By George Woodruff

Part 3

She had the nightmare again, only this time; the gaping pit became a gullet that swallowed her. She drifted, not quite falling, not quite floating. The next thing she knew, she was alone in a long red walled tunnel, and cascading toward her were thousands upon thousands of ravening wolves. Each blindly racing the other to reach her. Some streaked past. Others crashed and flailed helplessly against the irregular walls of the tunnel. Several found her, grappling with her, each trying to lay hold of her. One alone succeeded and took hold of her, with anthropomorphic hands and suddenly she was engaged in a passionate trysting with a man of superb physical form.

She stared into his grey-green eyes as he entered her. She felt his strong rough hands caress her body, sending chills and erotic thrills to the very well of her soul. She returned his caresses, her hands brushing over the downy hair on his skin, her fingers combing through the iron grey of his salt and pepper mane of hair. He danced her through the stars. Their lovemaking was magical, she felt herself alive with passions never known before. Pleasures were introduced to her that she would never have believed could have existed. And when they were done, she drifted lazily on the verge of sleep upon a fur rug.

She woke slowly a smile upon her face. The sunlight tried to sneak in through a chink in the curtain. She roused herself, realising that her nightmare-dream had been just that, a fantasy of deep sleep. She smiled nonetheless, unable to dispel the glowing feeling that pervaded her being. The door to her ward opened and a nurse entered, smiling at her.

"Good morning, how are you feeling today? You look like you slept well," she said. Susan was amazed. The woman was comprehensible, well actually whatever had affected her hearing seemed to be gone for she was able to understand the woman.

"I am fine, thank you. Can you tell me where I am and how long I have been here?" Susan asked.

"I'll have to check, can you tell me your name?" the nurse replied in an encouraging manner.

"I'm Susan, Susan Weathers, why?" Susan asked, suddenly suspicious. The nurse paused and then apologised.

"I am sorry Ms. Weathers, I should have checked your bracelet there, but I find that so impersonal." Susan relaxed. She could tell that though that wasn't the real reason, the woman wasn't lying either. "I'll go see, and be right back." The nurse continued, as she pulled the curtains open slowly and gently. Susan blinked but found that the light did not bother her eyes. As the nurse withdrew, she looked about her at her ward. She was in a semi private room, but was alone. She was hooked up to an intravenous and there were flowers there from Steven, plus several cards from co-workers. The nurse returned and behind her came a young intern.

"Well good morning Ms. Weathers, welcome to the land of the wakeful. I am Doctor Lewiston, and you are in the General Hospital, you have been here for awhile I am afraid."

"How long?" she asked with trepidation.

"Almost a month," he replied. Susan relaxed.

"The last thing I recall was being attacked by a gang of youths and a nightmarish image of blood flying everywhere."

"Yes, that was back in April of this year, nearly a month ago. The police will want to question you about that, but I think that you can wait for a bit, before answering them. That dog hasn't attacked anyone else and may very well have gone off to die in a culvert somewhere."

"What dog?" Susan asked.

"The dog that attacked you and those youths. The Transit Police reported that it had your shoulder in its mouth, and was dragging you. When they showed, it growled at them and at the first shot, tried to pull you even further from them. Finally abandoning you at the end of the car and breaking out of the window to escape. If the fall didn't injure it seriously, the gunshot wounds probably did. No one has found any sight of it in the vicinity apparently."

"I don't remember a dog, that must have happened after I fainted," Susan said in a quiet voice. The doctor looked at her with concern, but then shrugged.

"If you don't mind Ms. Weathers, I'd like to perform some simple tests here and now, just to determine some basic reflexes." Susan looked at him and nodded. An hour later, he concluded and withdrew, and Susan passed lazily into a light slumber.

Steven came to see her during visiting hours, and she was cheered by his presence. Her mother came in shortly after he arrived, and he excused himself. She tried to draw salacious details and innuendo out of Susan but was thwarted by the fact that she and Steven had only had a tentative date for a month ago, which her attack and hospitalisation had circumvented. Her father arrived and at first things went well, until the bad blood between her parents came to a boil. Karen, her sister arrived and dismissed the pair of pugilistic parents to the waiting room, so that Susan might relax and rest.

"Seriously!" she joked with her convalescing sibling. "You'd think that you weren't lying here, having only just barely escaped a coma and they're ready to do a battle royal at the foot of your bed." Susan laughed at that and smiled up at her sister.

"How are things Karen?" she asked.

"Could be better, honestly. Jack left me. Apparently he's been seeing other women," Karen replied.

"Oh Karen!" Susan's eyes began to tear.

"Don't cry for me Angelina," she remarked, using an old nickname, "I say good riddance, and let's see how much those bimbos want his sorry ass when I strip him of his wealth." Susan laughed, shocked and amazed at her sister's fortitude.

"You wouldn't?" she gasped.

"Well not for me, but I own every property and business he has, and I will make sure that Brian and Jessica are supported as they should be," Karen responded seriously. Susan smiled at her sister. Impressed once again at her strength of character and self-possession. They chatted for a while and then when Karen noticed that Susan was yawning a little more then usual, she excused herself, despite the pleas of her baby sister.

"You need your rest, or you'll never get out of here, unless your plan is to get that handsome young intern to marry you first." Susan blushed and laughed at her sister's irreverence. She kissed her and pulled out the book that Karen had brought for her. It was a John Grisham, and she thoroughly enjoyed those.

Suppertime disturbed her from the doze that had ambushed her in around page 100 and she ate heartily. Then full and replete she read till she drifted off again. The Nurses' Aide that brought the bedpan was apologetic about disturbing her, but she was thankful to be woken for that necessity. Once again she drifted off while reading and woke late in the night, as the sound of crepe soled shoes whispered to her from the hall of a passing staff member. She slid back into sleep and though she dreamed, she didn't have any that were memorable.