02-01-2026, 11:02 PM
Penny felt the warm air of the building as she came in. She felt tired now and was no longer shivering. She thought that was good, but still felt cold. A hand slipped out of the coat unbidden. She was tired. So very tired. Her thoughts couldn't stay in one place for once. Her mind was unfocused. She buried her face in Anita's shoulder, mumbling quietly to herself. One of her hands tightened on Anita's shirt.
Penny was moving through the building now, but she didn't look. Every thought passed quickly, but often returned to "we made it." Hope wasn't there. Only exhaustion and cold. The warm light was gone, but she knew that the warm light had saved them. She wondered why she couldn't find it again now. There was something within Penny that stirred. A memory she couldn't place yet. Her mind was addled and she couldn't think straight.
Penny felt herself shift again and she felt Anita's hand gently remove her own hand from Anita's shirt. Penny was laid down on something soft - a bed maybe. Her clothes were removed and promptly replaced by others that felt warmer. Then something was placed over her body. More was added and it felt like a weight.
Penny opened her eyes to find herself in a room. She was laying down in a bed and blankets were covering her. Anita was there and so were the two other medics. There was another man there that she didn't recognize. Anita caught her gaze and gave her a reassuring smile. The stranger was doing something in the drawer next to her bed. He looked as scared as she felt confused. Penny's eyes went between all of them, but finally landed on the stranger, her curiosity making its way through the mind fog she felt. She wanted to ask him what he was doing and why he was scared, but couldn't find the words. At least not yet.
"Penny honey, can you hear me?" Anita's voice said.
Penny could, but it took a bit for the words to process in her mind. "Yeah," she responded, her voice quiet.
"I'm going to give you a drink of water, okay?"
Penny didn't respond, but when she felt herself lifted gently, she didn't resist. A water bottle was brought to her lips and she drank the room temperature water from it. Her gaze went back once more to the stranger. She was beginning to find it easier to focus. She wanted to ask his name, but she wasn't quite ready yet.
Penny was moving through the building now, but she didn't look. Every thought passed quickly, but often returned to "we made it." Hope wasn't there. Only exhaustion and cold. The warm light was gone, but she knew that the warm light had saved them. She wondered why she couldn't find it again now. There was something within Penny that stirred. A memory she couldn't place yet. Her mind was addled and she couldn't think straight.
Penny felt herself shift again and she felt Anita's hand gently remove her own hand from Anita's shirt. Penny was laid down on something soft - a bed maybe. Her clothes were removed and promptly replaced by others that felt warmer. Then something was placed over her body. More was added and it felt like a weight.
Penny opened her eyes to find herself in a room. She was laying down in a bed and blankets were covering her. Anita was there and so were the two other medics. There was another man there that she didn't recognize. Anita caught her gaze and gave her a reassuring smile. The stranger was doing something in the drawer next to her bed. He looked as scared as she felt confused. Penny's eyes went between all of them, but finally landed on the stranger, her curiosity making its way through the mind fog she felt. She wanted to ask him what he was doing and why he was scared, but couldn't find the words. At least not yet.
"Penny honey, can you hear me?" Anita's voice said.
Penny could, but it took a bit for the words to process in her mind. "Yeah," she responded, her voice quiet.
"I'm going to give you a drink of water, okay?"
Penny didn't respond, but when she felt herself lifted gently, she didn't resist. A water bottle was brought to her lips and she drank the room temperature water from it. Her gaze went back once more to the stranger. She was beginning to find it easier to focus. She wanted to ask his name, but she wasn't quite ready yet.