A Mist Of Whispers Ch. 02

For Annabel had told the three people that had been inside the room with her and the local Hypnotist for St James Sanitarium, that her twin sister had been having these dreams all her life. Well for as long as Annabel had been able to remember. The dream hardly ever changed. It just seemed that what ever had been getting closer to her sister, had finally gotten her, in a brilliant flash of bright green light. Annabel admitted that she hadn't seen much because the green light had more or less rendered her eyes useless. But her twin sense had told her the instant her sister had vanished, that whatever had been after her, had finally taken her.

Sarah blinked, and looked down to the kettle, steam came out of its spout and she shook her head gently. Lifting it she poured water into the mug, and gently began stirring the spoon, as she put the kettle down slowly. She drew in a deep breath and sighed deeply. Lifting the spoon she tapped it gently onto the edge of the mug and put it into the sink. She picked up the milk and returned it to the fridge, and walked back over collecting the mug, she headed out of the staff's kitchen and walked to the elevator. Hitting the button she looked to the hot chocolate and smiled, she knew this would help Annabel manage to get back to sleep.

It seemed that the hot chocolate helped Annabel most nights. Other nights despite the calming affect it had on the girl, she would still dream. Sarah wished that she could judge when Annabel was going to actually end up with some sleep or not, but for the past three years it had been a guessing game to all the staff that worked with the young girl, hoping for her recovery. Although Sarah knew that the doctor's here held little to no hope of Annabel's recovery, for there had been little changes except the girl saying that it was slowly getting closer to her.

"Ting".

The elevator doors opened and Sarah walked inside; turning with the mug in her hand she pressed the button for the 4th floor.

Annabel softly sighed; she knew that Sarah would be along soon. She wondered if tonight she would sleep, or if she would continue to dream, but not wake. Lightly she shivered as she tried to relax most of her tense muscles, knowing that even though she did not feel like relaxing all that much right now, it could improve her chances of sleep.

"Ting."

Sarah walked out of the elevator doors as they opened on the 4th floor, slowly they closed behind her, she listened as she walked down the corridor again to Annabel's room, ears hearing no sounds, Reaching Annabel's room she walked inside.

Annabel looked up slowly, giving Sarah a weak smile, blue eyes flicking to the mug that Sarah held, before resting back upon Sarah's face.

Sarah smiled to Annabel, as she came to rest beside Annabel's bed, she held out the hot chocolate to her. "Here, this should help you get back to sleep I made it just the way that you like it." Sarah smiled again softly, hoping deep within her heart that it did help, that she wouldn't end up feeling as though she had lied to the girl, as she felt she had on other nights she remained with Annabel, watching over her all night, till dawn arose and the girl slept finally from sheer exhaustion.

Annabel reached out with a pale hand slowly and took the offered hot chocolate from Sarah's out stretched hand. She smiled weakly up to her, wondering herself. 'Would it help?' Even as she slowly lifted it; and blew gently upon it.

Sarah silently watched Annabel, in turn blow on the hot chocolate and then take a small sip. Annabel did this about 3 to 5 times before holding out the mug, her blue eyes meeting Sarah's caring coffer brown ones. Sarah reached out with a hand and took the half drank mug off Annabel, which still held a lot of warmth, and placed it onto the bedside table. She turned slightly, finding a chair she lifted it and sat it down beside the bed and sat down onto it. One of her hands reaching out to gently take one of Annabel's pale hands into her own.

Annabel snuggled back down into her soft fluffy pillow with the little bunny pictures printed onto it in pink, her blue eyes falling onto Sarah as she turned her head subtly. Before she closed her eyes slowly. Sarah gave Annabel's hand a gentle squeeze, as she slowly pulled her hand out of Annabel's and stood, her voice soft as she spoke, "I'm just going to the Nurse's station Annabel, I'll be back here before you fall asleep."

Annabel's head very slowly nodded, her blue eyes remaining closed. Sarah quietly walked towards the door, and out into the corridor heading down to the Nurse's station, softly she sighed as she walked in, and looked to the desk. She lightly shook her head as she softly murmured to herself, "Maybe during tomorrow's shift you might remember to not have your coffee laying around. Even though everyone else needs to learn to put all paperwork in the filing cabinet."

