Restoration -- 1
Date: 9/9/98
From: Krystina

At a large hospital in Boston, April 9, 1971

"Mrs. Rumson, Mrs. Rumson, can you hear me?" a distant voice asked.

Angelique slowly opened her eyes, blinded by the bright lights in front of her.

"Thank goodness, Doctor, she's finally coming around!" a female voice exclaimed.

Angelique finally opened her eyes completely and felt very dizzy and disoriented. She found herself lying in a strange bed wearing what seemed to be a type of cotton gown. There were several people surrounding her bed, most of them dressed in white. Angelique recognized neither her surroundings or the people around her.

"Where, where am I?" Angelique slowly asked.

"It's all right, Mrs. Rumson, I am Dr. Jones. You have just awakened from a week long coma. We had begun to despair of you ever coming around, but we are thrilled that you have regained consciousness.. and now, you must rest.."

"But, but..where am I??" asked Angelique again. "I don't recognize where I am."

"You are in a hospital in downtown Boston. Don't you remember anything that happened to you before you collapsed?" said Dr. Jones.

"I am afraid not," replied Angelique.

"Well," explained Dr. Jones, "you were visiting the Strathmore Art Gallery not far from here about a week again, when all a sudden you collapsed. You were brought here in a ambulance and have been here for the last week, unconscious and in a coma. It is only now that you have revived."

"But how did you know my name?" asked Angelique.

"Fortunately you were a frequent visitor to the art gallery, and the owner knows you quite well and was able to identify you. We also had all your belongings brought here from your hotel, so we were able to identify you from that," said Dr. Jones.

"Oh, I see," said Angelique, "so what happens to me now."

"Well," said Dr. Jones, "we want to keep you here for a few days so we can observe you and have you regain your strength, and after that I see no reason why you cannot return to Little Windward Island."

"Little Windward Island?" asked Angelique hesitantly.

"Why your home, of course," said Dr. Jones. "Fortunately we found the name and phone number of your estate among your papers, and we have been in touch with your butler, Simms, and he is prepared to come and fetch you as soon as we deem you are fit to travel. And by the way, Mrs, Rumson, please allow me to convey all our of condolences on the recent passing of your husband, Mr. Rumson. Now, is there anything we can do for you right now?? If not, we will leave you alone to rest."

"No, thank you, Dr. Jones, if you don't mind I would like some time to myself to absorb all this in," replied Angelique.

"Very well, then," said Dr. Jones, as he and his staff left the room.

Angelique lay back on her pillows, absolutely stunned by what had just happened. Mrs. Rumson, they had called her, a widow!! And here she was surrounded by totally unfamiliar surroundings that seemed like they were from some distant time and place.

Angelique decided that she would try to recover as fast as she could, and to find out where and what this Little Windward Island was, and who this late Mr. Rumson was. Because as far as Angelique knew, she had had only one husband in her life, and that had been Barnabas Collins, and the last time she had seen him was on April 2, 1841, when that vile Lamar Trask had shot her, and she had died in Barnabas' arms.

But if she had died, then what was she doing, seemingly alive in this strange hospital??

To be continued...