She wasn’t sure how long it had been since the trial. There was a window by her bed in the hospital. The trial itself ended in the afternoon, right before the sun chose to slide beyond the horizon. Now, the moon was high, illuminating the surrounding stars with a soft glow. There were a few stars in the sky. They twinkled softly, but were hidden by the glow the moon had given off. She couldn’t hear the city life bustling outside like she normally could from her own window. The soft beeping and buzzing of the town that had become such commonplace for her. The moon was so clear in the sky. It was always so bright in the city that the moon was always mixed into the scenery. But here, it stood out amongst the dark navy sky.
She didn’t move much, since it was painful. Her shoulder was a mess, wasn’t it? Most likely shattered, muscle and nerve damage. She probably lost a bit of her blood, too. Whoever the nurse was, they were smart. Propping up a large, fluffy pillow right underneath the injury allowed it to rest comfortably. But, holy shit, did it hurt.
With her left arm pretty much useless at this point, she sighed and looked to her right for the call button. Someone was really smart, putting her most needed things on her right. Her phone and her tablet (Someone must have went home and got it for her, since she didn’t bring it with her to the trial), the remote for the television that rested on the wall, and the button needed to call for the nurse. Gently, she pressed the big red button, letting it fall back to hanging off the bed. And only a few minutes had passed when a nurse knocked on the door.
“Are you awake, Miss Kogu?” She asked quietly, stepping inside and pushing her nurses’ station in with her. Umeko didn’t respond, hoping it was obvious enough that she was.
“How long has it been since my last dosage of painkillers?” She asked curtly.
“Let me see… My shift started about three hours ago, and the last nurse told me she had given you some an hour before, so… About four hours ago, m’am.” The nurse, who was probably used to it at this point, gave a good explanation while giving her the information she needed.
“Would be able to give me more? Perhaps up the dosage a bit.” She was quiet while asking. “Also, if you would, give me a timeline of how long I have been here.”
“I can ask the doctor about the dosage, m’am. But it is time to give you some more, isn’t it?” The nurse, kind as she could be, nodded politely. “I’ll get that second thing for you, Miss Kogu.”
Umeko smiled. If there was one good thing hospital staff was good at, it was making their patents comfortable and happy. “And may I have your name please? I cannot see very well without my glasses.”
“My name is Angie, Miss Kogu.”
“Thank you for your help, then Angie. You are far more obedient than about three-fourths of my employees.” A joke, really.
She could hear Angie chuckling. “I’ll get everything for you right away, then, Miss Kogu.”
The door slid shut, and again, she sat in silence. The light on her phone was blinking. But, she would ignore it for now. She was way too tired to even move her body. Did an injury like this alway take this much out of a person? She closed her eyes for a few minutes. She had been in a hospital way too much as of recent, even if she was a visitor. Whoever brought her work for her was pretty smart… Knowing all she would want to do was sit in her bed and work to keep her mind off the pain.
She wouldn’t check the news for a while. While what happened to her wasn’t the biggest story of the day, there was no doubt that there would be people talking about her. And usually, when her name was in the media’s mouth, it usually came out quite off putting and sour. Katherine wouldn’t face the media about the trial nor the shooting, and probably put an order out to the entire company to not comment on it either.
A few minutes passed when the door slid open, The nurse had made her way back in, a new IV bag in hand. Umeko let her do her thing as she carefully switched the bag of fluids.
“Sorry that took so long, Miss Kogu.” She smiled. “The doctor gave you a 10mg up on your pain medication.”
“Thank you, Angie.” Umeko stated, hiding her smile. “And the second thing I asked?”
“Oh, yeah!” Angie continued to mess with things. “Well, you’ve been in this room fo about five hours. The nurse on shift before me told me you were in ICU for about an hour or so before being brought here. Your husband left about two hours ago. He brought you a few things, including some changes of clothes. He was really nice!”
“Husband?” She tilted her head, trying to figure out what she meant. “I’m not married… Perhaps it was just a coworker.” She couldn’t even figure out who brought her all her work stuff at this point. Katherine was at home, and Alex was most likely with her… Which left only one… Possibility…. And if he did bring her changes of clothes, that also meant her… Did Cyrus really get a peek at her underwear?!
“But, we were told by Adamas to do anything you ask of us. You’re really famous, Miss Kogu!” Angie kept going on, finishing with the bag. “You’re always on television and stuff. You’re really good at your job. It really is an honor to treat you! If… that even sounds right.”
“So, you are a fan of idols?” She asked, laying back down and getting comfortable.
“Yeah. I’m a big fan of Sayaka. She’s so pretty, and she has such a nice voice. Her new hair style really suits her!” Angie chimed.
“Then, I’ll have to tell her that.” Umeko chuckled. “If you get a moment, I could use some tea. Earl Grey would be nice.”
“I’ll see what I can do, Miss Kogu!” Angie smiled. She was so young and passionate. Umeko was impressed.
“Thank you.” She said quietly. “If I fall asleep, just set it next to the bed.” She leaned back in her pillow, letting the pain killers do their job.
Angie nodded and left the room.
And Umeko was once again left in silence. The light of the moon filled the room, and the quiet of the world around her let her cool her thoughts for a few moments. Perhaps she was famous, and perhaps she did inspire the younger generations. But none of the knew how taxing her job is. Having a moment at peace like this… It was something she had forgotten about. Perhaps… this was her first real time of relaxation since she started at ADAMAS nearly five years ago. Though, there hadn’t been much time to relax.