Even as she turned picking up a cloth and sat it on the chair, grumbling as she began picking up the now coffee stained paperwork dabbing at it lightly she laid it out on the floor well away from the coffee that was still pooling there. Slowly she methodically worked her way through the mess she and other's had made, putting the paperwork away in their marked yellow manila folder's before filing it in the appropriate cabinet.

She turned slightly looking up to the silver clock on the wall and blinked, softly cursing to herself as she realized that almost two hours had passed since she had left Annabel's room to come here, only with the intention of filling in the night's paperwork so far for the Head Nurse. Sarah hurried out of the Nurse's station her footsteps echoing quietly down the corridor; as she neared Annabel's room she slowed down and slipping inside her open door.

Annabel lay peacefully sleeping on her side, her long straight brown hair curled behind one of her ears her arms wrapped partially about her upper body. Sarah smiled to herself, as she walked over towards the bed and picked up the half full but now dead cold hot chocolate, and slipped out of Annabel's room, humming softly as she headed down to the Nurse's station collecting her empty mug, she went back to the elevator, and hit the button.

"Ting."

The elevator doors opened slowly, and Sarah walked inside, hitting the button to take her up to the 5th floor, the elevator door's closed with a soft sounding "ting," and she leaned lightly back into the right side of the elevator carriage.

"Ting."

The elevator door's opened slowly, and Sarah leaned off from the wall slipping out into the corridor, even as she began heading for the Staff room, and the soft sound of the doors of the elevator closing behind her sounded quietly down the corridor, she wondered why in all this time, it had been three years and the girl's Aunt had never visited her. Yes, Sarah remember the woman's comment about being a devout Christian woman, but surely she would come and visit just once in all this time.

Sarah knew that the reason why most of the staff here visited Annabel was to try and make up for the lack of family visitor's the girl had. It was disheartening to see a young girl of 21 years, have year after year pass her by with no family coming to see her. To herself as she entered the staff room she sighed, moving over to the sink, she reached down opening the cupboard under the sink, and pulling out the bottle of detergent, she ran the sink with warm water, and washed the cups, and the teaspoons. Sitting it all in the tray, her mind continued thinking this through. Sarah pulled the plug out of the sink, and put it near the tap even as the water drained out of the sink, she turns picking up a tea towel and dried her hands, before leaving the staff room. Heading once more out into the corridor and for the elevator.

Hitting the button, she lightly crossed her arms waiting for the elevator doors to open.

"Ting."

The elevator doors opened, and Sarah walked in, turning she pressed the button for the 4th floor, and leaned into the right side of the elevator carriage again.

"Ting."

The elevator door's opened on the 4th floor, and she after a moment leaned off the wall and slowly walked out, passing by Annabel's room, she looked in on her and moved inside turning the girl's metal light off.

"Click."

Sarah watched Annabel for a moment in the near darkness of the room, before she moved out, as she moved down the corridor, she checked on a few other patients, before re-entering the Nurse's station. She moved over to the now clean desk, and found the report she had to begin filling out if she at all wanted to manage to get it done. Finding and picking up her silver pen, a gift from a close friend many years ago now, she began making her notes on the earlier evening activities, right up to Annabel falling asleep. She noted that from what Annabel, had told her there had been little change to the nightmare; that she had been no worse on awakening than any other night that Sarah had seen, and could remember.

Sarah put her silver pen down slowly, and turning on her chair put the paperwork down onto the Head Nurse's desk. She turned back slowly and leaned back into her chair, flicking her coffee brown eyes up to the clock she sighed. It was only 2:00 am. Sarah stood, and slowly left the Nurse's Station, walking quietly down the corridor she checked in on a few patients, noticing that all was quiet. She almost wished that something would go wrong, at least then she would have something to do. Slightly shaking her head as she stopped in front of the elevator, hitting the button she waited for it to come up to the floor.

"Ting."

The elevator doors opened, and Sarah made her way inside, turning about she pressed the button for the 1st floor, and leaned gently into the wall. She closed her eyes as she waited.

"Ting."

The elevator doors opened, and Sarah's eyes slowly opened. She blinked before she recognized that the dark figure standing in front of her was only Kithan the security guard that wandered the corridors. Though she mused inwardly she'd never seen him leave the 1st floor except during the daylight hours.