Music. She heard music. A piano. Piano music.
Her fingers itched. They wanted to play too.
Something clung to her like multiple layers of cling wrap, trying to hold her down in the groggy, lazy realm of sleep. Stacey fought against the sticky, cloying dark. She clawed through the sheets of cling wrap and climbed. Climbed up toward the music. Toward the light. Whenever she got tired, she felt herself slipping back down.
No. No. She couldn't let herself slip back down. She had the feeling that if she didn't wake up soon, she might never wake up again.
It was a long, hard slog. Like climbing a steep mountain with a slippery, sliding surface filled with a kaleidoscope of colours and images. If she lost concentration and started to get distracted by the sounds and colours being projected at her, she'd slip back several places and the subsequent climb would be more difficult. It was as if the dreamlike images were wearing away at any hand or foot holds.
Stacey clambered and slipped but aimed for the piano music. She could hear it outside. Outside this dreamworld. Calling her.
"Stacey, Stacey, wake up."
Voices were calling her. The sound far away as if they were on a different mountain.
"Hey Stacey."
Wait, that voice wasn't from outside. Stacey turned around from the mountain face with a frown.
"I'm sorry I didn't manage to protect you," said a boy standing on nothing in the middle of nowhere. What was his name? She knew him from before. He was one of the trainee friends she'd made, right? "I tried but I got hit hard. I didn't make it. You tell Ken not to worry anymore and to be happy, ok? I'm glad you survived. You gotta wake up. The others are waiting for you. Ken's worried. Flail - well, he might never want to see you again now that he's lost a leg, but he's worried too."
Stacey continued to stare, forgetting about climbing the mountain and struggled to remember the boy's name.
"Endo. I'm Endo," the boy gave her a smile and held out a fist for a fist bump. "Respect. I heard you were hurt pretty bad but still did your community hours without a word before fainting. Real respect. Man, you're so tough, girl. I wish I'd been tougher and stronger."
Stacey reached out to fist bump him in a daze.
"In short, I'm here to give you a boost. Help you find your way back before we go our separate ways."
Endo took Stacey's hand and pulled her up.
"Thank Ken for me and give him a hug. I owe him so much. And don't feel bad for me. Don't blame yourself. We're friends. Always friends. Respect."
The voice faded in her ears when she felt herself whooshing up toward the surface, toward the light and cold air.
It was like emerging from deep water. Sounds and lights and images were completely different. They came into focus. A sharp contrast. Almost a shock.
Soft piano music continued to play in the background. A multitude of machines beeped and chimed with steady noises. Noisy. It was so noisy.
"Stacey! Stacey, you're awake! Sir! Lord Huo, she's awake!"
A familiar boy choked while he shouted and cried at the same time. He was wearing a hospital gown and sitting by her side, holding her hand. He was familiar. Very familiar. His name? He was…
"Ken," Stacey heard her voice croak. "You're Ken?"
"Yes! That's me!" the boy hugged her on the bed and sobbed. "I thought you might never wake up and slip away like Endo."
"Endo?"
That reminded Stacey of the boy who had given her a hand up the mountain.
"Endo's gone," Ken cried. "I promised him and his family that I'd look after him and I didn't protect him well enough. He's gone, Stacey. He's gone."
"He said, 'Thank you for everything,' and 'not to feel bad,'" Stacey stroked Ken's head. "Endo told me to tell you to stop worrying. He's ok. He owes you a lot but couldn't return the favour. He's sorry. Don't feel bad for him. Don't blame yourself," Stacey hugged the bawling teenager in her arms. "And you know, respect."
"You saw him?" Ken sobbed.
"Yeah," Stacey said, looking up at the ceiling wondering why her heart felt so sad when she could barely remember who he was. All she knew was that they were friends. "He said we're all friends. Always friends. He helped me wake up. I couldn't wake up."
Stacey felt tired again all of a sudden. She wondered why. She closed her eyes for a moment.
"Alright, that's enough. Don't drown her in your tears," a woman with short hair patted Ken's back in a comforting manner. "You'll scare her away."
The woman was familiar too. Stacey couldn't seem to remember from where. She was too tired to think.
"Look, she's fallen asleep again."
A heavy hand stroked Stacey's hair and cheek. It felt tired too.
"At least we know that she's back with us in the land of the living," the woman's voice said. "Lord Huo, you should go and get some sleep yourself. You haven't slept for a few days either. If you don't rest, your assistants and secretaries are all going to start having breakdowns from trying to keep up with you. If you and your staff are all admitted to hospital as well, how are you going to keep an eye on Stacey and keep the company running? Go and rest, sir."
There was a long silence filled by a long and deep sigh. Then a yawn.
"Fine," said a hoarse and low voice.
"The nurses said that wall behind you is a fold down bed. All we have to do is move the chairs and get you a sheet."
There was the sound of moving furniture with thumps and short screeches of chairs being dragged. Then there was bustling and rustling amongst various footsteps. A long moment later and there was the creaking sound of someone getting on a bed, followed by twin thumps of shoes falling. Another long sigh followed.
Stacey felt the hand start stroking her cheek and head again. It moved slower and slower and then paused before it slid off her cheek and landed beside her with a light thud.