still confused by where he was.
“Don’t worry about it, Mr Dray. You’ve just had a bit of a concussion; you hit your head quite badly when you fell, but everything will come back to you soon. Let me explain it to you anyway, maybe it will jog your memory. It seems you were much immersed in that book you were listening to and didn’t notice a car coming down the road. Don’t worry – we’ve all done something similar like that before. Well, not quite as bad as being knocked by a car, but it’s certainly very easy to lose yourself to external stimuli. That book must’ve been mighty interesting. Although I’m sorry to say your audio player didn’t come out nearly as well as you did. Thankfully the man who was driving the car was fine too. He served when he saw you but unfortunately still managed to knock you to the ground which is why you’ll notice the left side of your body is bruised and in pain and not so much your right side. Does any of this ring a bell?”
As soon as Tim heard the doctor retelling this story he remembered it. Every part came back to him, other than the part of him lying on the ground or losing his audio player. But by then he was probably concussed. He nodded. “Yes, I remember. Ah, I’m such an idiot. And yes, it was a very good book. How long will I be here? Is everything okay?” He asked, suddenly panicked.
The doctor placed a hand on his shoulder. “Yes, don’t worry, Mr Dray. Everything is fine. Now it is all just routine procedure as we get you nice and healed to get back out there. Thankfully you were not badly injured. A hit by a car could’ve been much worse. So you should thank the driver that he didn’t just plummet straight into you. You’re just very bruised and we want to keep you in for a few days to rest and let all your wounds heal. You actually came at a very good time; let me tell you, because just last week this place was overflowing with patients. You know what it’s like over the Halloween period – the kids just go crazy and there’s always something that goes wrong. We had an endless stream of patients and everyone was working overtime. We would’ve been hard pressed to find you a bed. Now, we’ve hit a very strange quiet period – and because of this you have gotten a private ward all to yourself. This is nice, because it means you don’t have strangers coughing next to you. That’s the part that everyone always complains about. However, if we get busy again we will unfortunately have to move you, but for now you have the place to yourself. You’ll be out in a few days anyway! I’m going to leave now but I’m putting you in very capable hands. Nurse Edna is going to help you with whatever you need. She’s your day nurse and because things are so quiet you have her all to yourself. Keep well, Mr Dray.”
“Wait, uh, Doctor Ordono,” Tim called out and the doctor turned around, “Um, is there any way that I can get hold of that book I was listening to? I had the hard copy in my bag, but I’m not sure where the bag is now.”
Doctor Ordono burst out laughing, “Of course Mr Dray. Mind if I call you Tim? It’s right here,” and he pulled out the bag from under the bed and passed it to Tim, “I’ve got to say -I’m not surprised you got hit by a car. That book really must be something special.” Tim smiled to himself, instead of being upset at the fact that he was lying in hospital, he was actually secretly glad. A few days to read – what bliss.
The doctor left the room and Tim looked up to find the nurse watching him. “Hi, I’m Nurse Edna. Tell me about this book that’s so fascinating to you.”
Nurse Edna must’ve been in her forties. Tim wasn’t too sure as he had never been that good with ages but he couldn’t really come out and ask her such a personal question. While he was curious he certainly had no need to know this information. She was pretty, in an interesting way. Not the type of prettiness that Willow possessed. This was an unusual attractiveness. The type that you can’t really pinpoint what makes her so good looking. It might be the arched eyebrows under which lie two brilliantly bright blue eyes. Or the coy smile that constantly played on her place. It wasn’t her body because that was so hidden in the oversized nurse’s dress that he couldn’t tell what type of body she had at all. She seemed to be slim but he had no idea. All he could base her looks on was what he could immediately see. But then, the more she spoke, the more he realized that her beauty might not lie in her looks at all but perhaps in the quiet confidence she seemed to exude. It enveloped her and poured out of her – wielding him in.
This was strange for him. He wasn’t often affected by women so easily. He put it down to the fact that he had just been run over by a car. He started telling her about the book, at first a bit unsure if she was just being polite. But the more he spoke the more interested she seemed and soon he was running through the entire plot, up to where he had ended off. She had asked questions throughout and the entire conversation had been one of the best he had ever experienced. Either she just had incredibly good social skills or else she really was interested in the book.
“Uh. Nurse Edna,” he almost expected her to say, ‘no call me Edna,’ but she didn’t. “Are you much of a reader than?” Nurse Edna then went on to tell him all the books that she had read and all the ones that had meant the most to her. As it turned out he had read a lot of these himself and the two of them sat together talking about books for the next hour. After a while she excused herself to go and check on a few other patients, leaving Tim lying there thinking about how strange everything suddenly was. He wondered briefly if perhaps he had entered another world. A world in which hot older nurses liked books just as much as he did. If he had entered another world than he certainly hoped that he would be able to stay there as long as possible. The only thing missing from this world was Willow, who he now remembered clearly had asked him out on a date. He was excited to finish the book so the two of them could get together and talk. And he was getting practice on how to speak to women from Nurse Edna, so he really was in the best place right now.
Nurse Edna walked back in. She looked different and Tim realized that her hair was out of her ponytail. It was wild and moved around her face almost independently. It altered her look completely and she went from ‘interesting / pretty’ to ‘actually quite sexy.’ He felt his heart rate get faster. Then she did something strange. She locked the door behind her and walked up to his bed. Tim wanted to ask her why she had locked the door but he was too flustered to say anything. Instead he just lay back, watching as she got nearer.
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