Talisman 01 - The Emerald Talisman

need to wait over there and I’ll get a staff person to assist you.” He pointed behind me. When I didn’t move, he became irritated. “Please, ma’am. Wait over there.”
    I looked where he was pointing. There were already a few anxious faces waiting in a row of well-worn chairs.
    “You don’t understand—” I started to say.
    “You need to wait over there, or you’ll have to be escorted out,” he said pointing more firmly.
    I scowled, knowing I couldn’t win this showdown. He controlled the door to this ludicrous facility and could keep me from going inside if he really wanted. With a huff, I obeyed and walked over to the wall close to the chairs. I might have moved, but I wasn’t going to sit where he told me to.
    I stood for five incredibly long minutes, but no one came through the doors. The guard stood straight-faced, telling the same thing to anyone who tried to come through the doors after me.
    I was beginning to think I would have to torturously wait there forever, when the doors finally opened and a nurse entered the room. She was ambushed by a group of people all explaining their situations at once. She silenced them and then motioned to someone who sat patiently in the chairs I was supposed to be sitting in and took them into the back. The others began to complain loudly, but the guard silenced them.
    I started to pace. The feelings in the room were putting me on edge and I needed to focus to keep from freaking out.
    I am here for Phil.
    I am here for Phil.
    I wanted to go outside and escape the slow painful suffocation, but was afraid I’d miss the heartless nurse in the pink scrubs who promised to get me. I looked around to find the source of all the discomfort I felt.
    I noticed a little boy, no older than seven in a wheel chair, with his leg propped straight out and his side badly scratched. I felt the pain throbbing in his leg and was relieved to see them take him into the back room. It didn’t seem fair to have him endure that kind of pain for long. A woman in her mid-forties looked like she’d cut her hand, another feverish and nauseous, an ear ache, a sore throat. I moved closer to the disheveled bruised drunk who nursed a swollen wrist. At least his inebriated state numbed me a little.
    But overall, I couldn’t keep straight who was feeling what and closed my eyes to block out the agony.
    “Julia?”
    I opened and locked eyes with the nurse in pink scrubs.
    Hallelujah
    “Yes?” I ran over to her.
    “Come with me.”
    I followed her through the doors, tempted to stick my tongue out at the security guard as we passed, but I felt his disdain. He really hated his job.
    “How is he?” I asked.
    “He’s stable now. We needed to transfuse him. He’d lost a lot of blood.”
    I tried my hardest to listen to what she was saying, trying to keep a straight face as I felt new and awful ailments accompanied by hopelessness and despair. It seemed to get worse the further we walked down the sterile hall of the hospital.
    “Is he awake?” I asked, attempting to keep my focus on the problem at hand.
    “He’s awake, but not very coherent. We can’t get him to tell us what happened or where his family is. Do you know who we could contact?”
    “I don’t know his parents.”
    “Okay. We have his information from his wallet, so I’m sure we’ll be able to find someone soon.”
    She led me to his room and opened the door. Phil sat up in bed, bandaged now, with his eyes open, but his head was turned towards the window overlooking the dimly illuminated parking lot. He had an IV in his arm and a monitor recording his erratic heartbeat. He still looked gray. The nurse left us alone.
    “Phil?” I said quietly
    He didn’t turn.
    “Phil? You okay?” I walked around to the other side of his bed hoping his hearing wasn’t affected too.
    His eyes were empty as he looked beyond me out into the night. Inside I mentally reached out to see what he was feeling and felt nothing. He was completely numb to me.
    Then he blinked and looked directly into my eyes. The happy Phil I’d met earlier was gone, replaced by this empty shell. I looked closely at his blue eyes. They weren’t so blue anymore. Dark fluid was swirling around his irises. I fought back a gasp.
    “Phil, what’s happening?” I said and grabbed his hand, leaning in for a closer look.
    At my touch he pulled his hand away.
    “I’m fine. What are you doing here?” he said, with a bitter tone.
    “I brought you here, don’t