Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Chapter 2 When Sam awoke he was in bed in a large white room, with
white-dressed people all around him.  His arm was slightly sore, and hard
objects were pressed against his scalp, which itched.  It took him a few
seconds to realize that he was in a hospital; there was an IV drip in his
arm and sensors stuck to his head and chest.

   An older man leaned over and said, "Hello, Sam.  How are you feeling?"

   Sam thought about that for a moment.  He still felt light-headed and
weak, and the roaring in his ears was still there, but only very faintly.

   "I feel all right, I guess," he said.  "What happened?"

   "What do you remember?" the doctor (as Sam deduced he was) asked.

   "I was at the museum," Sam recalled.  "Everything went gray...I guess I
must have fainted," he added with chagrin.

   Looks were exchanged, and the doctor said, "More than just fainted. 
You've been unconscious for three days."

   "Three days!" Sam said.  He added that up.  "You mean, today is Friday?"

   "That's right," the doctor said, smiling a bit.  "So, you can figure out
what day it is?"

   "Sure," Sam said, confused.  Why shouldn't he be able to?  "What's wrong
with me?"

   "Well, we don't exactly know that," the doctor admitted.  "Your heart
and breathing seemed fine, and your brain activity was...well, not exactly
normal, but certainly didn't indicate any damage.  X-rays and MRI didn't
show any injury.  It was just like you were asleep."

   "Asleep for three days?" Sam said.

   "Yes.  If you feel up to it, we'd like you to take some tests," the
doctor went on.  "Perhaps we can figure out what happened."

   "Sure, I feel up to it," Sam said.

   "Wonderful!" the doctor beamed.  "We'll get them ready.  But first you
should see your family...they've been very worried about you."

   "They're here?" Sam asked.

   "They've been here most of the last three days," the doctor said, rising
to his feet.  "I'll send them in."

   Sam's mother Caroline and his sister Joan entered the room quietly, as
though expecting to find him at death's door.  The two of them looked very
similar -- his mother tall, with red hair and green eyes, his sister a bit
shorter with auburn hair, but otherwise taking after her mother.  Sam had
always looked more like his father, James, whom he barely remembered.  Sam
grinned at his mother and sister as reassuringly as possible, and Caroline
threw her arms around him and held him tightly.

   "We were so worried about you," she said.  Sam could feel that she was
crying against him, and Joan's eyes were also bright.  He was embarrassed,
and guilty that he had worried them so much.

   "It's all right, Mom," he said, patting her back clumsily.  "I'm fine."

   "How do you feel?" Joan asked, taking his hand.  This too was an unusual
display -- she was only a year older than him, and normally they were
careful to maintain their personal space.  She often pretended to disdain
her younger brother, but her real affection for him was obvious now.  Sam
felt flattered and gratified.

   "I'm all right," he said.  "A little weak is all.  Sorry to worry you."

   His mother looked up, wiping her eyes.  "The doctors couldn't figure out
what was wrong.  You just seemed to be asleep, but you couldn't wake up."
Her eyes clouded again at the memory.

   "Well, I'm awake now," Sam hastily said.  "The doctors want to do some
tests, but I feel fine.  None the worse for wear."

   "Gina was saying you just did it to get out of your algebra test," Joan
joked, trying to ease the tension.

   Sam smiled.  "Well, I imagine Mrs.  Gray will just make me make it up."
His mother managed a somewhat watery smile.

   A nurse poked her head into the room and cleared her throat
apologetically.  "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need to start the tests."

   "Give us a minute," Sam protested, but Caroline promptly got up and
started to leave.

   "No, no, they should do whatever they need to.  We'll talk later," she
said.  Joan followed, but paused at the door and looked back.

   "See you later, squirt," Joan said with a smile, and tossed her hair as
she left.

   The nurse started fussing over his IV connection and the different
sensors.  Sam smiled as he remembered seeing his mother and sister, and how
concerned they had been.  They were very pretty, he thought idly, listening
to the faint rumbling sound in his head.  Very sexy.  Funny he had never
noticed that before.