Chapter One-Deafening

They say that a person in a coma can hear everything going on around him. It's especially true if you have super hearing, as Gabriel Gray was grimly discovering. He could hear the sounds of the technicians in the building he was trapped in as they walked floors stories above him. He could hear whispers and conversations surrounding him, the sounds of people greeting the guards as they entered and exited the buildings during their shifts. The sounds of people entering his room to take his vital signs was deafening, as was the drip of fluids in the IV bottle hanging somewhere over his head, filling his veins with the chemicals that, he assumed, were keeping him in this paralyzed state.

Was he in a hospital, or somewhere more sinister? He didn't know the answer to that as he struggled to move any part of his body to no avail. He searched his mind, trying to remember what had happened to him last, before he ended up in this limbo. He remembered killing Ted Sprague, taking the man's extraordinary powers for himself and planning to destroy New York City. The rest? He struggled to remember and found, to his horror, that his supremely perfect memory, that he'd stolen from a waitress in Texas (Charlie, he remembered, her name was Charlie) was full of holes.

"Maybe you've finally done it." He thought to himself. "Maybe Mohinder was right. You've finally absorbed too many powers and screwed your DNA to a point of no return. You've put yourself in a coma, Hot Shot. Your brain couldn't handle all of those wonderful powers."

Somehow, in his heart though, he knew that theory was wrong. Something else happened to him. Something big. He strained to listen to all of the sounds around him, listening for voices, trying to hear anything familiar to remind him of where he was and how he'd gotten here. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a gurney rushing past his room, sounding as loud as a freight train to his sensitive ears, frantic beeps from medical equipment, and frantic voices, one in particular that caught his attention.

"This man needs an O.R. STAT! Don't tell me there's not one open, he's bleeding out. I want an O.R. and I want one NOW!"

He concentrated on that voice, listening as it faded as its owner rushed down the hall outside of his room. It was feminine, Southern, and full of steel. He realized he'd heard the voice before. Struggling to open his eyes, he heard other sounds around him, and realized with relief, that he wasn't trapped in a building like Primatech Paper, he was in a hospital, in a coma. He became aware of the pain to his chest, dull now, and in a flash, remembered everything: Peter Petrelli going nuclear, Kirby Plaza, a man shooting at him, only to be injured with his own bullets after Gabriel shoved the bullets back at the man. He remembered the events leading up to this injury and then remembered the man with the sword, a man named Hiro.

"But how did I end up here?" He wondered. He remembered using the last of his strength to crawl into the sewers below Kirby Plaza, his chest throbbing with each beat of his heart, feeling his life's blood gushing from his body. "Who found me? Who saved me?"

"DAMMIT!" He heard the feminine voice again, and strained to listen. He liked the cadence of it, the "Southerness" of it. He listened to the sound of neoprene gloves being snatched off and the sound of doors being shoved open as the beeps he'd heard a moment before were now replaced by one long, monotonous beep that was quickly switched off. Gabriel listened to the woman sigh as another voice, a masculine one, addressed her.

"Cheer up, Olivia, you can't win them all right?"

"Go to hell, Devon. If I'd wanted your sympathy, I'd have asked for it."

Sylar heard shoes squeak as she turned to walk away from the man, her voice growing closer.

"And 'you're welcome too'. For crying out loud, you can't win them all. You've already worked one miracle this week with that John Doe in 442, you were due a loss. We all lose patients."

Gabriel heard her shoes squeal again as she obviously spun around. "I DON'T LOSE PATIENTS!" He heard her footsteps as she turned again and stomped away.

"WELL YOU LOST ONE TODAY, PRINCESS!" The man's voice called to her. "GET OVER IT! WE HAVE ROUNDS IN TEN MINUTES! Spoiled little bitch," Gabriel heard the man mutter "thinks she's friggin' God."

Gabriel thought about the exchange he'd just heard, struggling to remember where in the hell he'd heard his mystery woman's voice before. It sounded like something he'd heard in a dream. "She thinks she's God. She works 'miracles' with her patients." He thought to himself. "Olivia. I can't wait to meet you and see just how special and miraculous you are."