Round Robin

1. First Story
Jesse

"I understand that you're shocked. Regaining consciousness after the state you were in for so long is extremely rare." "I understand, Doc," Joe managed, but  his head was swimming with questions. His last memory was the sound of screeching tires. Where were his parents? Was Kelly okay? And would he be able to get a refund on those Nirvana tickets?

2. Second Story

Neeko

 Gary rubs his temples: the lights from the hospital lights are blinding.  He has a crazy thirst and reaches for the glass of water on the in table.  As he lifts the cup to his parched lips, he sees an array of blue and red lines refracting in the bottom of the glass.  He moves the cup to reveal several red and blue I.V> tubes coming from his forearm.

“Never seen that before.” Gary mumbles.  He sets the glass back down on the table and notices a digital alarm clock.  Someone has tampered with the small plastic device.  Red and blue wires jut out from the side.  Gary’s eyes grow wider and wider as he traces them back to his forearm.

“Those aren’t I.V.’s…there wires.”

The doctor comes into the room and sits at a metal chair by the bed.

“What is this doc?”

“Time.  That’s what you came here for isn’t it?”

“But what the—?”

“Every day at twelve o’clock—noon or morning—the alarm will go off. You have until it stops to live.”

A joke: it had to have been some crass sense of humor, but the iron brow of the good doctor clearly stated that it was anything but.

“And…if I—“

“—Want to continue breathing you’ll hit the snooze button before the alarm stops.  Good day sir.”

The doctor left Gary to his own befuddlement. Gary turned the alarm clock towards him, the blood-red digital numbers read 11:59.

3. Third Story

Hannah

Ray rolled his eyes and glanced in the rearview mirror. Great. He thought, now I’m really going to be late. He sighed and pulled onto the shoulder of the road as the red and blue lights continued to flash persistently behind him, all the while stressing about the meeting he was supposed to attend at twelve o’clock. Having worked the night shift, Ray was exhausted, and he had pushed the snooze button one too many times this morning. An officer jumped out of the car and hurried toward him. That’s odd, Ray thought, what’s his hurry?

“Are you Doctor Raymond Latigid?” he asked, almost out of breath.

Now Ray was worried, “Yes, is there a problem officer?”

“I was ordered to find you, sir. We need help with an illness and Chief says you’re the best doctor in town. There’s talk that we’ve got an epidemic on our hands.”

Ray could tell by the officer’s expression that this was not a joke. “Alright,” he responded grimly, “I’ll see what I can do.”

4. Fourth Story

Kelton

The hospital looked normal enough, but Ray could tell by the officer's face that there was nothing normal about what he was about to be shown. They stepped silently into the elevator. When they reached their floor, Ray was nearly blown back by the noise as the doors opened. Nurses were frantically tending to patients who were screaming in terror. "They seem to be in some sort of terrified coma, and what's worse, the condition seems to be spreading by touch," said the nearest nurse to Ray. Ray knew this was beyond any of his medical expertise, but he knew he needed to help. "What do you need me to do?" he asked...

5. Fifth Story

Liz

"I don't--

I can't--

What is--

Where is--

I need--

Help me--"

Her eyes rolled back in her head