November Days

The End Part 25

     Reset

      The doctor looked at his patient and gave a sigh of sadness and frustration.  He had tried all he could to stop this... the cutting off of the life support for his patient... but had not been able to get this horrible miscarriage of justice stopped.  And so, now it was time to turn off all the machines and pray that his patient did not die and in fact he would wake up and take care of all this himself...his daughters should not be doing this!  Why were they doing this?

He did not know...all he knew, was that he had done all he could to stop this and failed. And so, now with another sigh, he turned off all the machines.

Everything went silent for a second and then a miracle!! His patient began to breathe and his heart to beat all on his own. He did not die!!

Two days later his patient woke up! And about an hour later, he was able to speak for the first time...

"Doctor?" He said barely able to make himself understood. 

 "What happened? Why am I here?"

"Well, your daughters had me to unplug everything because they had a judge declare you dead! I did not have any choice... but here you are, still alive!! It's so amazing!!

"Ok"says his patient "that sort of explains a few things...

I was in the simulation and then it just froze, and everything went black for a few minutes and all I could think of was that I was not ready, and I had so much I still wanted to do with my life and so many places I have to see.  That I could not let it all end like this...just in blackness! And so I made myself wake up. Somehow.. I've no clear idea how I did it doctor.  But some how I was able to."

"So... what happens now doctor?"

"Well, we have already started the steps needed to have you declared not dead and all of your, estate such as it is, returned to you."

"No...there is no need for the return of estate... my daughters can have all of it."

"I've had an idea of how I can take care of myself and I won't be needing it... they are welcome to it."

"But what will you do?" asked the doctor.

"I'm going to write a book about my experience in the simulations...actually I think it will make a great book and I am sure I can get a publisher to give me an advance. It will not be a problem. Then there is the beta test! Oh wow!! The company has such an amazing product!! I am going to definitely invest in it! That's because it won't be long until all of us will be living online anyways."

"I think you might just be right." said the doctor.

"Well, it looks like you have it well under control. Of course, there is still a few weeks of physical therapy to do and then you will be cleared to leave us."

"I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how fast I can be out of here" said the patient.

...and he was correct too!

In three intense weeks of hard work, he had rebuilt his muscles and was able to leave the hospital.

Also in that time, he was able to get his book deal and he was able to invest into the virtual simulation company that he had been a part of the beta test for.  And he also was able to call his children and work out everything with them and while not yet on easy speaking terms, it was a step in that direction.

Somehow, in leaving his life and living in a simulation... he was able to fix his life and, most importantly, fix his attitude about his life and he could see that he did indeed have a really good life. He just was not able to see it before. He had given up on his life and had stopped trying and now he had so much to live for. Looking back on it he could see that his depression had caused his wrong thinking.

He had his book to write and spending time with his daughters and yes, still reading books and watching tv shows and movies. And with the advance and the investment he did not have to worry about money anymore or about going to a job anymore. He still had a lot of work to do on his book, but that was work that he found that he loves to do each day.

It's been about three months since he woke up in hospital that day. He was supposed to be dead and yet he was so very much alive. Living his life now... not just existing like before... really living it!

All the things that had been wrong with his house had been fixed now and he loved living there. And it was so close to his favorite coffeehouse! Yes, the same one that he had visited in his simulation... well there was a real one there and he did love to go there on the day that he started reading a new book. Funny, how when he had been alive before... that was kinda how he thought of his life... now and the one before he was declared dead by his daughters and then the one after when he woke up after all the machines had been cut off that day ... that was when his life really truly began!

He really loved going to the coffee shop on a book start day. Getting his favorite drink and just sitting there for a few hours...reading and people watching.

It was a Sunday. Early afternoon and the sun was shining and it was a bright and warm November day and he has his coffee and was getting into a great book, when a name caught his attention and he looked up and gasped...there she was!! It wasn't possible!!?? How could she be here? She was just a part of the simulation. She could not be here could she? He had to be seeing things and hearing things cause the barista was calling out the name Claire and Claire was there holding the book Ready Player One.  Reaching for her coffee and paying and about to walk away.

He had to talk to her. There had to be an explanation for this! There was no way this could actually be her...here at this coffee shop and holding that book, of all the books in the world, she was actually holding that book!

He found himself suddenly standing and calling out "Claire?"

She turned back around to him and smiled and said "Well, are you coming with me or not?" And smiled that same amazing and so beautiful smile that he had loved much in the simulation.

...and of course, he had to follow her!

                                                                                                        THE END