Know Me When the Sun Goes Down

by Olsen, Lisa

  “She knows I’m getting better though?” That was a conversation I didn’t look forward to either. I was sure to get an earful on the dangers of city living and why I should be working at a library. Or a nunnery. No guff, she really suggested that to me once.

  “No worries, I bought you another day at least,” he drawled, head lolling back as he lounged in the chair more comfortably. Matt never sat, he sprawled; he never stood, he slouched. He had the worst posture I’d ever seen.

  “Thanks.” I gave him a heartfelt smile. “Hey Matty, can you find me a mirror?” Suddenly I remembered I wanted to check my eyes among other things.

  “Why, you got a date later?” he smirked, long dark bangs falling into his eyes. I gave him a look that spoke volumes and he relented, patting his pockets and giving the room a cursory look. “I don’t really see… Where am I supposed to find a mirror in a hospital room? This isn’t a day spa.”

  “Look around for something reflective, made out of metal,” I prompted. How hard could it be? It proved to be harder than I’d thought it would be, but after checking a few cupboards, he returned with a bedpan in hand, beaming proudly.

  “A bed pan?” My brow rose skeptically, but I lowered it almost immediately, catching his crestfallen expression. “Thank you, that should work perfectly,” I amended, holding my hands out for the thing.

  It was shiny enough to give me a somewhat distorted representation of my face, as long as I didn’t mind being compared to Jabba the Hutt. Staring back at me were brilliant, blue eyes instead of my usual brown ones; striking against my dark hair and pale complexion. “Huh.” My breath came out a little funny as I stared, turning the bedpan one way and then the other.

  “What?”

  “My eyes are blue. I mean really, really blue. Didn’t you notice?” I lowered the bedpan and looked at him, widening my eyes slightly.

  “Sure I did, I figured you got colored contacts or something. Nobody’s eyes are that blue naturally, and especially not yours. Yours are even darker than mine.” A careless shrug was given, clearly this wasn’t a big issue for him.

  “No, my eyes are actually blue now, ever since I woke up. That’s kind of weird, right?”

  Matty stared closer, leaning forward to study them. “That is weird. I’ve never heard of that before, did the doctors say why it happened?” he murmured, and I started to feel like a bug on a stick, on display.

  “No, they’re clueless. Just like they can’t figure out why I took a turn for the better.”

  “Yesterday they asked me if you’d made your wishes known for last rites and how you wanted to be buried and stuff.” He slouched back again, looking uncomfortable.

  “Jesus… I’m sorry, Matty, that must’ve been rough.” I would have patted his arm but I couldn’t reach him.

  “It’s okay, I’m just glad you’re doing better.”

  “And I’m just glad you’re here… so I can kick your ass at cards,” I grinned back.

  “I knew you’d say that.” Matt produced a deck of cards from his back pocket, his smile stretching wider. “I hope you’re ready for a whuppin’. I’m gonna own your car by the time you get out of this place.”

  “Bring it on, squirt, I’m gonna own you by the time I walk out of here.” My eyes glittered with avarice.

  In the end I did own him after a fashion, having secured IOU’s for various handy man type chores to be redeemed at my discretion when he ran out of money to bet. It wasn’t often that I beat him at cards. Maybe my luck was improving?

  Finally, they chased him out at dinnertime and I was relieved to find my status upgraded to allow me clear liquids. While beef broth and red jello weren’t exactly gourmet fare, after a diet of ice and water, it was sheer heaven.

  My night was a restless one, filled with interruptions as the staff came to check my vitals, and the arrival of a roommate sometime around two in the morning. What sleep I was able to snatch was riddled with unsettling dreams, reliving the attack in the alley over and over again. Seeking solace, my mind built the fantasy that my blue eyed visitor came to see me again, standing silently by my bed as I slept. For whatever reason, I didn’t find the idea creepy or unusual that a total stranger might come to stand watch over me, in fact, I found it sort of comforting. I even had the notion he held my hand, and those were the most peaceful hours of sleep I enjoyed.

  Chapter Three

  I knew I wasn’t supposed to get out of bed.

