For the longest time, all she knew was darkness.
No matter where she tried to look, there was nothing to see.
The ebony was as black as a starless night.
It was not warm and comfortable, nor was it cold and harsh.
It was just... there.
Except for her, it was a totally empty void.
Then, as if by some unrequested miracle, there was a spot of grey.
It was so tiny, if not for the stark contrast against the darkness it would have gone totally unnoticed, at least for a while because in time, the grey dot began to grow.
As it grew, the dot started changing into a lighter shade of grey.
Then the grey started shading into white as it grew even larger.
Soon it was the ebony existence that was fading as the now totally white sphere grew to the point where it finally started to engulf her.
As it did, consciousness and reality returned.
But what awaited her in this strange new world?
"Monica?" a voice called out.
"Mom?" another voice echoed.
Eyelids heavy with sleep blinked, trying to focus from the blackness to the grey-white to the mute colors around her.
A steady beeping noise was heard from somewhere nearby as four faces appeared over her.
Two she knew. The others were strangers.
"Monica? I'm Doctor Moria Alexander," one stranger said. "Do you know where you are?"
The woman thought about it for a moment. She knew she was lying flat on her back somewhere. And with what little she could see...
"S-some kind of... h-hospital?" she croaked in a harsh voice, trying to use vocal cords that hadn't uttered a word in days.
The lady who said she was a doctor nodded her head affirmatively as the other stranger offered a drink with a straw in it.
Monica sipped cautiously at first, then tried to sate her thirst until the straw was pulled away from her.
"Okay. Not too much at once. Your stomach hasn't had anything since Friday afternoon. Now then," began the Doctor, "I need you to concentrate. What is your name?"
"M-Monica Yuletide," the woman answered, which caused the two women she did know to smile.
"Can you tell me who these two women are?" Alexander asked.
Despite the neck brace she was wearing, Monica tried to turn her head, but then winched in pain.
"It's okay," Alexander said, then requested the women to move closer.
Monica stared at them, then said, "My fiance Joanne Howard and my daughter Karen," she answered in a somewhat stronger voice, as the second stranger moved to look at some of the equipment that was within the room.
"Good," said Alexander. "What is the last thing you remember before waking up just now?"
Monica thought about it for a moment, then said, "Getting off work and wanting to go home to be with Joanne. We haven't set a date yet, but—"
Karen smiled as Joanne fought to hold back tears.
"I understand. Anything else?" the Doctor wanted to know.
Monica thought about that for a moment, then finally said, "No. What..."
"I'm afraid you had an accident, but you're in good hands here at San Diego General," explained Alexander.
"Is everyone else all right?" Monica wanted to know. "I didn't—"
The truck driver who caused the wreck died of the heart attack he was suffering. Luckily, considering the freeway was on the verge of the afternoon rush hour, Monica was the only other victim.
"The accident wasn't your fault but yes, everyone else is doing fine," was all the Doctor would say, as she moved closer to Monica's side. "Can you try to wiggle your fingers for me please?"
Monica Yuletide looked down the best she could and was shocked to see just about her whole body in some form of a cast.
Yet she concentrated, then managed to start moving the fingers of her right hand somewhat, which caused everyone in the room to smile.
"Now the other hand please?" asked the Doctor, staring at her other side.
"It's a bit harder to do," confessed Monica, even though her left hand did comply to a point.
"That's okay," replied Alexander, reaching out to hold Monica's hand. "Now, can you please squeeze my hand?"
Monica did. The grip wasn't very strong, but at least there was one.
With that Doctor Alexander walked around the bed to Monica's left side while telling her she was doing fine.
Then she repeated the procedure for the left hand.
The effort wasn't as successful, but at least there was some action.
"Okay," said the Doctor, as she walked to the foot of the bed and pulled the cover back to reveal Monica's feet.
Both fiance and daughter winched at seeing the bruised limbs, but Moria Alexander maintained her professionalism as she asked Monica Yuletide to attempt wiggling her toes.
Then the patient was asked to attempt moving her feet.
However those results were the same as the attempt at toe wiggling.
Absolutely NO movement!
"Is everything okay?" Monica asked, seeing the looks upon everyone else present.
"So far, so good," answered Alexander, as she took a ballpoint pen from her coat. The doctor tried running the plastic blunt end against the bare soles of her patient's feet.
There was absolutely no reaction whatsoever from Monica Yuletide.
The Doctor covered her patient's feet then said, "Okay. Louise here is going to take care of your immediate needs," indicating the nurse in the room with them. "When she's done, we'll come back and then you can have a nice but brief visit with your lady and daughter."
With that Moria ushered Joanne Howard and Karen Yuletide out of the room and back into the hallway where Peter Talbot, Karen's fiance, waited; for it had been previously agreed upon not to introduce him to his future mother-in-law yet since Monica was unaware of her daughter's engagement.
"Doctor..." began Joanne, but Moria raised up her right hand.
"Now, don't panic. We discussed the possibilities long before Monica started to stir earlier. The fact that she woke up on her own accord is a good sign. A person in her situation would tend to have short term memory loss after such a traumatic event. I would have been surprised if she remembered anything of the accident at all. Now then, what is Monica's more dominant side?"
"She's right handed," answered Karen, before Joanne realized what the Doctor was asking.
"Which explains why that side was stronger than the left."
"But her legs..." began Joanne.
"Considering how she was pinned in her car before the rescue team could get to her..." began Alexander, thinking things over. "We still have tests to run. Especially in regards to her spine and brain. But the fact that Monica Yuletide is still alive should be a cause for celebration," she added with a smile. "Now, the vending machines don't offer much, but why don't you three go back to the waiting room for a bit and I'll come get you when Monica's ready for visitors."
"Okay," said Karen, taking Joanne's hand in hers, for her mother's fiance looked like she was about to break down and cry right in the middle of the hospital hallway.
TO BE CONTINUED...