Terry Salvini - Crystal Masks

Faster, faster...

Second floor.

Steps, landing, nothing...

She missed her footing and the next steps came up to meet her. She screamed in terror.

A searing pain, then a whirlwind of dark shadows swallowed her into nothingness.

***

The slight burning on her arm and the pain in her loins made her gradually emerge from the dark fog of her senses. She couldn't open her eyes.

“Miss Lehmann... Can you hear me?"

The words had been spoken in hesitant English, with a strong foreign accent, and the female voice seemed to come from very far away.

Just a few meaningless syllables came out of her mouth. Her tongue was stuck to the palate and her lips were dry. She could only nod.

"She’s coming around. You can take her to the ward." Now it was a man speaking, but this time in perfect French. Loreley thanked her father for forcing her to learn that language when they were still living in Zurich.

Lorely stiffened: where was she? The question hung in the air and a brief silence that followed. Then some confused memories assailed her with the force of a sledgehammer. The ambulance, the emergency room, the visit... and then nothing.

She was in hospital!

Her whole body began to tremble violently.

Someone tried to hold her still, but she couldn't control the intense tremors that were shaking her body.

"I think it's a reaction to the stress of trauma," she heard someone say.

What had they done to her? she wondered, in the grip of a terrible suspicion. She wanted to know, but couldn't ask. Her teeth were chattering like a jackhammer and her heart seemed to want to beat even faster; it was as if she had a hive of angry wasps in her head. She breathed deeply several time and forced herself to calm down.

"That’s right, good... like that. Don't be afraid."

That male voice again, so reassuring.

"Doctor, Professor Leyrac is looking for you in room two." A woman had intervened.

"Yes, I'll be there right away. Take Miss Lehmann to her room," the man repeated.

Loreley became aware of footsteps moving away. The tenuous numbness that still enveloped her mind was wearing off. A few moments later, she managed to open her eyes.

The first thing she saw were the doors of a large elevator that were closing, then the silhouette of a woman in a white coat who was about to press a button.

Not long after, they moved her from the stretcher onto a bed.

"You’ll feel better tomorrow," a nurse reassured her as she fixed the IV drip onto the support rod.

"My baby..." she managed to say touching her belly.

***

Loreley awoke with some difficulty. Even though it was late morning, she still felt drowsy. It had been almost impossible to sleep peacefully that night, what with bells ringing in continuation, hurried footsteps in the corridors, whispered voices and bright lights.

A hand rested on her arm. It was a nurse.

"Miss Lehmann, you must come with me. The doctor would like to talk to you. You know, about being discharged."

"Oh! I'll be getting out, then!"

"The doctor will explain everything to you." She bent over to help her get out of bed.

Although her head was aching and one knee was swollen, Loreley refused her help and limped after her.

As they went along, she heard what sounded like an argument coming from a room down the hall.

"I don't understand, there must have been a mix-up..."

"Doctor Duval, I had asked you to keep an eye on the results of the tests, and the hCG in particular; I notice it’s the one that’s missing."

It was a voice she had already heard.

"Here... come in here, ma'am," the nurse said to her, pointing to the half-open door of the room from which the voices were coming, then opened it wide to let her pass.

A smell of chlorine disinfectant hovered in the room. The person sitting behind the desk did not even raise his eyes from the papers he was examining. Loreley noticed only the short, brown hair, broad shoulders under the white coat and lightly tanned hands. The image of that doctor gave her a sense of disquiet, unlike the voice, which instead was able to make her fell good.

The young blonde female doctor who was standing next to him gave her a fleeting glance, then invited her to sit down.

"Miss Lehmann, it seems that you are in good health and..." he said to her in a barely comprehensible English.

"Unfortunately, there is one analysis that is still missing," the other interrupted. "You can go home, Miss Lehmann. As soon as we get the results, we'll put them in the file," the man continued, lifting his face and looking at Loreley.

Only then was she able to see his features, the dark blue eyes, like the sky at dusk.

"If there is any news, we will let you know. Please leave us your email and... Miss Lehmann, is something wrong?"

"Jack?! Jack Leroy?" shouted Loreley.

"What, excuse me?"

She stared at him, dumbfounded. God, it looks just like him! He was identical to Esther's brother, with a beard...

The doctor got up with a worried expression and went closer to her, then turned to his colleague. "Call Dr. Julies."

"Right away, Dr. Legrand," said the other, lifting the phone.

Dr. Legrand? What a fool she was! thought Loreley, disappointed. Jack spoke perfect English; that unknown man managed quite well, of course, but the way he pronounced vowels was closed, the rs were rolled, and it had a sweeter sound.

Sensing his concern, she stopped him: “I'm fine, I assure you. I just felt like I'd seen you before... that I knew you, actually; but I was wrong.”

"Then we can go ahead with discharging you." He sat down, took the pen that the female doctor gave him, and scribbled something on a couple of sheets of paper. "Can you call someone to come and pick you up?"

Loreley stiffened, clasped her hands, and looked down on the group of pastel-colored folders on one side of the desk.

“Miss Lehmann...” he urged her.

She raised her eyes again and met his, which were looking at her attentively; she tried to assume a more relaxed attitude.

"Did you come to Paris alone? Do you have anyone here who can help you?"

She thought of Johnny, but immediately banished that idea. Maybe he was already in New York. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "You said a little while ago that I can leave. I don't need anything or anyone," she said in a firm voice.

An expression that was a mixture of surprise and skepticism appeared on his face. Lying to a person who had such an intense and shrewd gaze was not at all easy. The defensive position she had taken was already betraying her. But when it’s all said and done, wasn't it up to her to decide for herself?

"I can assure you that I am telling you the truth. I don't have anyone to contact and I can manage by myself."

There were a few moments of silence.

"All right, we’ll discharge you as planned," the doctor said. "In the meantime, I'm prescribing a treatment you can do at home." He handed her a couple of pieces of paper.

She took them and folded them without even glancing at them. All she wanted was to escape as quickly as she could from that situation which was making her feel uncomfortable.

"Luckily there were no consequences and the child is fine; but you should rest for at least a couple of days,” he went. "You can have the stitches in your head removed in a week’s time, in any hospital. And keep the knee brace on for at least fourteen or at the most twenty days."

"Of course, I will."

"It would be better if you came back here for a check-up, before you leave. It’s a precaution that I feel I should advise you."

"I'll think about it. I'm also going to have to contact the health insurance people. Thank you, Dr. Legrand." She took her leave, holding onto the arm of the chair as she got up, then looked at the other doctor: "Doctor..."