Escaping Her Mind

Chapter Eleven: Awake

Doctors and nurses swarm around Max in the hospital bed as her open eyes look around wildly.

But her eyes weren't exactly looking at anything. They were cloudly gray and she couldn't see a thing. She was terrified, listening to the doctors and nurses talking and shouting things. She could hear the beeping of the heart monitor increasing rapidly as her heart pounded loudly in her ears. But she couldn't see anything. And that was unnerving. 

"I...I can't see..." Max chokes out a sob. Her cloudy gray eyes continue to flit around, unable to land on anything. "I can't...see anything." Her raspy voice chokes out again.

"It's okay, Maxine." A doctor whispers, her voice soothing to Max's ears. "We need you to calm down."

"How the hell am I supposed to calm down?" Max's raspy voice whispers, her eyes filling with tears as they continue to flit around the room, unable to land on anything. "I can't see anything." Her voice breaks. 

"You were in a terrible accident." The doctor tells Max. "It is a miracle you were able to wake up."

"Where are my friends?" Max asks in a whisper.

"Sweetie, I need you to stop moving your head so much." The doctor says. "You hurt your neck and although it's healed, all this movement right out of a coma will injure you again." She tells Max, trying to calm her down with her voice. 

"Where are my friends?" Max questions again, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I wanna see my friends."

"Visiting hours haven't started yet." The doctor explains, looking at a few vitals that other nurses were showing her. The doctor's attention snaps back to Max as the red-haired girl begins to let out body-shaking sobs. The doctor's eyes widen and she tosses her clipboard to a nurse in the room, sitting down next to Max and immediately beginning to stroke her cheek. "It's okay." She tells Max. "You are okay. You're alive and that's the most important thing right now." 

"I wanna go home." Max whispers through tears. "I wanna go home." She repeats. 

"I know, sweetie." The doctor whispers, stroking Max's cheek again to comfort her. "You're going to go home soon."

"I can't feel my legs..." Max whispers, trying to sit up but the doctor pushes her down to keep her on the bed. "Why can't I feel my legs?" She asks, concern lacing her teary voice. "Why can't I feel my legs!" She yells, wildly looking around the room to the sounds of people moving.

"Maxine, you need to stay still." The doctor urges Max.

"Why can't I feel my legs!" Max yells again, trying to push herself up once more. The doctor pushes her to the bed once again, gesturing for other nurses to help. "I can't feel my legs! I can't feel my legs!" Max screams through tears. 

"Maxine, you were in a terrible accident." The doctor explains once again, trying to calm Max down. The other nurses help on keeping Max on the bed and one gets a sedative to put into her IV. "You lost your eyesight and broke your limbs but we are certain that your mobility will return. There is nothing to be afraid of right now. You are okay. Do you understand me? You are okay." She urges Max to understand.

"I'm..." Max whispers, her body slowing down as the sedative slows her down. "...okay?" She whispers, her eyelids getting heavier. 

"You are going to be okay." The doctor promises. And with that promise, Max's eyes close once again. 

A FEW HOURS LATER...

Lucas was already sitting next to her bed, 

"Hey, skater girl." Robin greets as the group walks in and briefly hugs Max hello. "What's with the sunglasses inside?" Robin questions as the group walks into the hospital room where Max is sitting up in bed, awake.