“That’s indeed very unusual,” the doctor agreed.
Gladys went on to say, “Oh, that’s not all. Her shorts were much too big, with only a piece of rope instead of a belt, and her sweater was also much too large. Since she has no tan lines and is tanned pretty much the same all over, it doesn’t look like she actually wears clothes all that much when she’s outside. She also doesn’t shave her legs or under her arms. And, she has no jewelry. Her ears used to have holes for pierced earrings but those healed up a long time ago. Maybe she’s a naturalist from some strange commune or some other weird group, some sort of a nudist colony.”
Doctor Walker observed, “Well, I did notice she has almost no body fat and is in really amazing physical shape. I think that helped save her from more serious injuries during the explosion. She must be some sort of an athlete which maybe would explain some things.”
Gladys said, “Yes, her pulse was only in the fifties, which we thought was too low and so we double checked it. It was fifty-six both times. But, steady and strong, with really good blood pressure. We do see this for athletes having exceptionally good aerobic conditioning such as long distance runners, for example. That would explain the low body fat, right?”
Doctor Walker replied, “Yes, it would. Only, she has a lot more muscle mass than a runner would. Maybe that helps explain the incredible rescue they say she managed to perform up there on that mountain, yanking those three people out of that car just before the explosion.”
“No one can understand how she could have done that or even how she managed getting down to the car,” said Gladys. “I hear it’s a huge drop down the side of a cliff. The rescue team only got down there by using lots of equipment. And, those three people she saved are all doing just fine now. The woman had a mild concussion but, other than bruises from their seatbelts and minor scratches from broken glass, they all came out of the crash in good shape. It looks like this girl smashed out a window, but she seems to be the only one who got any bad cuts. She was slashed in several places going in and getting them all out.”
“Well, those cuts will heal okay and shouldn’t leave any scars. But, what about those scars which I saw she already has? Gladys, can’t those scars help identify her?”
“That’s another part of what’s so strange! She has a long six inch crease on her thigh which looks like it could only have been caused by a bullet wound. It’s not very recent though and has healed up okay. It was deep enough so she should have had stitches, but she didn’t have any. Then, there are all the scars on her shoulder and back. Those are also old and faded and although they healed up okay, there were no stitches for those either. They look like she was mauled by claws from some kind of a wild animal.”
“Yeah, that’s what those looked like to me …”
“We’ve checked with all the hospital databases and no patient has ever been recorded having scars like hers,” Gladys continued. “Of course, since there were no stitches, that might explain why she’s not in any database. It seems really negligent for a girl like that to not get any medical attention after such serious injuries. All the more reason to think she’s from some strange group up in those mountains, right?”
“Well, she’s only a teenager and we really need to reach next of kin. We don’t yet know what treatment she’ll need but we’ll want either a parent or guardian to sign a consent form. Have you asked the police for help?”
“Yes, Doctor Walker, we called them again just an hour ago. They have interviewed all the witnesses from where that car went off the road, but they all say this girl just appeared out of nowhere, racing down from the direction of the mountain. She’s definitely not from around here. The police are checking now with each of the camping areas up there but there are a lot of campers. No one has reported her missing, but of course it’s still early. Hopefully, someone will call in about a missing girl.”
“Okay, Gladys. For now, just keep her sedated in the ICU and keep all the monitors hooked up. We’ll see how she makes it through the night. Hopefully, the MRI and those other tests I’ve asked for will show us how we can best help her.”
Chapter Six
Early afternoon Aug 27
In the middle of the second day at the hospital, Missy gradually came to in the ICU but was so heavily drugged from the sedatives she’d been given she was unable to fully wake up. She was lying in a bed, constraints attached to her arms and legs with several tubes and wires all connected to various parts of her, including a urinary catheter for her bladder. This was all because Doctor Walker was very concerned about possible brain trauma, based on how badly smashed the side of her head appeared to be. In order to avoid any secondary brain injury, the doctor wanted to keep her unconscious for the first few days, monitoring all her vital signs, plus all the fluids that went in and came out. Various tests had been conducted and were still being evaluated to determine what might be the best treatment and, possibly, whether any neurological surgery might be necessary.
Any normal human would have remained out cold but Missy, of course, was different. Her metabolism and ability to heal allowed her system to revive and come back to some level of awareness, in spite of all the drugs. Although not fully conscious, she was able to hear Doctor Walker and Nurse Gladys talking. They had just looked in on her and happened to be nearby. She was also aware of being constrained in the bed, with machines all around her.
Missy managed to listen to some of the conversation, but she could not really understand very much. It seemed they were talking about her; who she might be and where she might have come from. So, she made an effort and tried to speak to them. She wanted to get their attention and provide some explanation. She said, “I was coming out of the mountains … I wanted to go home … please …” but her words were mumbled.
Upon hearing this, Doctor Walker rushed to her side, very surprised Missy was awake and very concerned about her condition and any possible injuries she might do to herself. Turning to Gladys, she asked, “Why has the sedative worn off so soon? Hasn’t she been getting the dosage which I prescribed?”
