Out of Time
The light of a bedside lamp wakes you, your eyes restlessly opening. You stretch sleepily. Your mom reading in the chair across from you. The nurses conversing about patients in the hallway. Your family asleep in the chairs directly outside the room. You're back.
"Mom?" Your voice is very hoarse and your head hurts a lot. Your muscles feel sore just from sitting up in bed. Your mom looks up and her blank, emotional face flickers dramatically in a matter of seconds. You watch it innocently in slow motion. That was another one, you suppose. Your mom wraps her arms around you.
"Amara," You both sob together, finally reunited after a long time, "Frank, she's awake." Dad wraps you in more hugs and you're reunited with other family members you'd almost forgotten about.
"Don't you ever do that again, young lady." Your dad laughs. Your mom nods her head in agreement.
After a long conversation with your family, you ask your mom the toughest question, "Where's Natalie? Is she okay?"
Your mom smiles. "She's outside. She's being sitting in this hospital every spare moment she has had for the past three weeks." You smile happily.
"Can we talk alone?" Your mom nods and calls to Natalie from the hallway. Seconds later, she enters.
"I'm going to get you something to eat, Amara, okay?" You nod and your mom leaves the two of you alone.
"I'm so happy you're awake. Thank you for living. I'm sorry for being such a terrible friend to you. I never should have gotten involved with Dean in the first time." Her voice drags off.
"It's okay, I forgive you. I really should have listened to you."
"I only said that stuff because I wanted him for myself."
"Well, I still should have listened."
"I don't think I can ever repay you for what you did back there. I'm sorry that I put you in a position where you had to make that choice."
"I wouldn't have forgive myself if I had let you die. Besides, you'll probably become a hermit in my absence." Natalie playfully punches you in the shoulder and it hits you that you've missed this. You're glad to be back.
You learn from Natalie that Dean is currently in jail awaiting trial for the murder of 18 year old Becca Stalman, but with the confession Natalie pulled out and the other pieces of evidence they have stacked against him, you know he'll probably be there a while. Your parents say you'll be free to leave the hospital at the end of the week.
"So, what was it like being in a coma?"
"You know, I don't really remember it."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. Sorry to disappoint you."
When Natalie leaves to get you more food, you laugh to yourself, knowing perfectly well that you remember everything.
"Mom?" Your voice is very hoarse and your head hurts a lot. Your muscles feel sore just from sitting up in bed. Your mom looks up and her blank, emotional face flickers dramatically in a matter of seconds. You watch it innocently in slow motion. That was another one, you suppose. Your mom wraps her arms around you.
"Amara," You both sob together, finally reunited after a long time, "Frank, she's awake." Dad wraps you in more hugs and you're reunited with other family members you'd almost forgotten about.
"Don't you ever do that again, young lady." Your dad laughs. Your mom nods her head in agreement.
After a long conversation with your family, you ask your mom the toughest question, "Where's Natalie? Is she okay?"
Your mom smiles. "She's outside. She's being sitting in this hospital every spare moment she has had for the past three weeks." You smile happily.
"Can we talk alone?" Your mom nods and calls to Natalie from the hallway. Seconds later, she enters.
"I'm going to get you something to eat, Amara, okay?" You nod and your mom leaves the two of you alone.
"I'm so happy you're awake. Thank you for living. I'm sorry for being such a terrible friend to you. I never should have gotten involved with Dean in the first time." Her voice drags off.
"It's okay, I forgive you. I really should have listened to you."
"I only said that stuff because I wanted him for myself."
"Well, I still should have listened."
"I don't think I can ever repay you for what you did back there. I'm sorry that I put you in a position where you had to make that choice."
"I wouldn't have forgive myself if I had let you die. Besides, you'll probably become a hermit in my absence." Natalie playfully punches you in the shoulder and it hits you that you've missed this. You're glad to be back.
You learn from Natalie that Dean is currently in jail awaiting trial for the murder of 18 year old Becca Stalman, but with the confession Natalie pulled out and the other pieces of evidence they have stacked against him, you know he'll probably be there a while. Your parents say you'll be free to leave the hospital at the end of the week.
"So, what was it like being in a coma?"
"You know, I don't really remember it."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. Sorry to disappoint you."
When Natalie leaves to get you more food, you laugh to yourself, knowing perfectly well that you remember everything.
