The Butterfly Effect

Chapter 43

Wednesday

Before strolling into this one hospital room, Sean's swollen brown eyes behind his glasses caught the number sign stick to the door. 137, his mind read. He remembered the book he had read about numerology that made the corner of his mouth curve up a little smile. People considered thirteen was a bad luck number while on the contrary seven was usually regarded as a lucky or an auspicious number in Greek culture.

When Sean stepped over the threshold, his eyes travelled around the room that seemed to be more luminous and warmer. It was odd how a ray of sunlight still came penetrating the curtains from outside the window despite the fact it was already 5:00 PM in winter. Even so, quietness still plastered around the room.

As Sean approached the hospital bed, he saw a tenuous smile crooked up on this girl's mouth on the bed. The firmness remained in her hazel eyes although they were haggard, her face looked bony but beauty still settled on it. When he held her hand, it felt crumbly but blessedness couldn't help but slink into the deepest trench of his heart.

Last night had been the most harrowing and frightening moment Sean had ever experienced in his life. After the doctor had declared Allison as dead, she miraculously came back to life five minutes later. Maybe that was the meaning of 137. The good thing occurred after the bad thing.

Sitting down on a chair beside her bed with her hand still in his, he accosted with a sincere smile, "Hi, Sleeping Beauty. How are you feeling today?"

Smiling waveringly, Allison asked in a hoarse voice haltingly, "What... happened? How did... I end up... here?"

"You were in a coma for almost eight weeks from severe asthma attack," Sean explained forbearingly. "But you're fine now."

Her eyebrows vaguely rucked. "I slept... for that... long?"

"Yes."

Allison shut her eyes. "I- I can't... remember. My mind's... blurry."

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Sean spoke in a hushed tone. "Don't rack your brain to remember what happened, your memories would recover gradually."

Her head gave a feeble nod.

"Anyway, Alli, did you know that it's already a new year?" he changed the subject.

"Really...? What's the date... today?" Allison asked.

"January the thirteenth."

Astonished, her eyebrows slightly lifted. "It was your birthday... yesterday..."

Sean nodded. "Yes, it was."

"Happy birthday..." Allison said lowly. "Sorry... I didn't get you... a present..."

Fastening his grip on her hand, Sean's smile widened. "Alli, you gave me the best present I wished for last night! It was you being conscious, opening up your eyes and smiling again... Nothing I wanted more than that from you."

When he held her hand up to kiss it, Allison gaped and began shrieking frantically, "W- what's happening...? Sean, I- I can't feel..." Tears leaked down her face to her pillow. "Sean, what's happening... to me...?"

His heart plummeted in misery. He shot up from the chair and rubbed her head, easing her and striving not to look panicked. "Calm down, babe. It's- it's okay—"

"No! I- I can't feel my arms... My legs..." Allison sobbed harder hysterically, coming to a bitter realization. "I can't- I can't feel anything...!"

Before Sean could control it, tears poured down his face to see her crushed like that. "Babe, it's okay..."

"W- what's happening... to me...?" Allison howled in anguish. "Please... Please, help- help me..."

The only thing Sean could do was to hug her and bury his face in her hair while she bawled on his shoulder. It was the first time she let him witness her breaking down and it made his heart cry.

"Am I- am I... paralyzed? W- why's this happening... to- to me?"

He looked her in the eye, sniffling. "No, babe. It's just temporary. You'll have some physiotherapy sessions then- then you're good to go."

"What if- what if it's not... working?" Allison cried out. "I'd rather just die..."

"Babe, no, don't say that," Sean pleaded with bated breath. "I know you're strong and you'll get through this."

"Sean... I'm scared..."

"I know you are, that's why I'm here for you." He kissed the back of her hand very lovingly which he still didn't let go. "We'll go through this together, okay?"

"Why me...? Why all of this... h- happened to me?" Allison bellowed in agony, tears flowing down wildly from her weary eyes. "Why, God...? Why do You... hate me so much and... keep punishing me... like this...?"

"Alli, no, you're a good person—"

"Then, what have... I- I done wrong to... to deserve this?" Her eyes reflected extreme despair. "God, just... take me already... I can't- I can't handle it... anymore..."

"No, babe, don't say that... I need you..."

"I've- I've had enough... I'm tired..."

His lips planted a heartfelt kiss on her forehead, his body shaking. "You're not alone, babe. I'm here, okay...? Listen, I'm deeply sorry for everything I put you through... But you know I love you, right? I'll- I'll always be there for you."

The door to her room suddenly opened then Allison's Nana and Sean's parents came into the room and lurched to stop in surprise to feel the intense atmosphere and see Sean and Allison in tears there. In a hurry, Nana walked over to the bed and hugged her granddaughter tightly. Nana's hiccups from crying made the old woman unable to say anything.

"Nana..." Allison whispered in a croaky voice. "I- I can't feel..."

"Honey, breathe..." Sean's mother soothed in a vibratory tone with teary eyes as her hand stroked Allison's hair in a gesture of motherly love. "E- everything's going to be alright."

"We're all here for you, sweetheart," Sean's father said at the foot of the bed.

"T- thank you..." Allison choked on her sobs, trying to smile through her tears. With a sheet of tissue, Nana softly wiped tears away from Allison's face then kissed her on the cheek.

Then, the four of them gathered around Allison's bed and had a pleasant afternoon full of talking, laughing and sharing stories. The twinkling lights from the fifteen-inch Christmas tree on the bedside table brought warmth and festive in the room. Everyone was happy for Allison. Sean looked at his parents and felt grateful for them for being supportive to Allison and her Nana.

For him, the biggest source of the warmth, not just in the room but in his life as well, was Allison's presence next to him. Most of time, when he glanced at her and she caught him staring, she would shoot him a little smile that sent tranquility all over his body. Even with her current post-coma appearance, she was still so breathtaking to gaze at.

Sean just wanted Allison to know that she had people who truly loved her by her side and would always help her whenever she needed them. He was aware that he had hurt her so badly in the past, but he would spend the rest of his life making it up to her. In the last two months, Sean had lost Allison twice and it had excessively hurt him mentally and physically. Nothing could make him lose her for the third time because he would always protect her even if it cost him his life. These past unfortunate events between them had come to his senses that she was worth more than anything in the world to him.

Also, Allison had taught Sean to believe in himself. There had been a ton of reasons for her to give up in life since she was a little girl, but she never had. If it wasn't for her, it was possible he wouldn't have been made a team captain in the first place.

Her courage and strength inspired him the most. And now, he wanted to take his turn to put her belief back in herself that she would survive this, too.  She might not realize this but she had saved his life in any way possible, this time he aspired to save hers.

***

(fin)