Gladys answered, “Why definitely, doctor! Here, see for yourself! And, it’s been going in through this IV tube right here. Look, you can see the bag is not yet empty so it’s not time yet for another dose. This girl must have an unusual resistance to drugs if she’s able to wake up.”
Doctor Walker checked to verify the bag did have the medication which she had specified, and that it was indeed dripping properly into one of the tubes running into Missy’s arm. She then ordered a syringe with another sedative and the nurse rushed off to get it. Turning back to Missy, the doctor said, “Hello, I’m Doctor Walker. You’re in the hospital. Please don’t try to move; you really need to rest and you shouldn’t be awake right now.”
But, Missy struggled to sit up and repeated herself, saying in a louder, stronger voice, “I was coming out of the mountains so I could go home.” Then, she added, “I never got to say goodbye … please let me up … what are all these tubes and things? Please take these off me!”
“No, no!” Doctor Walker said, pushing her back down. “Don’t try to move. It’s important for you to lie still and not get excited.” But, she was very encouraged by the fact Missy seemed coherent, so she then asked her, “Can you tell me your name?”
Missy was still very drowsy but she struggled to explain. “I was at soccer camp and I had to leave … couldn’t say goodbye … please … tell my Mom …”
The doctor interrupted again to ask her, “Can you tell me your name? And, can I call your Mom for you? Where does she live?”
Missy was then able to say, “My name is Missy McCrea and my Mom lives in Salem, Massachusetts. On Walnut Street. Tell her how sorry I am … but, please, let me get up!”
Just then Nurse Gladys returned and the doctor administered the sedative from the syringe, directly into one of the IV tubes. She told the nurse, “I hope her trauma is not affected by her waking up. Although she sounds okay, there are many possible
problems and complications which we want to avoid if possible. This should knock her out. And, increase the dosage of that sedative in her medication by 30%; that should keep her out. We really want to wait at least another day before we attempt bringing her back. She probably was able to overcome the first dosage due to being so exceptionally healthy and fit.”
Missy dropped back into a deep sleep and didn’t hear any of the conversation after that. Gladys remarked, “I hear that Stratton family she rescued is really good friends with Senator Maxwell and that he arrived here last night to visit them. Then, all three of them were released just a little while ago and there was a big news conference outside. The senator sure had some nice things to say about our mystery girl here.”
Doctor Walker said, “This could have been a real tragedy but it looks like no one other than Missy here is hurt. We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but I’m sure everyone will want to thank her for being such a hero.”
“Oh, is that her name? MIssy?” asked the Gladys. “Did she say anything else?”
“Yes, she did. She mentioned she had gone up into the mountains from soccer camp and that her home is in Massachusetts. We can call her family up there and we should also try to contact whichever soccer camp she was at down here, so they’ll know she’s been found. We can check the phone company for listings in Salem, Mass on Walnut Street with the name McCrea. I’ll go try to call them now while you let the police know about checking for soccer camps.”
“Massachusetts, huh?” said Gladys. “Maybe that’s why our database search didn’t find anyone having those scars … we just didn’t check far enough away. And, I guess her being at soccer camp makes sense, since she’s so athletic. I’ll let the police know. They’ll sure be glad the mystery girl’s identity has been established.”
Chapter Seven
Late afternoon Aug 27
An hour later, after getting the phone number from information, the doctor placed the call to Missy’s home. When the phone was answered by a woman, the doctor started to explain, “Hello? Is this Mrs. McCrea? I’m Doctor Stephanie Walker and I’m at the William Osborne Memorial Hospital in Roanoke, Virginia. We have your daughter Missy, who was injured down here and is being treated in our hospital.”
Missy’s mother was shocked to hear any news about Missy. She glanced at her photos of Missy, two on the living room mantel and another on a nearby bookshelf. She had looked at these photos so many times during the past two years, while trying to hope for the best and not despair for the worst. She exclaimed, “Doctor, are you sure it’s really our daughter Missy? And, is she okay?”
Doctor Walker answered, “Well, she was able to give us her name and your address. She’s in the ICU because she was found unconscious after her head hit a rock. We are monitoring her very closely and it’s too soon to give you much of a prognosis. Can either you or a responsible family member possibly come down here, in case we need authorization signatures for any treatment or procedures?”
“But, this is incredible! And, you’re certain it’s our Missy?” her mother asked again.
“Well, she says that’s who she is. She mentioned leaving soccer camp but not saying goodbye. Can you tell us which camp, so we can notify them that we have her?”
Missy’s mother now said, “If it’s really our Missy, we’ll all be so happy! But, doctor … our Missy has been missing for over two years now!”
Now it was Doctor Walker’s turn to be shocked. “We had no idea about any of that,” she explained.
“Virginia is so far away. I’m sure you can understand why we want to be very certain the girl you have down there is really her,” Missy’s mother explained. “We think she was kidnapped from soccer camp in Keene, New Hampshire and no one has heard anything about her in all this time. Do you think that’s the soccer camp this girl was talking about?”
