Dreaming of Fate

The gravel crunched under my sneakers as I made my way down the road toward the dorms, the breeze carried the smell of rain, and the clouds above all but confirmed its impending arrival. I yawned, the late night classes were hell on the sleeping schedule, but it was the only real time Macro Biology was available that fit my current schedule, so off I went, trudging through the night with my fist wrapped around my keys like any respectable woman would in this day and age. I was humming to myself when, suddenly, I noticed the utter silence that descended, the quiet night suddenly became terrifyingly still and the hairs on the back of my neck raised up. I kept walking, just a little faster now. Then, I finally heard something. I looked around frantically but couldn't see anything yet, but the sound, it sounded almost like hoofbeats racing towards me. I quickened my pace again, but looked back one more time only to see a massive dog leaping at me with its teeth bared. It made no sound as it landed on my back. The only thing I could hear was the sound of my skin tearing and my shoulder popping out of place, and then? Nothing. *** I woke up slowly, sounds faded into existence and the light shining through my eyelids got steadily brighter. I groaned, the pain in my head was excruciating, and it traveled down my right arm. I opened my eyes, wincing as I did so, and looked around. Although it was bright in the room I was in, it was pitch black outside the window. I could see the sky through the blinds. Slowly, I sat up and groaned at the ache in my neck and shoulder. Where am I? I looked around the room and saw medical equipment placed haphazardly along the walls, and I suddenly remembered the feeling of teeth in my skin. The door opened and someone I didn’t recognize walked in. She smiled warmly at me. "Hello Riley Carter, I'm Dr. Jhonson, I've been taking care of you for the past two days." She said softly. "What? What do you mean two days?" I asked, surprised and horrified that the essay I was supposed to turn in - I calculated quickly - yesterday, never made it to the professor. "48 hours you’ve been either sleeping or on pain meds, it looks like you were bitten by a large animal, likely a dog, and somehow you've been healing very fast since you got here, faster than any person I've ever seen." I blinked slowly and analyzed my body. I don't remember much, but it had been a massive creature that jumped at me with equally large teeth. "So, if I’m healing fast that means I can get out of here soon? What hospital am I in?" "This is St. Michaels, it's not too far away from your dorms." She smiled, "Now, I need to get some blood samples to run some tests, and we’ll see if you're good to go by morning, now that you’ve woken up." I nodded and let her draw my blood, I watched her fill multiple vials, and she left me alone again. Boredom had me deciding to turn on the television bolted to the wall opposite my bed. It was loud and startled me until I was able to find the button to turn down the volume. "An animal attack happened tonight. A local woman was attacked and killed by an unknown animal. Police have yet to identify what truly happened. If you see any strange animals you don’t recognize, please call the police." I froze, and a chill went up my spine. That was my neighborhood. Did the same animal attack me? Why did it kill her and not me? The doctor walked back in and handed me a cup of water. "You were very lucky Riley, this animal nearly ripped you to pieces." "What was it?" I asked softly. Dr. Jhonson sighed. "Like I said, it was very likely a large dog, but we can’t say for sure, it was gone when paramedics arrived." "Did it have rabies?" I asked nervously. Dr. Jhonson nodded. "There’s no way to know for sure, not without the animal’s body, but it’s standard procedure to inoculate for rabies after an attack, and I've already given you the shots." I nodded, "How long will it take for the test results to come in?" I asked her. "Not too long, but I’m concerned about your healing processes." "What do you mean?" I asked her. "I think I need to move you to a better facility,” not what I asked, but okay “we don't have the tools to run the tests needed for what might be going on with you." I frowned. "No really, what do you mean?" Dr. Jhonson sighed. "You are not healing right Riley, your body is healing too fast, and you've already got a fever. I don't think you'll be okay." I stared at her in disbelief. "I'm fine. You just said, not ten minutes ago, that I could be discharged by morning if my tests came back clean." Dr. Jhonson shook her head. "No, Riley, you're not fine. Your body is healing too fast." "What does that even mean?!" Dr. Jhonson sighed again. "You're healing too fast for what would be considered normal, your cellular activity is so amped up that the muscles in your shoulder had already compensated for being pulled out of the socket before you even arrived. You'll need to be taken somewhere else." "Where?" I demanded, having received an answer that I could understand, at least a little. "A private facility, they'll be able to help you." She said. I reached for my phone, intent on checking my account balance because the amount of money this little adventure is going to cost is going to be astronomical. "You arrived unconscious by ambulance,” That’s even worse. “Would you prefer to avoid that nonsense? I could take you there personally if you like" She must have noticed my panic. Relief flooded me in an instant. The prospect of having to ride in an ambulance set my poor college kid heart all aflutter. As it is, the fact that I arrived in one will probably give me an ulcer. "please, I don't want to have to pay the extra fees." Dr. Jhonson laughed at that. "Alright, I won't charge you for the ride then." It wasn’t more than twenty minutes after that, that I was discharged, and I was walking with the doctor to a very nice car. I wouldn't be able to tell you what it was, just that it had four doors, and looked shiny. "Back seat or front?" She asked me. I shrugged and slid into the front seat, as I was buckling up I noticed her pause before also buckling up. "You can call me Emily. Jhonson is too formal, and this private clinic is like my second home." "It's nice to meet you then, Emily" I said, stifling a yawn. I have been asleep for two days. I don't need to sleep more, do I? Emily turned on the radio, it was a smooth jazz filled with melodic saxophone that did nothing to help keep me awake. I listened to her chat mostly to herself except for when I made some sound of agreement or disagreement. I wasn't quite sure and let her decide what I was saying. I could barely focus on her words with the sounds of the music dancing around my skull.