Chelsea in a coma.
Chelsea was dreaming about pink elephants and spotted kangaroos and other strange animals when her dream changed to the surreal. She was in a coma, and somehow, she knew she was in a coma. She wasn't scared. No, not scared. More like… confused. Why was she aware of her situation? Was she close to death? She didn't expect to wake up before seeing heaven. This wasn't quite awake, but it was more than she expected.
Her mind was active, but she couldn't feel her body. She could see, though. Not at first, but it came. She stood in her own hospital room off to the side. Her body lay in the bed hooked up to various equipment. Monitors beeped with a regular but slow heartbeat.
Then there were her parents. They cradled each other next to the bed. They looked grave, but they weren't crying. Maybe they were cried out. Chelsea wasn't sure how to feel about them. She had said her goodbyes and made it clear that she loved them. They had said the same to her.
While she contemplated, she noticed a figure hovering beside her. She wasn't sure how long he had been there. The figure wore a purple hooded cloak fastened by a cog, and his skin was a glowing greenish blue. He had a pendulum clock behind a glass door inside his chest. He wore gauntlets adorned with watches showing different times. On his belt looped a pocket watch, and instead of legs, he had a tail. He held a black staff in his left hand with a stopwatch at the top. The faces of all the clocks matched his skin color. Without seeing it, Chelsea knew he had a jagged scar over his left eye.
"I know you," she said mildly. "At least, I think I do. You looked younger last time."
The figure faced her, so she could see the scar. "You remember our last encounter," he said in just as neutral a tone as Chelsea. "You were not ready then."
"Ready for what?" Chelsea asked.
"What's to come," was the simple reply. The figure's form shifted to that of an old man with a long white beard. Everything else stayed the same.
"Now you're even older…" Chelsea mused. "Who are you?"
"I am Clockwork, Master of all Time."
"Oh… so that's why you know what's going to happen," Chelsea said. After a moment, she added, "I'm not going to ask. I'll find out for myself."
"A wise choice," Clockwork said. "I wouldn't tell you even if you did." He smiled and she smiled back.
They turned their attention to the scene in the room, though nothing had changed.
"I do have one question," Chelsea said. "Will they be okay? My parents?"
"That's cheating," Clockwork said cheekily.
"I know," Chelsea sighed.
They stood–or hovered–in companionable silence for a time.
"They'll be fine," Clockwork said. "I must leave you now."
"Okay. Thank you."
"You're welcome."