The doctor could only say, “Missy only mentioned leaving soccer camp without saying goodbye, but she’s heavily sedated and I can’t say for sure just what she meant by that. I was lucky she could give me her name and tell me where you are living.”
Missy’s mother then remarked, “We really should get the FBI into this; they’ve been searching and their investigation is still open. If she has escaped from her kidnapper … maybe she’s still in danger …”
Doctor Walker said, “Certainly, we’ll take precautions. If there is any risk that anyone might be after this girl … we’ll contact our local police to arrange for protection in our hospital immediately. Go ahead and have the FBI call me and have them also contact our police chief directly. We will help in any way we can. And, if she really is your Missy, I can only say we are doing everything we possibly can to help her make a full recovery. It’s too soon to make any promises, but the fact she was able to respond, give us her name and address, and is apparently so strong and healthy, these are all very positive signs.”
“Really?” exclaimed Missy’s mother. “If only this could be true! It would be such a miracle if she is really our Missy and if she can really be okay. I don’t care what she has been through; we can deal with anything and everything if she can just really be alive and able to come back home to us.”
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After getting off the phone, Doctor Walker called the police and explained how Missy’s mother was concerned about a possible kidnapper and that the FBI was now coming. She advised them to expect to hear from the FBI right away since the investigation was still open and this case was now looking as though there may have been some sort of a crime. She then went looking for Gladys, since she knew it was important to preserve any evidence.
When she found the nurse, she explained what she had learned and how there was an ongoing investigation. They both went into the staff lounge nearby and using the computer there, they entered Missy’s name on Google’s search page. Sure enough, there actually were all sorts of stories in the news from two years ago, all about the girl who had gone missing from soccer camp. Looking at the news photos, they could see a definite resemblance to the girl they had in the ICU. The photos showed a girl that was smaller and younger, but the face was very similar and the dark red hair and green eyes were the same.
“I can’t believe this,” exclaimed Gladys. “What has been happening to this girl for the past two years? She obviously has been through some very rough experiences … those scars from both a bullet and from some sort of animal attack … was she actually staying up in the mountains? How did she manage to get all the way down here, hundreds of miles from where she disappeared two years ago? And, how was she able to merely be walking down the road …”
Doctor Walker said, “Now that we are aware she may be a victim, we need to gather all possible evidence for the authorities. They’ll want to know everything for their investigation. They’ll probably even ask us whether she’s been sexually assaulted …”
Right away, Gladys interrupted her to say, “Well, at least we can tell them there’s no evidence of that. When we inserted that catheter we had to take extra care … you know … so we wouldn’t tear her hymen, which is still quite intact and less than an inch lower. She’s definitely still a virgin! So, whatever happened to her, at least she seems to have been spared from any of that. Nothing sexual, no molestation …”
“Amazing, but thank goodness for that,” exclaimed Doctor Walker. “This Missy is quite the mystery girl but it’s good to know whatever trauma she may have been through during these past two years …”
Just then, there was a knock on the door which interrupted them and Officer Williams from the Roanoke police force came in and introduced himself. He’d been sent to help watch over Missy’s room and make sure she wouldn’t have any unwanted visitors.
Chapter Eight
Evening Aug 27
Just a couple hours after her first time awake, Missy once again woke up, still constrained in her hospital bed. She knew the doctor had told her not to move but she also knew, even in her drugged state, that she needed to Shift. Her instincts
made her aware that doing so would help speed her recovery and healing. And, she had been surviving on her instincts for two years now.
Slowly, she forced herself to really wake up and take stock of her surroundings. As her awareness of everything increased, she realized her arms and legs were being restrained in addition to all those pesky wires and tubes that were now bothering her more and more. Her right arm was being held at the wrist by some sort of collar held together by Velcro, but she exerted some pressure and was able to enlarge that enough so she could yank her arm back through and out. Once free, she quickly reached each of the other Velcro collars and removed them.
The tubes sticking out from her were next. She especially disliked the catheter tube for her bladder and carefully pulled that one out first. That was followed by each of the others. These were attached to needles, which she also removed. And, then there were all the wires connected to sticky things on her which ran to machines at the side of her bed. Once she had everything off, she crawled out of bed and slowly stood up. She found she was wearing some sort of hospital gown which was open in the back.
At first she felt woozy and dizzy but as she forced herself to move, her head gradually cleared and she moved to the door of her room. She parsed all the various scents over her tongue and across the roof of her mouth as well as with her nose. Doing that, she could clearly detect her surroundings and, when she knew there was no one nearby, she went out into the hallway.
Glancing right and left, she spotted EXIT signs and made her way to a stairway. Once through the door and onto the stairs, she stopped to again check for scents and then headed up the stairs. Up she went and after three flights of stairs, she reached level six, the top level. From there, she was able to ascend even further to climb out a doorway that opened onto the roof.
Missy the Werecat Page 4
