White ceiling, sterile lights. The beeping of the cardiac monitor. The cold air was forced down their throat through a tube. Speech was impossible as was any kind of movement. It felt like their whole body was stuck in a cast. They felt no pain, just a full-body itch. Just what they expected if they were indeed in a full-body cast.
The beeping accelerated as their heart soared, which summoned a nurse. The nurse flashed a light into their eyes, causing them to flinch.
“Awake? Nod if you can understand me,” She said.
They nodded slightly.
“Good. Don’t go anywhere, I’m going to call the doctor.”
The nurse went away before the irony of her demand sunk in. How would they go anywhere if they couldn’t move? The nurse returned a few minutes later with a middle-aged physician lady. She hummed a nursery rhyme as she examined the instruments out of their field of view. Once she was done doing that, she put her face in front of them and smiled.
“Good. Good. How are we, young miss?” The doctor asked.
They nodded slightly. Not much more they could do.
The doctor sighed, “You are okay. I’ve never seen anyone recover as fast as you do. We’ll remove your cast and do a full-body x-ray before start with physical therapy. It’ll take a while for you to fully recover but it seems you’ll be just fine. Look, blink one time slowly for yes, two fast blinks for no. Do you remember who you are?”
They blinked one time, slowly.
“Is your name Gertrude?” Two blinks. “Martha?” They groaned. “Okay, Catherine.” As the one in control of the body, William blinked twice, then winced.
Catherine’s voice rang in his head.
“Sassy, eh?” The doctor grinned. “Let’s try it again. Is your name Catherine Wallenstein?”