I had a skit planned out with Cedric penned up at the hospital.

But was that really such a good idea?

~ ~ ~

It’s strange how certain sights, smells, sounds, stick out in our memories and refuse to let go.

No small part of Myrtle Marscapone was inspired by her. A quiet wisdom, secrets kept seething until descent into an unknown rage. What could she have been, a daughter of another age? Could she, would she, have lost herself in adventure? Sharp edges of modernity obscured behind seaswell and the smell of salt. Joy and loss of self. Welcome forgetfulness. Each sunrise a new beginning.

She was with me in the final judgement. She wanted to see me win against the odds. She wanted to see me win, to escape damnation. She had a special faith in me.

It’s possible she warred against the Voice for longer than I can understand. Were we friends in the Void?


// QUEENS //

In a sterile room sleeps the young man known to his friends as “CEDRIC”. He is yellow-haired and pale. His familiar uniform is nowhere to be seen; rather he has been garbed in a simply patterned hospital robe and light blue trousers. Tangled about his form is a stiff white topsheet. Under his head is a matching pillow. The pillow is so thin as to nearly be unnoticed. A bold sunset filters through the window.


STRAUD//

Wake up, Cedric. Wake. Up.



In his unconscious slumber, CEDRIC stirs but can’t yet decipher the words.


STRAUD//

Wake up, Cedric. Rise. They are coming to visit you.



CEDRIC, laying on his back, opens his eyes. Panic sets in immediately. These walls, this bed. It’s not what he expected to see.

He sits up quickly. On his person, the hospital garment shifts, ballooning around his frame. In his view is an empty bed in front of him. The sheets are untidy, crumpled, suggesting occupancy.

He opens his mouth to speak but thinks better of it.

CEDRIC

[thinking] Where the fuck?



STRAUD//

You're in a hospital, Cedric.

CEDRIC//

Vlad? You're in here?

STRAUD//

Yes. I'm nearby. You, unfortunately, are in one of the Mortals' hospitals.

CEDRIC//

I'm in the hospital? How...

STRAUD//

We'll talk later. For now just make nice with the nurses.

We're going to get you out of there but it will take some time.

CEDRIC//

I can't...

STRAUD//

You can, and you will.

Your name is Logan Taylor.

CEDRIC//

"Logan Taylor"?

STRAUD//

"Logan Taylor".

Here comes the staff.



Exactly as predicted, through the thick door comes a woman in a white overcoat. Following behind her is a nurse pushing a mobile vitals station.


STRAUD//

I will help you. Just stay calm.



The pair enter the room, ignoring the first bed.

The doctor is painted carefully.

DR

CECIL.

IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU AWAKE. HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

The nurse says nothing. Anxiety is welling up inside the young vampire. He says nothing, eyes moving between the two visitors. He’s expending far more energy than he wants to.


STRAUD//

Calm yourself best you can. We will get you out of here.



DR

CECIL?

CEDRIC looks up at her from the bed, an awkward pause filling the room.

CEDRIC

THAT’S NOT MY NAME.

DR

YES…

[pause]

WE ARE AWARE THAT’S NOT YOUR NAME. WE LOOKED YOU UP USING THE NAME YOU GAVE TO US AND WE CAME UP WITH NOTHING.

CEDRIC

BECAUSE THAT ISN’T MY NAME.

The doctor looks back at the nurse. CEDRIC tries to work the glamour upon them, but he’s tired, scared, and his concentration hard to distill.


STRAUD//

I appreciate the help but focus on your lines.



A practiced smile spreads across her face.

DR

I’M GLAD YOU’RE FINALLY COMING AROUND. WE’VE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT YOU. WE COULDN’T FIND ANY INFORMATION ON YOU OR ABOUT YOU.

DO YOU HAVE FAMILY IN THE AREA?

CEDRIC

[pause]

MY NAME IS LOGAN TAYLOR.

DR

“LOGAN –

TAYLOR”.

CEDRIC

BUT MY FAMILY IS ALL BACK HOME. NO ONE HERE.

OR THEY’RE DEAD.

DR

I’M SORRY TO HEAR THAT, MR TAYLOR.

