A co-worker recently gave me some of her plants because she's moving away and can't take them. This one was included in the group. Its in ghastly condition and I'd like to start caring for it ASAP. Unfortunately, I can't tell what it is. It seems similar to an orchid but it's "living" in water. There's a dead flower stalk that looks "orchid like." Any help would be appreciated. The plant is submerged in something that used to be water but is now sludge. It could really use some love! Thank you, in advance.

Growing in water is not something Orchids do much of, neither Broms. What you have is the common Bromeliad guzmania of some variety. It has been grown in very very low light conditions and grown in water. It is a wonder the plant survived at all.

Bromeliad flowers are rarely fan-like. Those are Tillandsias, similar to Bromeliads, but not Bromeliads. Sort of like Oak trees are similar to Walnuts but not the same.

My advice is to take the plant out of that @#$%^ water vase, introduce it to more light slowly, keep the roots dry and the center wet. Within a couple of months you will see the blooms. No, the blooms are not the red leaves that will announce the growth of the small blue (most likely) flowers. The plant that blooms dies, but, as happened with your pictured plant, it makes offsets that bloom the next year.