  No one came right out and said it specifically, but after all, I’d just come out of a major surgery that no one expected me to survive. A trip to the gift shop was pretty much out of the question.

  Early morning found me bored to tears, with no one to talk to and nothing to do but count the ceiling tiles (there were twenty-six). My roommate, Beth, snored behind the curtain separating our spaces in the shared room, and I wondered if I could get away with turning the television on low.

  Even beyond the boredom, I was struck by a restless energy, nudging me to get up and give my legs a test drive. Looking back, I should’ve been aware it wasn’t in any way normal, but at the time, my thoughts were more focused on the logistics of the task at hand.

  What would I do about my IV? (It was on wheels and could be unplugged)

  Could I easily remove the massaging leg warmer thingies that kept the blood from pooling in my legs? (They were secured with Velcro, no sweat)

  Where would I go? (The bathroom looked like my best bet, and I was dying to get a look at myself in the mirror and brush my teeth, even if only with a finger)

  Could I even make it to the bathroom and back without an alarm going off, nurse walking in on me, or Beth waking up and ratting me out? (Only one way to find out…)

  Moving slow, both for stealth’s sake and to make sure my body could actually handle the movement, I inched myself up to a sitting position, courtesy of the magic bed. So far, so good…

  The leg massagers came off easily enough, and my body didn’t seem to mind the bending motion it took to get them off. In fact, there was no pain in my abdomen at all from shifting positions. The only unusual sensation I had was my stitches itched like crazy, and I hoped it was a good sign. Didn’t wounds start to itch when they healed?

  Carefully, I swung my legs down to the floor, sitting up on the edge of the bed. No dizziness, and no nausea – I was good to go. My legs bore the weight fine with no sign of pain, only a faint stiffness in my limbs from lying too long in one place. The IV monitor unplugged easily enough, and soon I was pushing the unit along the cool linoleum, my eyes diverting between the closed door and the curtain separating my bed from Beth’s, but neither showed signs of stirring.

  Once inside the bathroom, I breathed easier, resting the door shut carefully before turning to stare at myself in the mirror. There I was, rocking the grunge look with my unwashed hair and shiny face. “Holy crap…” My eyes were blue alright, a vibrant, crystalline blue that reminded me of my mysterious stranger, as I was starting to think of him. Turning my head first one way and then the other, I observed the effect and had to admit, it was striking.

  Apart from the fact that everyone who knew me would assume that I’d gotten colored contacts, I decided I could definitely get used to the look. I almost expected to see a halo of color around myself in the mirror, but there was no sign of one. Except for the blue eyes I looked just as I always had, or did I? There was something else off, something subtle I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

  Deciding it didn’t matter, I opted to take advantage of the trip to the bathroom in case I got yelled at for it and didn’t get the opportunity again any time soon. Pretty sure I’d be busted if I tried to take a shower, I settled for washing my face and stealing some of Beth’s toothpaste to freshen up my mouth. It was awkward with the IV in my arm, but I managed well enough.

  Feeling brave (or was it foolish?), I decided to lift the bandage and see what the incision across my abdomen looked like. The itching was driving me crazy, and I reasoned that if it was all red
and angry, I should probably tell someone about it. Peeling back the tape little by little, I tried to peek inside, but the angle was awkward until I’d managed to pull at least half of it off and could see it in the mirror.

  There was a faint line there, the skin slightly pink and raised where the scar should’ve been, the stitches standing out dark and angry against my pale flesh. What the hell was going on? Where was the big nasty scar? There was no way I could’ve healed that quickly from the surgery a few days ago, and as I passed my fingers lightly over the line, there was no pain or tenderness.

  Looking up, I met my shocked gaze in the mirror, just standing there with my bandage half on and half off. If Dr. Michaelson was surprised I survived the infection, she was going to freak out when she saw how quickly my body healed itself through no effort on her part.

  Just like that, it came to me.

  I had to get the heck out of Dodge before they started asking questions I didn’t know the answers to. There was no way I would sit around in the hospital while they poked and prodded me, running test after test. I felt fine, better than fine, I felt strong. No sense of fatigue from my trip to the bathroom. In fact, it felt good to be up and around, working the kinks out of my muscles. I started back to the bed, trying to work my way through the logistics of sneaking out of the busy hospital.