CEDRIC

[thinking] How did I get here?



STRAUD//

There will be time for explanation later.

Focus.



DR

WE WANTED TO TAKE YOUR VITAL SIGNS.



STRAUD//

No, I think not.



The nurse begins to take his own vital signs.


CEDRIC//

Thank you.

STRAUD//

Enough of the pleasantries.



DR

MR TAYLOR.

DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR DATE OF BIRTH?

CEDRIC

MY DATE OF BIRTH?



STRAUD//

Just keep talking.

I'll madlib the rest.



CEDRIC

MY DATE OF BIRTH IS –

And as if multiple voices are talking at once – the noise is unintelligible. But she nods, writing a note upon her clipboard.

DR

THAT’S VERY HELPFUL, MR TAYLOR.

THANK YOU.

WE WILL LOOK YOU UP AND ISSUE YOU A NEW BRACELET.

CEDRIC looks down. Wrapped around his left wrist is a thin plastic bracelet with a QR code. The few text fields are completed with the word “UNKNOWN”.

DR

DO YOU REMEMBER HOW YOU GOT TO THE HOSPITAL, MR TAYLOR?

He pauses, thinking of asking – but opens his mouth to speak instead.

CEDRIC

NO.

I DON’T.

DR

YOU WERE FOUND WANDERING THE STREET WITHOUT ANY CLOTHES ON. YOU APPEARED TO BE IN A FUGUE STATE.

YOU GAVE THE POLICE A FALSE NAME.

YOU WERE LET OFF CHARGES THIS TIME BECAUSE YOU WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN EPISODE.

HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU BEFORE?

CEDRIC

WANDERING ABOUT THE CITY NAKED?

NO, I DON’T THINK SO.

NURSE

VITAL SIGNS ARE NORMAL.

DR

THANK YOU.

She turns back to check the nurse’s notes.

CEDRIC runs his tongue against his teeth. A pit of panic falls inside his consciousness as he stumbles over an old familiar feeling: tiny, dull canines.


STRAUD//

Retracted.

An old trick of mine.

I helped you out. You can thank me later.



DR

YOU WERE DEHYDRATED AND WEAK. I’M GLAD WE FOUND YOU WHEN WE DID. DO YOU HAVE A HOME OR ARE YOU DEALING WITH HOMELESSNESS?



CEDRIC//

I don't want to lead them back...

STRAUD//

Prudent.



CEDRIC

I… I DON’T REMEMBER.

DR

THAT’S OKAY, MR TAYLOR. IT MAY COME TO YOU, IT MAY NOT.

BUT WE’RE GOING TO GET YOU THE HELP YOU NEED.

YOU’RE SAFE HERE.

CEDRIC

WHERE AM I?

DR

REGO PARK HOSPITAL.

CEDRIC

REGO PARK?!

DR

YES, MR TAYLOR.

THIS IS WHERE THE AMBULANCE BROUGHT YOU.

WE COULDN’T FIND ANY INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR INSURANCE.

DO YOU HAVE INSURANCE? PERHAPS THROUGH BENEFITS –

CEDRIC

I AM UNINSURED.

DR

THAT IS UNFORTUNATE. BUT WE’RE STILL GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU.

CEDRIC

THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME.



STRAUD//

Now is not the time to fight.

It's time for you to...

oh --

how would you put it?

"shut.the.hell.up."



DR

MR TAYLOR. THE POLICE FOUND YOU IN A DISSOCIATIVE STATE. IT’S OUR JOB TO HELP YOU GET BACK ON YOUR FEET.

CEDRIC

I CAN GET ON MY FEET JUST FINE, THANK YOU.

CEDRIC rises from the bed. A second bracelet falls down his arm.

It is labeled “FALL RISK”.

He glares at it.

Pushing off from the side of the bed, CEDRIC lifts himself to his feet. Surprising, however, is that his body feels groggy, unsteady, heavy.

The doctor and the nurse back up to allow him space; both appear stunned at his feat.

DR

YOU SHOULD BE CAREFUL.

CEDRIC

I’M ON MY FEET.

