Re-Boot

Everything came back slowly. First of all, I was aware of noise. People talking quietly in the distance. Then I felt my toes, and wiggled them, feeling something soft and light lying on top of them, and decided it was a blanket. I sighed and lifted my hand, to scratch my nose, risking opening one eye, just a little. Not much use. I did not like the light, and closed it again, not sure where I was. I shifted around, and felt a mattress beneath me. In bed, then. My mind drifted on a cloud, remembering the rampage. Danny Brown and his stupid mates had knocked me over by running over the steel viewing platform, because it was bouncing all over the place. So silly and so dangerous. I must have been hurt, I thought, and there was that poor little girl with me at the time. I hoped that she was all right, and when I got out of hospital, I was going to have a serious word with Danny Brown, the idiot. Because I was in hospital, and all those dreams had receded, so much so that I could hardly remember what I was dreaming about, before. I wiggled my toes again, and tried my fingers as well, checking that everything was in perfect working order, whilst trying my eyes again. There was one of those big monitor things right next to my bed, close enough to reach out and touch. Definitely a hospital, I decided, trying to remember just what I had been dreaming about, before. Mum was going to go mental, if I was seriously hurt, but nothing seemed to be broken, and at least Gemma would have to stop fancying Danny after his latest act of stupidity. He had almost killed her best friend, after all, and I was going to strangle him when I got my hands on him.

I did not want to wake up. My brain was still turning on, and I felt so tired, as if I could sleep forever. Memories started to form, and I remembered being on the viewing platform, right in front of the Dream Stone, talking to the little girl in her blue striped blazer, with an old man in a tweed suit standing near us, carrying a walking stick, looking at the display boards, telling the whole story of the Dream Stone. I could not recall what we were talking about, but I knew I had been really enjoying the day out. Museums were not exactly exciting most of the time for most people, but I really liked history and the Victoria and Albert was dripping in the past of the British empire, which had really fascinated me. But the Redstone boys normally found a way to ruin things for everyone, and yet another Redstone rampage was the perfect way to do it. I had seen it happen hundreds of times, usually at lunch, out on the Astro, when someone would shout the word out and all hell would break loose. But I had never got trapped right in the middle of one before, and I really was going to wring Danny’s bloody neck when I finally got my hands on him, I promised myself that much at least. And I only got caught in the middle of the stupid rampage in the first place because I had wanted to touch the ridiculous old Dream Stone, of all things. Magic did not exist, so that was a proper waste of time. I wondered what I had been thinking to even bother with it, because it was a bit silly. But then, as my head cleared a little, I remembered my preposterous dream, or did it actually count as a nightmare, if it was as scary as fuck? I opened my eyes with a jolt, as if someone had suddenly plugged me back in to the mains.

“Hello, you.” Caroline said quietly, leaning forwards and taking hold of my hand, which was resting on top of the blanket, after I scratched my nose. I stared at her, and then blinked, trying to focus, as the full horror of the life swap came back to me, sweeping everything else out of the way like a tidal wave. It was not a nightmare. Magic did exist, and Kelly was stuck inside Olivia Montague’s body. Danny Brown, and maybe Olivia herself, had a lot to answer for, one way or another, but I was not going to be seeing them any time soon, because I was stuck in Olivia’s life. “Don’t panic, darling…you’ve been sedated for a very long time, so you will feel a bit woozy and disorientated, pickle?”

“Sedated?” I whispered, hearing Olivia’s reedy voice speaking for me.

“Medicine to keep you asleep whilst the doctor ran some tests…don’t worry…you aren’t ill or anything…beyond what we already knew?” She smiled, squeezing my hand in an effort to reassure me. “It’s Friday lunchtime…you’ve been out for the count since Tuesday…so, it will take some time to properly wake up.”

“What happened to me?” I asked, frowning at her as I tried to remember.

“Well, that is what the tests were supposed to find out…but you had what I have been calling one of your episodes…like a panic attack…and you passed out, darling…that’s all?”

“Am I going to die?” I asked, feeling confused, and so drowsy.

“In seventy or eighty years, yes…but not in the near future.” She grinned, reaching out with her other hand to brush my hair back off my forehead. “You just had a massive shock on that blessed school trip and it really knocked you sideways…and we made it worse by sending you straight back to school…because of those wretched tests. So…your system had a little bit of a meltdown, and here we are…you need some rest, but once the sedatives are fully out of your system, you should be back to your best…I promise?”

“Friday?” I queried, and she nodded, still smiling.

“Yes, darling…you have started the Easter holidays rather early this year…but having the next two weeks off will give you a chance to get over this…and you will…there is absolutely nothing wrong with you, I promise. Nothing we did not already know about, that is?” Caroline assured me, and I believed her, because I knew exactly what was wrong with me, and it was not something any doctor was going to be able to cure or even diagnose. It all came back to me in a flash, the pop quiz and the history test, the stupid incident with Samantha Fitzgerald, and then the horrific Latin test, which had pushed me over the edge.

“Sorry, Mummy.” I murmured, closing my eyes.

“What for, exactly?” She asked, making me open them again in surprise.

“I couldn’t do the Latin test…my mind just went blank…and I was…”

“Olivia…stop…none of that matters right now…and you are not in trouble.” She grinned as she stroked the side of my head with her soft fingertips. “In fact, if you want to talk about tests at all, we could chat about your top mark in the history one…and a report from Miss Cooper about your performance in class before the tests started, which she described as enthusiastic during a pop quiz and remarkable during an algebra lesson. I am not sure what went on in your head when you saw the Latin test in front of you, but before that episode, you had been doing everything we asked of you and much more as far as I can see? So, you are not in any sort of trouble…okay?”

“Okay…”

“Good…and I don’t want you worrying about any of that now…Daddy and I will help you sort yourself out over Easter, and everything will be fine…but first, we need to get you home and get you better.” She informed me, firmly but kindly. “Once the doctor has seen you, I hope he will let me take you home, because the twins are missing you…and your poor father is going out of his mind with worry…would you mind if I just popped out and called him?”