Whispered Voices

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Mac, oh Jesus, Mac, be okay."

I heard the pleading in Peter’s voice and I tried to reassure him I was fine, but the words wouldn’t form. He said more, but the words were too far off to understand. Everything faded again.

The next thing I remember is opening my eyes and seeing the blurry vision of an angel. But I don’t think that was right, because that would mean I was dead. I didn't feel dead. I had heard that when you die, you feel no more pain. That’s what made me sure I wasn't dead, because the pain in my head was excruciating. A moan escaped me, and the angel moved closer, but my vision blurred and faded to dark. When she spoke, her words were faint as if from a far distance. She told me I would be okay.

Time passed before I woke again, but I lost track of how much. This time my eyesight was clear, but my head still hurt. Making the mistake of trying to move to look around, the pain inside my head was fast and sharp. The pain started at the base of my neck and darted forward over the top of my head to settle over my eyebrows. It made any migraine I had ever suffered before pale in comparison. I moaned and in an instant, Peter stood at my side.

With a gentle stroke, he pushed the hair away from my face and I saw tears in his eyes. I guess I was hurt more than I realized for him to be this upset, and I tried to smile and reassure him.

"Jeez, Mac, you scared me to death. It's good to see you awake. Just stay with me. I need to get the doctor, he’ll want to see you now that you’re awake.” As he spoke, Peter leaned over and gave me a kiss on the forehead. It was a brotherly kiss, but that didn’t matter because the kiss made my heart beat a little faster. Thank goodness, he was on his way out the door when the heart monitor hooked up my arm increased its tempo and threatened to give away my secret.

By the time he returned with the doctor and a nurse trailing behind, I had myself back under control and my heart was beating at its normal pace. The doctor gave me a thorough exam concentrating on my vision and responses. As he moved towards my lower extremities, he asked his nurse for a swab and I looked into the face of the nurse as she responded.

My angel. I recognized her voice. Not only did I recognize her voice, but there was a deeper recognition, almost a recognition of souls. I didn't understand what was happening, but I had a premonition that somehow, this woman would be important in my future.

The doctor touched my leg, and I drew my breath in with pain. I hadn't realized that my leg hurt, but he sure made me aware of it. Peter heard my deep inhale, and he moved to my side, holding my hand for comfort. I turned my head slightly toward him and asked what I needed answered.

"What happened, and why am I in the hospital?"

My question hung in the air and there was a moment of silence. The doctor broke the silence, and started a rhetoric of long unpronounceable words as he tried to describe my symptoms and the cause. He lost me after the first sentence. I tried to follow his conversation, but my mind seemed to be fuzzy and concentration was impossible. Or, maybe it was hard to concentrate because Peter continued to hold my hand.

With a satisfied smile, the doctor finished his diagnosis and looked at me as if I was a good child and had listened well. I almost expected a lollypop for good behavior. He put his pen back into his front pocket, put my chart back on the hook at the end of the bed, said a meaningless goodbye and left me in the care of my angel.

She smiled and patted my free hand with reassurance.

"Well Mackenzie, I can tell from your expression that, as usual, the doctor talked too fast and too technical for anyone to understand. I apologize for him, he's always in such a hurry. He means well, but he forgets to take the time to talk to his patients. Let me explain in terms you might follow easier."

As she spoke, she reached behind me to fluff the pillow to support my neck and make me more comfortable, and then handed me a cup of ice water. I sucked the water through the straw to ease my parched throat.

"Mackenzie, a bolt of lightning struck you. Not directly, but in a flash-over. What that means is lightning struck the ground close to you and the charge jumped from the ground to your leg. That’s why your leg hurts so bad. There are burns on your leg. They will heal and you may even have a scar, but that too will fade. You’re a very lucky girl, six inches closer and the bolt of lightning would have struck you directly.” She watched me for a moment, as if making sure I understood her words, and continued.

“Now, you will have headaches for a while, and you may find that your hearing may give you a bit of trouble, but this will all fade away. And in no time, you'll be back to normal."

I looked at her in astonishment, and then over to Peter for confirmation. With a nod of his head, he agreed with the nurse. I looked back at her in disbelief. I couldn’t believe it, I had been struck by lightning. It didn’t matter if it was a flash-over or a direct hit, I had let the one thing I'd been warned against my entire life happen.

Florida is notorious for lightning strikes. The storms come up so quickly and people are often caught unawares. I couldn’t believe I’d missed the signs that I have been taught to watch for all my life. The tears welled up and my remorse change to embarrassment.

"Now don't go sitting there feeling sorry for yourself, or reprimanding yourself. There was nothing you could have done to prevent it. It’s just something that happened. Right now, we need to concentrate on getting you healthy and back to your normal routine. And the first step is to get some rest."

I looked up at the woman standing next to me, startled. It was almost as if she had read my mind. But that couldn't be, of course not. It was something much more mundane. Like the fact she was a good nurse, had been through this situation before, and could anticipate what her patients were up against. She gave me a smile of understanding, and as she moved to pull the covers up closer to my chin, I noticed her name tag. Moira, an unusual name. Possibly Scottish? I wasn't sure, but it seemed to fit her. She reached for my arm to take my pulse and it was like a second bolt of electricity shot through me. I looked at her, wondering if she felt it too. When she gave a slight smile, I knew she had experienced the same thing. There is a strong connection between the two of us, one I didn't understand, one I'm sure one that went beyond modern medicine.

Peter had been standing on the other side unaware of the exchange between Moira and myself. He kept looking at me as if to make sure I was okay. Finally, I returned his look and gave him a smile of reassurance.

"Peter, go home. I’m sure you have plenty of things to do without standing here at my bedside. I'm fine. The doctors and staff will take good care of me. I'll be home before you have a chance to miss me."

Moira nodded her head in agreement. "She's right, you know. All she’ll do for a while is sleep. I'm sure if you're here, McKenzie will worry about you. You can come back at visiting hours later. By then McKenzie should feel more like herself."

Peter looked between us. “Understood,” he said as he bowed to us. Despite my pain, I chuckled. “I’ll swing by your house, Mac, and pick up some clothes for you to wear home tomorrow.”

As the door closed behind him, I sighed with relief. That was odd because I was always comfortable, almost complete, when I was with Peter. But today it was all too much for me and I wanted to be left alone. Without even realizing it, my eyes closed, and as I began drifting off again, I sensed a change in the atmosphere. A static in the air almost like earlier in the day. I tensed in fear. The comforting touch of Moira, as she patted my hand, eased my tension, and I drifted off peacefully.