Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was the anemia that had finally sent her back to that hospital. For so long, Katya had avoided it, the hulking mass of white, or worse, foamy green walls. The hospital itself no longer frightened her, instead it reminded her of the things she dreamt at night, where the hospital turned into a menagerie of terror and swallowed her whole. But here she was, hooked up to an IV selected carefully to replenish lost vitamins. Her father had not come to see her. Katya was not surprised. Instead, she was bored and a little apprehensive.

The longer she laid in this room, the more it seemed as though it would come alive. Shivering, she stood, the sudden movement causing a wave of dizziness to wash over her. Grabbing the IV pole, she smoothed down her white dress and tentatively stepped into the hallway. As Katya left, she glanced back, heartbeat rising. Had something moved in the shadowed corner? She gulped and shut the door. Dragging her pole along as she walked, she debated trying to find the courtyard. Katya had no real aim in leaving her room, other than to occupy her mind.

Moving as quickly as possible, she walked the hallways. Most nurses did not look twice at her. After a while, she fancied herself one of the shadows of this hospital.

......Katya Manning..... paging Katya Manning.... please return to the nurses' station in B wing....

Well, the game was up now. Katya stuck her tongue out at the rudely loud intercom. The nurses remembered her wanderings when she was young, perhaps she should lead them on a merry chase again! Claire, the most strict nurse, poked her head down this hallway, clearly searching. If she found Katya, it would all be over. Katya turned and ran down the hall before slipping inside a door. Breathing heavily, she sank to the floor. She still wasn't up to this.

"Ugh," she groaned, rubbing at the dark circles under her eyes. Abruptly, she realized the room was occupied. Expecting the worst, she slowly scooted around on her bottom. Huh. It was just another girl. What should she say? What if she said the wrong thing? Katya's eyes widened dramatically, unfocusing. Finally, she squeaked out the first coherent thought to pop in her mind.

"H-hi. Um.... t-the doors here sure are sturdy."

In that moment, that exact space between the last syllable flying from her lips and her next shallow breath, Katya wished the floor would swallow her whole. She felt her skin flush and her muscles tense. Oh no, you said something stupid. You miserable failure. No, no. You can do this this! Those first words had been a screw-up for sure, Katya could not afford another. The thought of being hated even by someone she did not know terrified her. Taking a large, gut-wrenching gulp, Katya opened her mouth.

And closed it.

And opened it again. A cascade of tremors wracked her slim body. Gaze darting about wildly, she blinked, deliberately fixing it on unknown shadows, subconsciously searching for her dreams. Katya was nervous, even more so because this was the hospital. This was the day-lit, supposedly horror-free version of her nightmares. Forcibly, she raised her eyes to the other girl, realizing belatedly that she still sprawled on the ground. The IV pole shuddered as she pulled herself upright. Had the other girl called her strange? Flushing a deeper red, she bit her tongue and admitted the girl was likely right.

"I-I'm Katya. S-so sorry for barging in! I was j-just.... I don't like this place much, so I ran. I used to hide from the nurses all the time, you s-see, as a sort of game." Her hand twisted around the metal pole as she spoke. But her words came more and more easily. The other girl had red hair, she noted, looking at her directly for the first time. It was the red of sunsets, of playground scrapes and warm clay. A small tentative smile stole across her face, lighting her eyes. "I was wondering.. c-can I hide here for a bit? I think they spotted me." Her voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper and she mentally patted herself on the back. Six whole sentences to a stranger! As if on cue, a nurse called out down the hallway. "Katya? Katya Manning; I know you're here!"

Katya's pale eyes flickered to the red-head, waiting for the inevitable awkward silence. In her mind, past the nerves, past the sinking feeling, she knew this was an opportunity. Another girl, close to her in age... could this be the beginning of her normal high school life? Not if she kept screwing this up. The other girl's voice was pleasant though, almost soothing.

"N-need m'I.V, pole, though." she mumbled, holding up one arm. The skin around the needle was bruised and thin. Katya took a deep breath and counted 1-2-3. When she spoke again, her words were clearer, and a small smile accompanied them. "Thank you, R-rabia. Closet good. I-I didn't hide there last time." Katya moved, a burst of motion and purpose. Opening the closet door, she stretched up and snapped a folded sheet open. The closet, even though empty, had been used as storage. Several folded sheets lined the shelf and stacked neatly in one corner. An extra I.V. pole was actually in the closet as well, along with a side tray for the bed. Katya turned to Rabia and gave her a hesitant thumbs up before steeping into the closet. She pulled the door closed and carefully squeezed behind the tray, draping the sheet over her.

Two brisk knocks sounded on the door. "Ms. Humayun?" The door opened and a nurse entered. Her name tag read "Kensey"and she smiled warmly, although there was a harried look around her dark eyes. "Have you by chance seen a small girl with pale skin and blond hair?" Her hand hovered around Katya's height. As she spoke, Nurse Kensey walked further into the room, purple scrubs swishing slightly, and peered under the bed. Her braids swung wildly and she quickly snapped a rubber band around them.