Austin Texas General Hospital

Kathrine(Kat) Ines - Room A23

August 25, 2104

Roughly 2 pm - Earlier that day.

The pain woke her, it race up and down her body like waves of crackling fire. Unending agony was her ever present companion. She wanted to scream, to cry out, Kathrine wanted to die. Tragically the only thing she could do was blink. No, that wasn't entirely true, and she fought to move the fingers of her right hand. Through a torrent of sensation she felt for the call button. As her clumsy digits fumbled for the box it slipped from the bed. The white plastic device slid away from her to hang just out of reach. She blinked back tears of frustration. Nearby machines did the job of caring for a body that couldn't do it itself. Small tubes snaked into her arm, directly into her stomach, and into places she cared not think about. The heart rate monitor started to slowly increase in tempo. The soft beeps were moving closer together as her torment continued. Slowly she felt for the cord that lay near her pinky finger. The white industrial material was slippery, but she dragged it up a millimeter at a time. It seemed to take an age, and all the while pain plunged into her mind like a red hot poker.

The box felt slick as she dragged it into her grasp. She started mashing the button with all her ineffectual strength. Kat waited a minute and called again praying Tasha was on duty. To her great relief, the massive black woman bustled into the room. Her usually wild hair was braided into a black cornrow of curls. Kat blinked rapidly at her as the woman neared.

"Are you OK, love?" The big woman said as a warm dark hand pressed to the side of her neck. She was checking Kat's pulse. Tasha never trusted machines to tell her what she could feel for herself. The woman must have just come from eating breakfast in the break room. Her hands smelled like frosted donuts and coffee.

"You're in pain?" Tasha asked in a compassionate voice.

Kat blinked. (Yes)

"Dr. Gashiki is on duty right now." She said with a frown. Kat vaguely knew him. The man was awful and never did his rounds checking on the patients. "I'll see if I can't slip past his sleeping body for some of the good stuff." The big African American said.

Kat blinked praying the woman would succeed. Tasha to her credit quickly waddled from the room. She knew the nurse would try her hardest and be back as soon as she could. She was one of the good ones. Still, the fire in Kat's body seemed to reach a peak. The heart rate monitor was spiking with the occasional warning beep. Five minutes passed then ten. She tried not to focus on it, to ignore the pain. Her eyes half closed as she forced herself away into a little box. It was a cage she'd made for herself inside her mind. Just when she thought Tasha had forgotten the air nearby was disturbed. Like a riptide receding from a drowned village the torment was gone. It was replaced by a smooth tranquil bliss. Kat looked to her right and saw a syringe pressed into the IV tube. Wonderfully large black fingers pressed the plunger down. Down far so that her world was dulled and muted. The beeping of the machines slowed.

"There you go, love. I'll be back to check on you later. Mr. Forhan had a small accident and I've got to clean up." The sultry voice said. Kat couldn't remember who it was just then but she blessed the woman. The dark angel had descended and taken her away from hell, at least for a little while. The nurse moved to a red box on the wall and slipped something inside. She came near touching Kat's cheek with warm coffee smelling hands. Then the angel departed.

For a long while Kat floated, drifting on a sea of thoughtless time. Any errant notions she might have had swirled off into nothingness. Snippets of memory and dream mixed together. She slept again for a time, catching a nap before the pain resumed. Tasha also returned at some point. Kat limply accepted the administrations as her body was moved and adjusted. Kat didn't bother trying to hold a conversation, not by blinking. Besides she was still floating between heaven and hell. It was a place of purgatory. Kat could feel the pain under the surface but it was easily ignored. Cold antiseptic filled the air as Tasha cleaned her body. After feeding her stomach tube the rotund woman laid a heavy blanket over Kat's body. The cloth touching her skin would cause her terrible pain when the drugs wore off but for now it kept her warm.

"How is that?" Tasha asked looking into her eyes. Kat blinked a special pattern only they two shared, (More drugs, please.) The nurse sometimes gave her enough to last most of a day. Tasha pursed her lips looking sad.