  Only, there was no way I’d be able to walk out by myself. I needed to call in the reinforcements. That meant either Matty or maybe Daphne, my best friend. As a last resort, I reasoned I could call Alice or Walter from work. Even Parker, my boss, who owned and ran Eden, but I was less comfortable involving anyone from work.

  Halfway between the bathroom and the bed, the door swung open. I froze, a guilty expression on my face like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, until I realized who it was. “Daphne!” I beamed, lowering my voice instantly to a conspiratorial hush. “I’m so glad to see you, you’ve gotta get me out of here!”

  Daphne Spencer and I had been best friends ever since my family moved to Seattle when I was in the third grade. Our friendship had survived many things over the years, and I knew she was the one person I could count on, besides my brother, to be there for me when the chips were down. She was my opposite as far as coloring went, with long blonde hair that naturally fell in perfect ringlets I’d kill for. Her skin was habitually tanned, despite the usually overcast Seattle weather, and her eyes a light blue that sparkled with good humor. As I saw her then, the aura surrounding her body was a vibrant orange with a tinge of pink at the center.

  “Mercy, what are you doing up and around? Should you be doing that?” She looked horrified at the idea of me being out of bed and I realized I’d have an uphill battle.

  “I don’t know what they told you, but I’m not at death’s door.” I used Detective Gates’ turn of phrase. “Now quick, you have to help me get out of here before the nurse comes back, or even worse, one of the doctors.” My feet moved swiftly, pushing the clunky, rolling IV stand back and plopping down on the edge of the bed.

  “What? That’s crazy, you almost died!” Her eyes narrowed at me suspiciously and I could tell I’d have to talk fast.

  “Oh, stop being so melodramaculous.” I used one of our favorite words. “Obviously I’m not dying, look at me. Do I look like I belong in a hospital?” To prove my point I stood again and did a slow pivot in a circle, but then ruined the effect when I had to turn back around in the opposite direction to keep the stupid IV from getting tangled up.

  “Mercy, they were talking about keeping you here for another week at least.” Daphne shook her head.

  “I don’t care, I need to go home. I’ll be fine, I swear. I’ll explain everything when we get back to my place.” I pleaded with her, the desperation growing with every moment we stood around talking about it. She still looked largely unconvinced, so I played my trump card. “Come on, Daph, you know I’ll do it with or without your help and I stand a much better chance of getting home safely if you take me home instead of dragging myself onto the bus…”

  Her head tilted to one side as she studied me, and I gave her a mischievous smile. The one I regularly used to try and cajole her into one of my scathingly brilliant ideas over the years. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head, weighing the risks and possible outcomes, trying to decide if I’d really go through with the bluff. We both knew I was stubborn enough to try it. About a half second before she opened her mouth to reply I felt a rush of triumph. “Okay, but if you die, it’s all your own fault,” Daphne grumbled, not looking at all thrilled by caving in.

  “Some of us are trying to sleep, y’all,” Beth called out in an overly saccharine voice, and Daphne and I traded identical eye rolls. The woman hadn’t been so concerned with volume control when it had been her talking up a storm to the nurse in the middle of the night.

  Overjoyed by the prospect of busting out of there, I beckoned her to me, whispering conspiratorially. “You’ve got to get me something to wear. I can’t walk out of here dressed like this.” I gestured to the hospital gown that thankfully tied in a crisscross over the front instead of gaping open in the back like they did in the movies.

  “Where am I supposed to get clothes for you to wear? Steal them from the lost and found?” Her nose crinkled with distaste at the prospect of wearing someone else’s stinky, old clothes. “Oh… I have an idea. Sit tight, okay?” Daphne’s face lit up in excitement, finally getting into the spirit of our escapade.

  “I’ll be here, just don’t take too long.” I nodded back, swinging my feet into bed in case Bryan came in to check my vitals. No sense in alarming anyone before we were ready to fly the coop. “And thanks, Daph.”