DR

I… SEE THAT.

[pause]

WELL, MR TAYLOR. DINNER WAS ALREADY SERVED.

I’M SURE THAT YOU’RE QUITE HUNGRY – YOU HAVEN’T BEEN EATING AS MUCH AS WE’D LIKE TO SEE FOR YOUR RECOVERY.

I’LL LET YOU REST FOR NOW AND I’LL STOP BY TOMORROW MORNING, OK?

CEDRIC

SOUNDS GOOD.

CEDRIC sits back down.

DR

GOODNIGHT, MR TAYLOR.

The doctor and nurse turn their backs to him and he suddenly feels the regret of a lost game of poker. Cards played poorly.



STRAUD//

Don't.

Even.

No food. No drink.

No food.

Do you hear me?

CEDRIC//

Yeah. I hear you.

STRAUD//

You go after them, you lose my assistance. You run the risk of getting found out.

I'll see if I can sneak in some contraband, but...

Surveillance is everywhere.

CEDRIC//

How long am I stuck here?

STRAUD//

I don't know.

I'm trying to get you an out but it's not easy.

At the very least, they've got your name now. It's one of our entries. That will be helpful.

CEDRIC//

Did... I...

STRAUD//

Yes.

We lost you for a while. It was all very frightening. You gave us all quite the scare.

I don't know what happened. My guess is a feedback loop after a use of the glamour. A computer virus. Malware.

It's happened to me before... just...

Not in the modern era.

CEDRIC//

Great. Just... great.

STRAUD//

We're going to get you out of there.

You just have to be patient.

CEDRIC//

Haha. Very funny.

STRAUD//

They've been feeding you. It's making you dizzy and weak.

I hadn't been able to reach your forebrain and talk to you.

All you've had available to you was your younger self.

Needless to say, your younger self thinks the hospital food is exceptional.



CEDRIC looks down at his feet. He has been clothed in socks: socks with a friction rubber adhered in a pattern upon the fabric.


CEDRIC//

Yeah. I'm sure my "younger self" has been just tickled with the accomodations.

A meal I didn't have to ask for.

STRAUD//

It's nice to have you back.

CEDRIC//

And you.



The hallway alights with someone yelling into a telephone. But it quickly quiets down.


STRAUD//

The other explanation is, well...



CEDRIC senses his mind’s eye become filled by the impression of the late SVETLANA OBOROVSKY.


CEDRIC//

Svetlana...

STRAUD//

She was beautiful.

I'm still not at peace with what happened.

I'm sorry, Cedric.

CEDRIC//

Yeah. I am too.

STRAUD//

She wasn't well.

CEDRIC//

I know.

STRAUD//

I think she gave you the best of herself. You were good to her.

CEDRIC//

Thanks.



More yelling in the hallway. Disappates.


STRAUD//

It's very typical for these sorts of things to get ahold of us around periods of mourning and trauma.

CEDRIC//

Yeah, sure. That might be true of Mortals.

STRAUD//

You're younger than you think.

CEDRIC//

Everyone is young to you, Gramps.

STRAUD//

I resent that remark.

CEDRIC//

You resemble that remark.

STRAUD//

Oof. Got me again.

Jokes aside --

CEDRIC//

Yeah, I miss her.

STRAUD//

She was a good one.

CEDRIC//

Yeah. She was.



The door squeaks as it opens. In walks CEDRIC’s roommate.

CEDRIC lays on the bed, sheet underneath him.


STRAUD//

Remember...

CEDRIC//

No feeding. Yeah. I got it.

STRAUD//

The thirst will get worse.

Your younger self didn't believe in the thirst so it didn't affect him.

But you do.

CEDRIC//

Yeah.

STRAUD//

I gave you a Bible.

Read it.

Pass some time.

You got time to kill. Just... try not to dwell on the things you can't change. You've got more important things to worry about.

CEDRIC//

Did I get anyone else in trouble?

STRAUD//

No. We're all safe. But we're worried about you.

They don't have the experience I do. So they don't know what to expect.

This isn't just a misplaced bone --

it's more, and less, than a Mortal's illness.