"I'm sorry, hun. Your parents are scheduled to come today." Tasha said her voice full of worry and concern. Kat considered that then blinked once slowly. It was an acknowledgment but not agreement. She loved and hated the visits from her parents. It was so boring in the hospital that any distraction was welcome. The problem was she needed to be lucid, that in turn meant no drugs.

"Take care, press the call button if you need anything," Tasha said after checking to see the little box was still in Kat's grasp.

With that, the woman left the room and Kat was obliged to descend slowly. She had time in the hazy half felt waves of agony to consider. Her life was a pendulum of heaven and hell. In the darkness of night, she often prayed for death, for escape. Especially when she was at her lowest and the pain was at its highest. It left her feeling guilty thinking such thoughts when her parents still cared so much about her. Kathrine was just twenty years old. Still young enough to remember a time when her world had been happy. There were times Kat wished Tasha would accidentally give her a triple dose, to end it in peace. That sometimes happened in hospitals, but not today. Kat took another nap while she could.

Just after eight in the evening Tasha came into the room and woke her gently. The caress of soft ebony fingers over her cheeks roused Kat. She looked to the rotund nurse.

"Your parents are here," Tasha said before slipping out. Kat thanked the woman for waking her before her parents arrived. She took a few minutes to cage the pain. Her parents didn't need to see that, not from her. She waited patiently for them to arrive.

Kat knew something was different the moment her parents came through the door. Their faces seemed strange like they were torn between conflicting emotions. A third man entered the room and sat down quietly near the door. She didn't recognize him, and he wasn't a doctor here. Her parents broke apart and sat on either side of her bed. Both slid their hands into hers in greeting. Her right hand felt warm and tingled hotly like a sunburn, her mother. Father held her left hand loosely, but it was still a whole different level of pain. An inferno slid up her left side at his touch. Kat did her best to ignore the sensation and blinked in greeting. Mother was fussing with Kat's blanket straightening the thick cloth.

"How are you doing today?" Her father asked. Kat blinked once slowly. (I'm alive).

"I'm glad, are they treating you right?" He asked, and Kat blinked (Yes). She wasn't about to get Tasha in trouble. Kat heard the chair squeak on the tile and glanced at her mother. She'd scooted closer to the bed. Her hands touched Kat's long tousled hair brushing it away from her face.

"Your brother just got accepted to college. He's very excited." She said, and Kat blinked again slowly.

"That was nice," she thought. At least one of them would be able to do something with their life.

"It's why he couldn't be here today. He's out of state for a few days." Dad said, and she felt the fire in her left hand ease slightly. Dad raised an empty fist to his mouth to cough nervously. "Your mother and I have been talking." He said slowly.

"Dan, we haven't even finished saying hello." Her mother said hotly.

"Love, it is important," Dad said. Her mother scooted closer still, her hands working overtime fidgeting with Kat's gown and blanket. Kat looked to her father and blinked rapidly. Over the years they'd worked out a short system.

Kat blinked twice then three times. (What?)

"We were approached several days ago by a research group. They heard about you and are interested in your case." Her father said. His voice cracked on the last word, and he coughed again. Kat was both elated and suspicious at the same time. There was no cure for her condition. That was why she was here slowly dying day by day in her personal hell.

"They're a group from VRTek. They research how their technology interacts with the human brain." He said, but the statement sent her mother into a fit.

"No, I changed my mind. I won't let them cut her up, she's my baby." Her mother wailed suddenly.

"Honey," Dad said thickly but she shook her head. Her blond hair flicked about as she shouted.

"No, no, no." She repeated over and over.

"It's for the best," Dad said and the plastic chair clattered loudly as her mother stood. She turned to glare daggers at the man sitting near the door before she fled down the corridor. For his part, the man's face remained passive but alert.

"She's just emotional, and I'll talk to her later," Father said before picking up her left hand. Pain flared as he lifted it to his lips and kissed her knuckles tenderly. Kat's heart was spinning around in circles like a poodle chasing its tail.

When he looked at her, she blinked rapidly again. (What?)

"Maybe I should let Doctor Gedding talk to you," Dad said and turned to the man. Kat had to admit he didn't look very doctor like. He was medium height with just a little gray in his dark brown hair. He wore a simple business suit and she could tell he was fit. More than fit, the older man put bodybuilders to shame. His neck, shoulders, and arms were well defined. The man stood approaching her right side. Bending down he lifted the chair from the ground and sat next to her.

