It was the familiar beeping that stirred her awake. Familiar to the point she could never mistake it for anything else, not since she had begun to save lives.
Amy winced from the blinding light. Squinting, she glanced to the side and saw the monitor reading her vital signs. Her glance fell to her arm, tiny tubes connected to the needles inserted into her veins—IV drips. She knew what they were for and had already seen them enough to recognise them.
Amy closed her eyes and groaned.
I'm.. in the hospital.
Amy opened her eyes, blinking a couple times to adjust to the light. She looked around to the ivory walls, then down to the sheet that covered her body, and finally to the blinded windows to the right of her bed.
Her eyebrows furrowed while she curled her fingers, slightly twisted her wrist, and stretched her foot; everything seemed fine.
Pushing herself up from the bed, she pulled the middle of her gown and looked across her body. she could see her freckled bare body without a scab or scar—as if she hadn't been shot last night.
Was it…actually real?
The final moments of her life played in her mind. Her meeting with death, the deal she struck, and death's last words for her—"Do not fail me, Panacea." And could clearly recall that immense pressure- gravity, that pressed down on her.
No, there's no way it was a hallucination.
It was fresh and simply too clear inside her mind to believe even for a second that it was some hallucination. But that didn't mean that the being she spoke to was "Death." It could've been just some- some wannabe cape pretending to be Death, or a Case-53, or just someone mentally insane who actually believes they're Death, with powers that fed into those lies.
And yet…
"I don't have a choice do I?" Amy whispered.
What had happened last night, what she saw, and her current condition proved that "Death" was at the very least a powerful cape.
Recalling her time as a 'spirit', it reminded her of Glaistig Uaine, and that comparison alone made her unwilling to treat their words lightly. And if… if they were the real deal, Death..
I can't risk it, not when Vicky's life is at stake. Amy exhaled shakily. There's no telling what they may do.
Which meant that she had to do what Death had asked her to: Create a human vessel as durable as she was able to—Death's words flashed inside her mind, "-until your sister's life is due."—within twelve days.
The consequence of being unable to fulfil the condition was obvious: Death.
It felt short. Too short, she wasn't even sure if she could find the ti–
Amy stilled.
How long have I been here?
A sense of dread washed over her.
Her eyes immediately darted to the side, only to see nothing. For a brief moment, her brows furrowed. She could have sworn she felt peo– the door suddenly swung open and a nurse came into the room with a clipboard in her hands.
The moment the nurse looked up and her eyes widened slightly in surprise, Amy furrowed her brows at the brief feeling of… something rippling from within the nurse.
What was that?
She didn't know why but something about it felt familiar yet at the same time not.
"P…"
Amy glanced back toward the nurse and couldn't help but pause; something about her felt off, not in the sense that the person in front of her was different, but as if there was something more and out of her reach.
Her mind raced as she stared at where she felt that strange ripple… strangely, she couldn't see anything and yet something was there.. As if.. [Unknown Data Found]
[Analysing]
"Aghh!" She hissed at the sudden headache piercing through her brain.
Clutching her head in dull pain, she felt it warm to the touch. Wincing at the pain, as if her brain was squirming against he skull while being pried apart.
Resistance. Abnormal.
"Pan.."
She winced at a sharp pain searing through her mind.
Memories of that night flashed through her mind as if she was witnessing it once more, from the chilling rain, to the brief pain before the numbing cold, and then… Death.
Death. Unrecognised. Confusion. Assessing…
Again she felt a sense of dreadful suffocation.
It was hard to breathe, she needed to breathe. Her eyes roamed to a corner that was dark despite the light, she stared, it's darker, she stilled, yet darker.
[Unknown Variable][New Data Parameters Met][Observing]
"Panacea!"
Amy blinked—her headache gone. Her eyes widened before darting to a corner in the room…
Was I imagining things?
Then she noticed the concerned look from the nurse. Ah-
"Sorry," she tried to think of words. "I.. got lost. What happened?"
The nurse breathed a sigh of relief before smiling.
"Ms. Panacea, I'm relieved you're doing fine. You're currently in the hospital after your sister brought you in after she found you unconscious," if only she had arrived sooner..
"We have reports of gunshots where you were and we noticed holes in your uniforms, were you.. shot?"
"Yes," there wasn't any reason to deny. Guessing the next question, Amy continued. "And I don't remember their faces, but..." She closed her eyes as brief flashes of memory crossed her mind: "The man who shot me had a red coat with a black striped white shirt." But it wasn't just him was it? "He was.. also in a group, probably the empire since they wore the colors." It might have been difficult at the time, but she hazily recalled seeing red.
"I.. see." Amy noticed the nurse's expression change for a quick moment, before returning.
"I'll be sure to note that down Panacea-" The nurse glanced down at her board momentarily. "Is there anything you want before I go?"
"...Just some water"
The nurse nodded with a smile. "I'll be sure to get that for you, in the meantime, I recommend getting as much rest as possible." And with that, the nurse turned and left.