Waking

 “Alice.”

The voice called again.

“Alice.”

This time, she could almost make out a face; a great haze of yellow cloud, and a blue – no, two blue stars.

“I’m sorry, God.” Alice couldn’t think of anything else to say. She had so many things to apologize for; how could she even begin … ?

“I know I’m good, but I’m not God,” the voice remarked. “Bringing you back to consciousness is not quite the same as bringing you back to life.” The stars shifted away, turning upwards toward another hazy cloud of brown and darker brown. The voice murmured to the brown cloud, and with a great rumbling a second voice spoke.

“She’s always been a bit eager.”

The clouds began to melt away, and Alice saw Tessa standing over her, and her brother hovering over Tessa’s shoulder. Eddie’s face seemed strange at first; Alice couldn’t understand.

“Why are you here?”

Tessa turned again to glance at Eddie.

“Alice.” It was Tessa’s voice, then. “Alice, I want you to listen to me, stay very calm; we’re going to help you sit up. Can you sit up?”

If she could, she would. “Too quickly, Alice! Careful!” Her head began to swim. She fell back again, the pain shooting through her forehead. They tried again; Eddie’s arm was around her shoulders, firmly, gently, following Tessa’s anxious directions. A pillow was quickly stuffed behind her back, and when she rested back, she opened her eyes.

There was Eddie. His arms were folded, his eyes glaring down at her from his lofty height. Tessa sat on a chair next to the couch, holding a damp towel to Alice’s forehead. Alice looked from one to the other, puzzled.

“What happened?”

Tessa and Eddie exchanged glances.

“Why are you – wet towel – forehead. Tess, you only use those things on … sick … people …”

“I know, Alice,” Tessa replied reassuringly. “No worries, you’re not sick; you just … you fainted, Alice.”

Something in the softness of her voice startled Alice, and suddenly it all came back. Something horrid and warm rose in her throat, and she nearly jumped off the couch. “My, oh … goodness,” she stared in horror at her friend, and tried frantically to turn and look around the room. “Where am I? Is it – is he – oh my goodness,” and she tried to stand up. “I have to –“

Eddie leaned forward and firmly held her shoulders. “No, Alice; you aren’t going anywhere. It’s ok. You’re in the Adams Room. The cops want to talk to you when you’re feeling better. But until then, just take it easy.”

“Police?”

“No, they’re not police,” Tessa frowned at Eddie, “they’re detectives. The police are here, of course, but they don’t need to talk to you. The detectives want to, though. They just have a few routine questions to ask.”

Alice lay back onto the couch. Her voice diminished to the sound of a water drop into a pool. “Is he – is he really – dead?” One quick glance from Eddie’s face to Tessa’s could leave no doubt. “What – happened?”

“We don’t know; but all the police and inspectors and detectives you could imagine are here, and they’re going to take care of it. You were really brave, Alice.”

Alice was startled. “What did I do?”

Tessa looked at her, surprised. “You don’t remember? You called the police.”

Alice was astonished. “I did?”

“Well, it was either you, or someone else claiming to be Alice Parker,” Tessa smiled. “You startled the librarians, and made a huge ruckus, acting very incoherently, as I understand, until they let you use the phone. Didn’t you have your cell phone on you? But you must have passed out right after, because they all arrived within fifteen minutes, and found you lying on the floor. Along with – with Jack Winks. But not next to him, obviously,” Tessa reassured her, seeing Alice shiver with horror. “Out in the lobby. With all the librarians standing around, scared stiff. They had no idea what was wrong until the police showed up. Speaking of which,” Tessa looked up over Alice’s head and nodded. “Here’s Lieutenant Radley now.”