"My name is Doctor Ben Gedding, and I am the research director for VRTek. Firstly I want to say how sad I am to hear about your condition. No one deserves this and especially such an attractive young woman. You have my deepest sympathy." The man said in a tone that spoke like honey and milk. His voice had the kind of quality that was easy to listen too.

Kat blinked slowly once. Sympathy didn't help her with the pain. Ben was considering his words for a few seconds. Dad still had her left hand held tightly between both of his own. He was crushing it in his powerful grip. She wished he'd let go as it was quite distracting.

"We are researching the effects of long-term virtual immersion on the brain. Our team is looking for possible side effects to continual use. That is why I am here. We are searching for willing candidates. Your case of Guillain-Barré syndrome didn't match our criteria at first. Thankfully after talking to your doctor, we were assured your brain is healthy and fully functional." He said.

Kat blinked (How, what?) Ben saw her rapid eye movement and turned to her father.

"She's asking for more details," Dad said and squeezed her hand.

"We have previously done studies lasting ninety-six hours in length. With full-bodied people, they must eventually be removed from the VR to eat and clean. Over a period of four months, this proved to have inconclusive results. So we began to focus on keeping the brain itself alive." Ben stopped and looked at her. "Are you sure you wish to hear this, it is somewhat gruesome?" He asked, and she blinked. (Yes, Yes)

Ben nodded. "Through animal testing, we found a synthetic blood substitute. The nutrient rich NuBlood is dark blue in color. It's quite amazing in that it increases brain activity. Our earliest subject is on his twentieth month. That brings us to the procedure which is somewhat simple in description. You'll be airlifted to our facility where we'll isolate your brain from the body. We thread a tube into your jugular to switch out your blood for NuBlood. Then we chill your body to near freezing. We have a neuro-specialist remove your brain and placed within a sterile plastic cradle. When your EKG readings normalize we introduce you to the specialized VR machine." He said very calmly. It sounded like something out of Frankenstein's laboratory. If it could free her, save her from this nightmare. She'd do it.

She blinked. (Yes)

"Are you sure?" Her father asked and she blinked slowly several times.

(Yes, yes, yes)

"I'll talk to your mother. We have a lot of paperwork to fill out before the hospital will release you." He said leaning forward. Dad kissed her on the forehead which was one of the few places it didn't hurt. He got up and left the room.

"You're a brave woman," Ben said and her eyes found him. She blinked at him twice. It wasn't bravery, not in the slightest. She was a mouse caught in a death trap, any exit was preferable. To his credit Ben seemed to catch her meaning or could read the thoughts in her eyes.

"It's an unknown road to travel." He said and reached a hand towards her but stopped.

"Do you mind?" He asked and she blinked twice. Gently he picked up her right hand with his fingers. Pain slithered up her arm and into her brain like a narrow bladed dagger.

"May I check your condition? Can you tell me does it hurt where I touch you?" He asked and she blinked once. (Yes)

"Here?" He said touching her elbow. Blink, (Yes) He touched her shoulder through the thin hospital gown. Blink, the lower neck, Blink. His fingertips were warm on her jaw. They were surprisingly soft for a man with such a muscular build. She blinked twice, (No)

"That's good. I think we can help each other. You understand you would become a part of our research team?" He asked looking into her eyes; she blinked.

He nodded before going on. "I will most likely speak with you again before we make the transfer. It will take a week or so for all the gears to move. I'm afraid your father is right. A small forest will be cut down in your honor." He said, and she blinked her acceptance. One of his hands still held hers lightly and she concentrated on it. She wiggled her fingers the smallest bit brushing the inside of his palm. Ben smiled widely, and she felt excitement course through her. He got up and left the room as well.

A week, possibly two. It would be hell again, but she could endure it. There was light at the end of the tunnel. She felt tears beginning to well in her eyes. Kat tried to blink them away, but they escaped to drip down her cheeks. When the tears hit the corner of her mouth they tasted more sweet than salty.