Medication, for one, isn't of much use in this situation. They're going to give it to you, but in the absence of the humours they'd expect...



Suddenly, a voice from the other side of the room erupts.

ROOMMATE

ROOMIE? YOU FINALLY AWAKE?

CEDRIC pauses for a moment, to recontre, recognize the gravely tone.

CEDRIC

UH… YEAH.

I GUESS I AM.

ROOMMATE

YOU BEEN SLEEPWALKING OR SOMETHING, I DON’T EVEN KNOW.

THE WHOLE WARD IS A BUZZ ABOUT YOU.

He was uncomfortable at the thought of the pseudo-celebrity status he had on this unknown playing field. He barely understood where, when, and why he was.

CEDRIC

THAT’S GREAT.

ROOMMATE

HAVEN’T TALKED TO NOBODY. KIND OF WEIRD.

[pause]

BUT YOU SEEM BETTER NOW. WHERE YOU FROM?

CEDRIC feels irritation well up, suggesting a tightening of his fists, but he tries to relax. If all signs are true, there’s no telling how long he’ll be here. He makes an attempt at diplomacy.

CEDRIC

I… I DON’T REMEMBER.

ROOMMATE

AW MAN. YOU GOT YOURSELF SOME AMNESIA, HUH?

I THOUGHT THAT ONLY HAPPENED IN THE MOVIES. MAYBE YOU’RE NOT FULLY AWAKE.

CEDRIC

YEAH. I DON’T KNOW.

I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD KNOW, BUT I DON’T.



STRAUD//

Good, good.



ROOMMATE

YOU GOT A NAME?

CEDRIC

LOGAN TAYLOR.

ROOMMATE

I’M RANDALL.

CEDRIC

“RANDALL”.

RANDALL

YOU CAN CALL ME “RANDY” IF YOU LIKE. DON’T BOTHER ME.

[pause]

SO HOW’S COME YOU CAN REMEMBER YOUR NAME BUT NOT WHERE YOU COME FROM?

CEDRIC

I DON’T KNOW.

A sudden burst of embarrassment wells up inside him. A voice of encouragement tries to calm him.


STRAUD//

It's natural, it's okay. You're bound to feel this.



RANDALL

WAS YOU BORN HERE?



STRAUD//

Just step into the hallway. Get the lay of your surroundings. That usually helps you.



CEDRIC

I DON’T KNOW – I –

He lifts himself from his bed and hastily makes his way toward the exit.

CEDRIC

I GOTTA TAKE A WALK.

His body is heavy, tired. But sleep will provide little relief. What he wants, he cannot have.

The hallway is sufficiently lit. At the end of the passage, to his right, is a window. It is almost possible to miss the window with the high level of artificial lighting. Outside, the sky dims. From the left comes the buzz of a common area.

The noise is muted, indistinct. It’s possible there is a movie playing but it’s too difficult to tell from here.

Panic continues to set in. How did he get here? How did he lose his sense-of-self? His higher order thinking? The loyalty to his friends? The feeling of shame fills him and covers his heart. There’s nothing to do but walk.

He is flanked on either side by dormitory doors. One man with an unsteady gait progresses down the hallway. Of course the vow of shared silence forbids him to offer assistance.

The hallway fades into a junction of nurses’ station and what he can only imagine is the exit. Courtesy states he may look but never touch.


STRAUD//

You'll get out of here. You just have to be patient.

You just have to waste some time. You have plenty of that.

It's just your habit, rushing around.

CEDRIC//

You don't waste time.

STRAUD//

I try not to.

No, it's entirely true that even we don't have enough.

CEDRIC//

I tend to feel the same.



CEDRIC looks back behind himself. Light fills the hallway along with the muffled speech of a feature film.


CEDRIC//

It all seems so comical.

They have no idea that their lives... their world -- hangs in the balance.

I've got to get back to it.

STRAUD//

You will.

CEDRIC//

I was actually presenting as my younger self?

I guess amnesia seems more and more likely.

STRAUD//

That was the best spin I could put on it.

You didn't recognize me.

And for that matter, I didn't recognize you.