Getting stabbed in the back is a lot like falling in love, you never see it coming, it hurts like hell, and once it’s over you’re really pissed off.

    Lying face down on the sidewalk with blood pouring out of my shoulder left me with a bad taste in my mouth. The realization that the bad taste was blood came to me as I lifted my head to stare at the man who had taken me by surprise. He was huge, close to six foot six I would guess. He had bright red hair and mustache that he must have stolen from the 70’s. I had no idea who he was but I swore to myself that I would find out.  He pressed his hand against the air giving it form as if he was pressing against a huge piece of cellophane. He looked down at me and laughed as he pushed his way through vanishing before my eyes. The sunlight reflected off of the rippling wall of reality like a drop of water into a pool until it stopped shimmering and became invisible once more. I thought only my family could do that. I realized then that I had a gaping cut on the back of my head but I didn’t give it a second thought. I was tougher than that. I would be fine. The last sounds I heard were of car horns and profanity as I drifted off into a happy place I would like to call unconsciousness.

    I awoke in a bright yellow hospital room to the sound of an IV pump that needed refilling. It was an extremely annoying beep. If only the millennium had taken out all technology then there would be no beep. Okay, so the apocalyptic end to society was an extreme request just to stop a beeping machine, but I had a headache that would kill a donkey. I kept waiting for Athena to spring forth from my head. Then she could kill the beeping machine. Just then a beautiful nurse walked in the room. She was young, tall and slender with curly black hair. She started a new IV drip and turned to ask me how I was. That was when I realized she was a he, in her late fifties, and I was extremely drugged. Good night tricky long-haired man.

    The second time I regained consciousness there was another bed to my left, in between the window and myself. The curtain between us was drawn just enough so that I couldn’t see a head, but they were snoring like the dickens. Did Dickens really snore or was that simply the reaction one got from reading his never ending stories? After I find the guy with the red mustache I’m going to ask someone. I am sure that last thought was the major cause of a book from ‘Christmas Past’ biting me in my dream. It was a big book and I think it had rabies.

    The third time I woke up I was clearly in better control of my senses. I guessed I had been here a couple of days at the most. It was early evening judging by the light coming from the window. The bed to my left was still occupied but the curtain had been pulled all the way across so I couldn’t see who was there. I just counted myself lucky that they weren’t snoring this time. There was a tray of food to my right. It smelled like hospital food. I lifted the lid to discover I was right. My ability to detect the obvious was still intact. At least the Jell-O looked edible. I was hoping for cherry but the shaky green made me think it was lime. I thought then of the jiggling Jell-O effect of the red mustached man exiting this reality. I had spent years traveling from one reality to another that way but had never seen anyone accomplish that feat other than my family. I wondered if any of my siblings would know who he was. I wasn’t sure they would tell me even if they did. My brother Greys was really the only one I had ever gotten along with. My oldest brother, Ares, hated me and I often thought Greys only took kindly to me so he could anger him. Whatever the reason, Greys was the only member of my family whom I trusted and I wished very much to speak to him at the moment. However, I didn’t have my Helios Specs with me and I was a long way from being strong enough to travel home. I nibbled on something reminiscent of mashed potatoes and got some more rest.

    The fourth time I opened my eyes upon that wonderful yellow wall I felt it would be the last. Sometime soon I was sure they would discover that I was healing faster than any human should be. My legs felt fine and my left shoulder had a clean bandage. I am sure there were a couple of stitches holding my head together so if I could just find my clothes I would be all set. It would definitely be a little more time before I felt back in top shape, but I was sure I could make it out of here to a more secure location. Just then a doctor entered the room. He looked at me for a moment as if he was shocked that I was looking back. He was a short Indian man, in his late fifties, with a very round frame and gray hair just above his ears leaving his round head shiny and bald. He wore a white coat over a shirt and tie, and was definitely curious about my speedy recovery. He quickly inspected my wounds and let out a little huff as if he didn’t approve. This was not good.

    “You seem to be feeling better?” it was more of a question than a statement. “We would love to know what caused the puncture wound in your shoulder, if I didn’t know any better I might have guessed it was a sword”.

