Behind my eyelids, there is a soft glow of light surrounding me and in the distance, I hear alarms dinging and people talking in hush tones. My hand feels heavy and when I try to move my fingers, nothing moves. I can't open my eyes at first and feel myself starting to panic. It wasn't until I hear someone talking above me and explaining that a ventilator was removed this morning and now, I'm just a waiting game.
A swarm of relief floods through my body because I'm not dead. I know Jackson is close and waiting for me to wake up.
The room is pitch dark when my eyes finally flutter open and I can focus on people in the dimly lit hallway. Each of them is behind a large wooden desk in front of my sliding glass door and looks very busy. Slowly, I turn my head towards the hand that feels heavy. Jackson is asleep next to me, holding my hand tightly. My arm is covered with a bunch of tubing and I feel something in my nose.
My eyes adjust to the dark room and I see the flowers and machines everywhere around the room. I move my fingers and Jackson pops up to look at me with huge eyes. I wish I had a camera to capture his beautiful smile.
"Hey, beautiful." He whispers and then kisses my forehead. "Welcome back."
Jackson reaches over me and pushes the call light beside my head. When a voice answers back, he tells them I'm awake. Minutes later, a nurse appears at my side and starts doing her checks. We watch her look at my IVs when she takes my blood pressure and temp. I do a couple of commands she asks and then she smiles.
"How are you feeling, Ms. Weber?"
"Sore," I whisper.
"I'd be surprised if you weren't."
"My head is killing me, and my throat is scratchy," I tell her more.
The nurse tells Jackson and me that I will have a headache for some time because they are pumping me full of pain medicine and the headache is a side effect of that. She explains that my throat is sore and scratchy because of the ventilator and she promises that she can get an order for something to numb my throat.
"Can I have water?" I ask.
"We have to wait for the doctor to evaluate, but I can let you take a couple of sips until then."
When she leaves, I look at my husband. "Nate? My dad?" I ask.
Before he can answer, the room starts filling with people. Jackson's entire family files into the room and Brad walks in last. Each of them took turns hugging and kissing me.
"I'm so glad you made it back to us." Brad kisses my cheek.
Jackson senses my overwhelming feeling and asks his family to give us a couple of minutes. Each of them nods and hurries out of the room at the same speed they entered.
When it's just the two of us in the room, he grabs my hand and nods at me. "Paul was dead before leaving the house. Your dad survived for a couple of days after surgery, but three surgeries were too much for his heart to handle. I'm sorry, sweetheart." Jackson tells me.
"Keep going," I beg him.
"Nate is putting up a good fight next door, he took a bullet to the shoulder and chest. Grandma is here and sitting with him. Your mom was shot in the knee and stomach, she didn't make it either." He continues.
I feel the warm tears sliding down my face, my entire family was wiped out except for Nate and me. I pray to God that he leaves my brother with me.
"You tried leaving us a couple of times, but you always fought your way back. You had a heart attack on the table during the second surgery they did to stop the internal bleeding." Jackson tells me running his thumb across my cheek to wipe the tears.
YOU ARE READING
Almost Everything
Romance*** Complete Story*** Avery Weber was Hollywood's new "it" girl and all it took was one big movie to help her get there. She grew up in Upper East Manhattan, attended the finest private schools and got everything she ever asked for - except time wit...
