Premonition

Chapter #3: Repercussions

*** 9 hours later, 3 am***

“Sarah!....” a voice said. Sarah barely heard it her deep sleep. Again, the voice spoke up. “Sarah!...” Waking groggily from her sleep, Sarah sat up and looked around the hospital room. There were no nurses or doctors. She was about to head back to sleep, when the voice called her one last time – by her full name. “Sarah Duranheim!” She startled and looked to where the sound was coming from. Keiji was sitting up in his bed; wide awake and alert. Thinking to herself now that he should not be able to remember who she was, Sarah thought she was hearing a ghost of some sort. But again, Keiji spoke up. “Sarah, its me.” Taking a few confused moments to respond, Sarah spoke up tenuously.

“Keiji?...” Sarah said.

“Yes, sis. It’s me. I’m up.” Keiji said.

“Do you remember me?” Sarah said who began tearing up.

“Of course I do, your my sist…..” Keiji didn’t finish his statement as Sarah bounded to him with crying eyes. She sat on the edge of his bed and leaned in to hug him. Keiji returned his sisters hug and they together sat in a long embrace, while Sarah sobbed. After a few moments, they broke and Sarah wiped the tears from her eyes.

“I…I thought I’d never be able to speak with you again,” Sarah said.

“I thought so too……what am I doing here?” Keiji said.

“You’re in wing 4 of the Mecha Station Hospital. For neurological treatment. We admitted you with advanced Alzheimer’s……five years ago,” Sarah said.

“I vaguely remember that. We came because I was getting headaches and forgetting simple things……” Keiji said who then looked away and thought briefly. “Sis…..if it’s been five years with advanced Alzheimer’s, I should not even remember who you are. What happened?” Biting her lip now, Sarah looked away as well and looked downcast. There was no other way around it – she would have to tell him. Sarah looked at her brother now firmly.

“I gave you NX7,” she said flatly. There was a moments pause from Keiji, then he spoke up.

“NX7….the outlawed memory drug? From ten years ago on earth?” Keiji said.

“Yes….wow you really do have your memory back if you remember that,” Sarah said.

“I do…..I also remember it’s outlawed. As in if anyone gets word you used it on me, you would go to jail,” Keiji said. Pondering now, Keiji thought to himself. If they stayed until morning and the nurses did their normal checkup, they would find NX7 in his system. Either Sarah or himself would end up in jail, and that was not something Keiji wanted for either of them. There only way out was to sneak out of the hospital now. Looking at the clock, it read 3:30am. Keiji figured that the only people who were up were the nurses at the nursing station; at the end of the hallway. If they could get past them, they would be home free. Keiji then addressed his sister. “Get me some clothes. There’s a broom closet right outside my room. We have to leave the hospital now. Otherwise we’re going to get caught.”

“Keiji, are you sure? Can’t we just explain it to the doctor?” Sarah said who started to look nervous.

“No sis. We can’t…..Using an outlawed drug is a high offense in 2082. Both of us would go to jail for sure,” said Keiji who began to take off the IV in his arm. Sarah cringed and looked away.

“Ok. Let me get the clothes,” Sarah said as she left the room. Returning a moment later with jeans and a green hoodie, she placed the clothes on her brothers’ bed and looked away. After two minutes, Keiji had dressed and was ready to go.

“Ok. Let’s take this nice and slow,” Keiji said. As soon as he opened the door however, a flood of pain attacked his eyes and Keiji fell back onto the floor in the room.