    He was right, it was a sword, and I had no idea how to explain why someone was using it in the middle of downtown DC. In the twenty first century sword play was a little rarer than in my home world, so I figured I would also omit the part about the sword being silver and that the man was aiming for my heart. It was not the first time someone had thought me a demon who could only be vanquished by the holy silver. It was, however, the first time someone appeared to travel the multi-verse in the same way as I. I needed answers and I knew a place where I was likely to find them. But first, I had to get out of here.

    “I have no idea what stabbed me or why some crazy person would attack me” I said, “I just want to get out of here and head home if that’s all right?”

    “I informed the police as to my concerns and they would like to ask you a few questions before you leave. I was instructed to call them as soon as you awakened Mr…” he replied smugly.

    He believed that he held all the cards in this particular setup. Maybe that was part of the reason I felt like defying him. He was clearly upset that I didn’t answer his questions and believed he had me at a disadvantage.  The name I currently use on this Earth was Sage Michaels but I didn’t even feel like giving him that much, just being stubborn I guess. A little footwork and he should be able to track it down anyway; my information would all be on file with the DCPD as I have occasionally helped them on some of their cases. Not that it would be of any help to anyone as it was, not where I was going. Besides, names would just bring more questions and questions took time, not something that I had an endless supply of. Okay, technically time was the one thing I seemed to have an endless supply of but I was still in a hurry. I was impatient and there was something I had to go find out. My Dad always told me it was my greatest weakness, my utter lack of patience.

    I am the youngest son and always accused of being too quick to act. I remember spending afternoons with my brother, Ares, as he claimed to be training me in swordplay. He usually spent the whole day beating me senseless with a bokken and swearing that I had just learned something. I think he just enjoyed the excuse to batter and bruise me. I was a quick study so I usually spent the whole time demanding that he teach me more advanced techniques because I was bored with the simple stuff. Normally, he just hit me harder after that, family is neat that way. He never could beat it out of me though; I was still always in a hurry. That is probably why my current situation left me with the overpowering feeling that I needed to hasten my departure. This is the first time in years I have really given my family much thought; I guess I am getting homesick in my old age.

    “Look I just want to go home, call the cops or whatever you plan to do” I said.

    “One way or another we will find out what happened. Get your rest, it will be some time still before you can leave.” And with that he walked out of the room.

    I don’t know what bug crawled up the doctor’s butt to put him on a crusade to find out what happened to me but that was definitely my cue to get the heck out of here. I threw my blankets off and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Every muscle in my body ached from their lack of use. I had definitely been lying here a few days. I took a moment to stretch and tense my legs trying to get the blood flowing back through them. After a few minutes they seemed ready to provide me with stability and I walked towards the door. The first few steps were a little shaky but I seemed to find my balance by the time I got to the door. I put myself at the correct angles to look down the hallway in either direction without having to poke my head out. The nurse’s station lay down the left corridor and an information desk of some kind to the right. Just before the information station another hall branched off to the left but I was sure to be seen before I could get to it. If stealth was my plan then I needed a different route.

    I searched through the two drawers on the far wall of the room and did not find anything useful. My clothes had been covered with blood so I presumed they had been discarded. I hadn’t been carrying a wallet so the only thing I was actually missing was my car keys. Not that they would be much use since my beautiful ‘82’ Vette was still parked downtown and if it hadn’t been stolen it had surely been towed. A car wouldn’t be of much help where I was going anyway. Technology always worked kind of weird in the Labyrinth.

    I was still in need of a way out. The window did not open and breaking it would make way too much noise for a stealthy departure. If I pushed through to the next reality here the ripple would damage the room and possibly the other occupant behind the curtain. Plus I was not on the ground floor and if the next world did not contain a similar building I would be in for a nasty fall.  It is always best to move from world to world in open areas. I realized I might not have a choice as I heard heavy footsteps heading down the hall and knew they were coming to my room. Peering out the door I saw two large men in white coats heading my way. I had a funny feeling they might be more than just ordinary hospital staff. I had tried on a straight jacket before and it wasn’t very much to my liking.

    I still felt a little groggy from the drugs so running for it wasn’t my best option. I was on the fourth floor and jumping out of the window seemed like my best bet. Boy did that sound like the drugs talking. I would debate whose idea it was on the way down as I dove out the window surrounded by the sound of shattering glass. I had fallen just about a story when I pushed my way through the barrier of reality. I credit my next bout of unconsciousness to the three remaining stories.