  “You’re going to owe me for this one.” Her eyes gleamed with a touch of good natured avarice, and then she was gone.

  I tried to relax as I waited for Daphne to come back, even glad to see Bryan show up on schedule to take my blood pressure, since it meant I’d have more time to make my getaway before he returned. But my pulse was up, something he remarked upon as he tapped the data into the pad. With all the adrenaline coursing through my system I wasn’t surprised, but I managed a noncommittal murmur in response.

  Soon enough I was on my own, and the moment the door swung shut, my gaze returned to the IV sticking out of my arm. As soon as I hatched the idea of sneaking out of the hospital, I realized I’d have to deal with removing it on my own. There was no way I could ask Daphne to take it out for me, she was squeamish enough over the idea as it was, and had never been one to handle blood or gore particularly well. She was always the one to duck and hide her eyes during a gruesome horror movie or zombie flick, which meant I’d have to grit my teeth and pull it out. How hard could it be?

  Going with the pull the Band-aid off quickly school of thought, I peeled off part of the tape holding the needle in. My teeth mashed against the inside of my lips at the pain that bloomed from the big patch of missing arm hair in the process. After a deep breath or two, I gritted my teeth in anticipation of more pain. Gripping the needle firmly, I yanked it out as straight as I could manage, pressing the bandage firmly around the wound to keep it from bleeding. All in all, pulling the needle out hurt far less than removing the tape, thank God.

  The door swung open and I looked up nervously, hand clamped over my wrist guiltily. It was only Daphne, her face glowing with success as she plopped a duffel bag on the end of the bed. “I was going to try to get to the gym later,” she beamed, unzipping the bag to pull out a pair of lycra workout shorts and an oversized t-shirt.

  I would have been happy to wear clown pants at that point if it meant a chance at getting out of there, and immediately tugged them on. Relieved that none of the physical activity made me the least bit weak or woozy, I slipped on her sneakers that were thankfully just a little snug, but fit otherwise, and I tugged my hair up into a messy ponytail.

  Daphne had taken up a vantage point by the door, ready to distract anyone who came through. She darted a furtive glance over, her shoul
ders dropping in relief as she saw me zipping up the duffel. “Ready?”

  “Ready.” I was nervous as hell as we stepped out into the hall. After a brief check, we started walking slow but steady for the elevators at the end of the hallway. It was tempting to look at the nurse’s station on the way out to see if we were noticed. Instead, I kept my face turned away, putting Daphne between me and the desk in the hopes she’d block me at least in part.

  Once inside the elevator we both dissolved into a nervous fit of giggles, and I felt a huge hurdle had been surpassed by leaving the floor. On the ground level, no one paid us any mind and it was a quick shot out to the parking lot. I was pleased to note I still felt no fatigue or dizziness, but the colors… They nearly overwhelmed me once we got to the crowded lobby.

  Auras of all hues glowed softly around each person in a riot of colors that dazzled my eyes. Daphne caught my dazed expression and shot me a look. “Are you sure you want to leave?” she murmured, a pucker of worry appearing on her brow.

  “No, I’m fine. It’s not that, it’s… something else. I’ll explain later, I promise,” I hedged, not knowing quite how to explain the phenomenon anyway. Out in the car I took a deep, steadying breath, noting my hands shook slightly, but I figured it was from the adrenaline. We had done it!

  “Holy smokes, I can’t believe we just did that!” Daphne looked amped as she started the car and I couldn’t help but smile in return.

  I wasn’t very talkative on the way back to my apartment, but Daphne didn’t seem to notice or mind, singing along with the radio. She’d always been an upbeat person, bubbly and good hearted, and I’d always admired and envied those qualities about her. I’d always been more cynical, skeptical, but I liked to think my heart was still in the right place.

  We balanced each other out pretty well. She kept me from getting too broody and down when things didn’t go my way, reminding me about the good things in life. In turn, I kept her from floating off into the clouds when her naiveté got the better of her and threatened to lead her into making a mistake. Like the time she’d wanted to accept that ride home from those rocker guys with a van just because they had a cute puppy. I loved her to death, but sometimes she had no common sense.