“Mr. Derrick? Are you awake?” A nagging voice pulled at me trying to drag me out of that warm deep pit my mind had fled to. Slowly I opened an eye. Too of a cheerful smile greeted me. Where the hell was I? A look of concern filled this cheerful face. “Mr. Derrick you are at St. Stephens’s hospital. You were brought here two days ago.” Groaning slightly, I opened the other eye. “Doctor, Mr. Derrick is awake.” I almost whinced at the cliched line. An older woman, also with too bright a smile, walked in and waved the nurse out. She closed the door almost all the way and glanced down at an aluminum clipboard she was holding.
“Hello, my name is Doctor Rubina. How are you feeling?” I felt like hundred miles of bad road.
“Like someone goose-stepped through my brain.” She nodded and jotted some notes on the clipboard.
“So what happened Tom?” I thought back...a few memories floated to the surface.
“All I can remember was being struck from behind and waking up here.” I tried to smile it was a feeble one at best. I tried to sit up but couldn’t. The Doctor looked at me and smiled apologetically.
“Sorry, we had to restrain you. You kept trying to rip out your IV, while you were unconscious.” Both of my arms were bound with medical restraint cuffs attached to the side of the hospital bed.
“I am conscious now. Take them off.” More memories floated to the surface. I remembered, John screaming at me. Trying to wake me up. The inside of an ambulance, something being shoved into my arm, and screaming.
“Tom? Are you remembering more?” I glanced up at the Doctor, nodded. “What are you remembering?” I hesitated for a moment.
“Being in an Ambulance, and trying to rip an IV loose from my arm.” Doctor Rubina nodded.
“Anything else?” There was something else but I could not put my finger on it. She noticed my look of frustration. “It is okay, Tom memory loss is common from a head injury.” She looked back down at her clipboard. “And major blood loss.” I blinked a few more memories tumbled into place. “Are you okay?” I nodded.
“Blood loss?”
“A mystery that one. You came into the ER almost dead from blood loss, but there was none on your clothes.”
“I was dressed?” More memories flitted around.
“Yes, why do you ask?” I tried to shrug.
“For some reason I remember being naked. Most have been the blow to the head.” Doctor Rubina smiled.
“Other than the minor scrapes and abrasions on the back of your head and hips, there were two puncture wounds in your neck near the aorta. They are healing nicely thank goodness.” The hairs on the back of my neck rose. She chuckled a bit. “An attack at night, blood loss, and two holes in your neck. Sounds almost like a Vampire bit you.” I forced a laugh. “Well, Mr. Derrick, we should have you out of here in a few more days.” She turned to leave and paused. “Mr. Derrick, are you involved in any sub-culture activities?”
“No.” A white smile seemed to grow in my mind.
“Well be careful there are diseases we cannot cure yet. I will have a nurse come in here and remove the restraints. I nodded only half listening, I was no longer concerned with the restraints. No, I was more concerned with the setting of the sun outside my window.
That night I stayed awake thinking convincing myself that it was just a dream. I fell asleep when the sun rose. At noon a nurse woke me.