3. New beginnings

Two days later

Laoise's eyes fluttered open, a sense of panic washing over her as she found herself in an unfamiliar environment. She was lying in a hospital bed, the sterile, white walls of Hospital Albert Schweitzer enveloping her. The last three days seemed like a blur, a nightmare from which she couldn't awaken. Confusion gripped her as she tried to piece together the events leading to her current predicament. Her memory was a jumbled mess, with only fleeting images of a fire and a haunting encounter with a leopard remaining clear.

As consciousness slowly seeped back into her mind, she began to hear a voice, one that seemed to emanate from within her own thoughts. It was a voice filled with disbelief and anger, repeating incessantly, “I can’t believe she did this to me! I can’t believe it!” The voice, unfamiliar and intrusive, heightened Laoise's fear, sending her heart racing.

Amid her growing terror, a man entered the room. He appeared to be in his sixties, his presence calm yet enigmatic. Without uttering a word, he moved to a corner of the room and took a seat, his eyes observing the bedridden girl with a curious intensity.

Confused and frightened, Laoise managed to stammer out a question, “Who…who…who are you??!” Her voice was a mix of fear and bewilderment.

“Good morning Laoise. My name is Nosso,” the man replied in a gentle yet firm tone.

Laoise's confusion deepened. “Wh…what do you want? Are you a doctor?” She asked, her eyes darting around the room, seeking answers.

“No. I am here for her. She is too stubborn, so I have to keep an eye on her at the beginning,” Nosso explained, his gaze never leaving Laoise.

“Who are you talking about?” Laoise inquired, her voice trembling.

“The voice you are hearing is coming from the leopard you saw before passing out in Togo. Her name is Aja. She is the prisoner of your thoughts by day, and you will be the prisoner of her thoughts by night. Kae asked me to keep an eye on her when night falls.” Nosso clarified, his words weaving a reality far beyond Laoise's comprehension.

“Kae?” Laoise repeated, confusion written all over her face. The mention of the name caused the voice in her head, Aja's voice, to become louder, exacerbating her headache. In a state of panic, she frantically pressed the nurse call button.

Realizing the growing chaos, Nosso stood up, preparing to leave. “I need to leave. See you soon, Aja,” he said calmly, addressing the unseen presence within Laoise.

The voice in Laoise's head, Aja's voice, grew frantic, crying out, “Nosso, get me out of here! Nossooooo!”

At that moment, a nurse entered the room, her arrival timely. She began to check Laoise's vitals, unaware of the tumultuous inner world that her patient was grappling with.

"How did I end up here? " She asked the nurse, her tone filled with confusion and concern.

"You were found unconscious next to a tree during a wildfire. Firefighters rescued you and brought you to the nearest hospital. They managed to stabilize you there, and then you were flown back here early in the morning. Don’t you worry; you're safe now. " The nurse explained while checking her charts. Then, she reached for a tensiometer and checked Laoise's blood pressure. "Your vitals are stable…although your heart rate is a bit elevated. Let us keep an eye on that for the next two to three hours. Your parents were here just a moment ago; they've been informed you're awake and should be back soon."

Laoise's anxiety spiked again. "There's a voice in my head. And there was a man in this room earlier..." she said in panic.

The nurse, attempting to reassure her, responded, "It's not uncommon to experience some disorientation or hallucinations after a coma..."

"But I'm not hallucinating! There's a real voice, and the man said it's normal to hear it!" Laoise insisted, her eyes starting to fill with tears.

"Let's just take a deep breath and try to relax," the nurse suggested gently, though with a hint of uncertainty.

"I'm not imagining this..." Laoise persisted, her frustration and fear evident.

Meanwhile, in her mind, Aja's voice interjected irritably, "Fantastic! Out of all her kind, I had to be trapped with the fragile crybaby who had no backbone. This is it. I am in hell. This is pure hell…Are you listening Kae? You put me in a freaking hell! How dare you seal my faith with the whining kind? Get me out of here!!!!"

In that instant, the room's door burst open, and Laoise's parents came in. A wave of relief swept across her mother's face, and she cried out, "Oh, thank God, you're awake!" Rushing to her daughter's side. She wrapped her in a warm hug.

"I'll leave you to it," the nurse said, sensing the family needed privacy, and quietly exited the room.

Laoise's father, with a concerned look, asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I don't know... there's a voice in my head, Dad... I'm not hallucinating," she replied, her voice trembling.

"I know," her father said quietly. "Your great uncle called. He mentioned you did something bad in Mango and got punished..." 

"I didn't do anything! I swear!" Laoise protested, her confusion growing. Tears began to stream down her mother's face.

"Your great uncle has been beseeching the ancestors on your behalf ever since you left, but I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do, Lao. I am sorry." her father said, his voice laden with sorrow and helplessness.

"She said she didn't do anything... You must help her," the mother implored, her voice breaking with emotion.

"We need to leave the hospital now," her father stated, with a tone of urgency.