News playing over the Television

The mysterious light wave is the last in the series of baffling natural phenomena that has been plaguing the city of Oulphesden for the past several months and which escalated recently. As early as two days ago, there were a series of earthquakes, coupled with heavy lightning and thunderstorms. And last night, after an escalation in the bad weather that has been continuing for the past several weeks, it ended with the spectacular discharge of what was previously suspected to be a solar flare; recent readings, however, indicate an event of much greater intensity. Authorities are concerned about potential eco-terrorism or illegal nuclear research being conducted in the area. Sherrif Alex Mahone was unavailable for comment on the situation.

A small section of the Oulphesden Times:

Girl declared dead miraculously revived: Healing Dragon or medical marvel?

The Healing Dragon, which previously saved the lives of several people, seems to have struck yet again. Video footage was very difficult to recover as the lightning storm last night rendered most of the electrical equipment useless. However, security footage recovered from several home security cameras does show the same dragon of light making its way across the expanse of the suburbs where it emerged. While there has been no influx of miraculous recoveries reported in vicinity this time around, the author does wonder if that is entirely true.

An unnamed patient was brought in to the ER of Oulphesden Central Hospital some time before the Healing Dragon struck. Although the location makes it unlikely that the two incidents are related, the patient seems to have woken up, nearly half an hour after they were declared officially dead. The author’s sources within the hospital did not have other information except that the patient had been in a serious accident and had lost their life enroute to the hospital. No other information about the patient’s identity was available. Whether it was a medical marvel due to the untiring efforts of the staff at OCH or the Healing Dragon’s blessing, remains to be seen.

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At the Oulphesden Central Hospital the previous night

Nurse Yoh screamed, dropping the tray in her hands. ‘OH MY GOD!’

In the trauma ward, such screams were hardly anything new but they rarely came from the medical staff. Mari hurried over to where the nurse was hyperventilating.

‘What’s wrong?’

She pointed to the bed. ‘Sh- she-‘

Mari frowned. The bed was supposed to have been emptied now that they knew the patient was beyond help.

‘Where is the staff?’ she muttered, looking around. ‘Why hasn’t the body been moved yet?’

No wonder Nurse Yoh was shaken. She must not have expected the patient to be dead and she was still new enough that it affected her.

‘It’s okay, let me handle it,’ she told the nurse kindly. After all, the rush had just subsided and she had a few minutes to spare. Nurse Yoh shook her head.

‘She’s alive!’ she gasped, pointing at the bed. ‘Look!’

Mari frowned. She’d called the time of death herself for Jane Doe. What was Nurse Yoh on about?

‘That’s not possible,’ she countered, turning to fully face the nurse. ‘I-‘

There was a moan, accompanied by clear sounds of movement. She stilled, eyes widening. Nurse Yoh’s face had turned even paler, if that was possible.

‘G-ghost?’ she muttered, looking terrified.

Mari ignored her, hurrying towards the bed. The patient was lying still but Mari didn’t let that deter her. She touched the girl’s neck, trying to find a pulse and leaned close, to listen for her breath.

At first there was nothing. But a moment later, her pulse gave an obvious throb, and air moved near her ear in an unmistakable exhale. She pulled back, calling for the emergency cart immediately and leaning over to take the girl’s vitals.

Jane Doe had been brought in after a hit and run. There was no id on the girl, but she looked to be in somewhere in her early twenties, on the smaller side, and quite badly injured. She’d been brought in without a shockable rhythm, and had been completely unresponsive. They’d suspended all efforts of resuscitation, and after a reasonable time, Mari had called her death.

She’d left the staff to clean up and prepare the paperwork because the trauma center was busy even on the best of days and today was not one of those. With the weather wreaking havoc the way it had been for the past few months, and the recent earthquakes, there were plenty of accidents to keep them occupied.

But now, with the pulse there, she would be remiss in her duty if she didn’t do her damndest to help the poor unfortunate soul.

Jane Doe might have survived – which was nothing short of miraculous itself – but she didn’t envy the girl because with the state of her body, she must be in a hell lot of pain.

Mari pulled out the penlight to check her pupils and bent to shine it into her eyes.

The penlight dropped from her hands in shock as the girl blinked.

Her eyes were bright red.

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