His Little Amelia

|02| • Everest

I have always wondered what happened to the body, to the mind, when one was in a coma. Were they in a constant loop of dreams, running in circles, looking for a way out? Whenever that thought came to my head, my chest clenched in guilt.

I was the one supposed to be in that almost lifeless state, with drips and an oxygen mask to rely on, the irritating beeping of the heart monitor my only sound.

It was meant to be me, not Gabe.

The guilt ate me up for months when I'd go past the hospital room to see him in the same position, unmoving. Before, he had the whole neighbourhood where he stayed coming to see him, but as the weeks grew into months, they decreased. Even his girlfriend stopped coming to see him, I overheard her talking to his mother, confessing how she couldn't do it any longer.

The only person that stayed on his side was Penelope. I didn't know much about the brunette, but I could tell she loved him, too much to not express it. According to Gabe, he and Penelope were best friends, she admitted to liking him but he was head over heels for his current girlfriend. Perhaps an ex-girlfriend would be more befitting.

Yet, she stayed by his side, constantly sleeping on his bed, reading to him, and telling him about her week. It was heart-wrenching for me to watch. He may never wake up, and it would be my fault.

All because of his damn hero complex.

It happened during the war, we made a promise to be by each other's side. Then one night, our camp got ambushed. It was horrid, bullets were being sprayed like sprinklers, grenades tossed to get rid of us, and we fled. Me and Gabe, making our way underground to get shelter with two others. That was when my legs got trapped, I wished a thousand times that I could go back.

He was a darn hardhead, saying he wasn't going to leave me. When I was free, we made a run for it but he was shot in the back, multiple times. Before a bomb went off. The bullets were stuck in the bulletproof vest but the force from the bomb did the trick.

He was unconscious for days, and after the war, they transferred him to a hospital in Germany. Before his family decided he should come to his hometown.

If he hadn't helped my leg free, he'd have been alright, happy with his girlfriend.

I felt my hands clench unconsciously, nails digging into the roughness of my palm. Here I was, like every other month, coming to check if he was alright. Just like any other time, there sat Penelope, a drawing book on her lap, her shoulder-length hair covering her face as she had her head down.

"Hey." I croaked out, the room was quiet, except for the beeping of the machine. Penelope looked up, shocked.

"Oh, when did you come in? Hi Everest, how are you?" Her words were always kind and thoughtful, she sprung up on her feet, dropping the book by Gabe's side before coming to give me a side hug. I hugged her back, her head reaching my nose.

"I'm alright. How've you been?"

"Here and there." A small smile played across her lips. "The doctors said he's been okay. It's up to him to wake up now." Her tone held sadness, her hands going to hold up her chin. Humming, I sit by her side.

"He'll get tired of being in the darkness eventually."

"It's been almost eight months now." She pointed out, her shoulder slumping. "We just have to be patient with him, you know how much of a hard head this one is," I said more to myself, staring at his limp body.

Penelope remained quiet.

So did I.

After some time, she sighed. "I just want him to wake up, to tell me stupid jokes with that stupid smile of his. Everyone has given up. Even his girlfriend." Her voice cracked as she went further. "But I can't give up...not yet, anyway." She mumbled, her hand taking his.

Quietly, I listened.

I wasn't one to question Gabe's decision but he'd missed a real gem here. Penelope was pretty, with a round face, button nose and full lips. She was kind, persistent and caring. Perhaps when he woke up I'd ask why he'd chosen his girlfriend over her.

"You really love him, huh?"

Penelope's head snapped towards mine, her eyes widening at my statement. Shyly, she took her hands away from his, folding them to her chest. "I..." She blushed profusely, failing to complete her sentence. This made me chuckle, throwing my head back at such an obvious reaction.

"Hey! S-stop laughing," Penelope muttered with puffed cheeks. "It doesn't matter. He loves Sapphire." The lady concluded, shrugging her shoulders. Quite frankly, I'd say he loved them both, from what he told me. He was head over heels for Sapphire but cherished Penelope. That man was confused.

Deciding not to slip out what he'd told me, I just smirk. It would be best for her to hear it from him herself. "Okay, okay."

Getting to my feet, I stretch out after some time with Gabe and Penelope. "Get some rest, okay?" She nodded, going back to her drawing. "I'll leave soon." She told me before I waved goodbye.

A small smile stretched my lips, glad that he wasn't lonely, at least someone still came for him. He wasn't alone.

The drive back was choking, my chest felt constricted, and my breathing rough. I needed to lay down, take some painkillers and sleep off. Tightening my grip on the steering wheel, I tried to calm my breathing, counting down from thirty to one. I began hearing them again, the sound of bullets, the explosions of the hand grenades and bombs. The blood, the lifeless bodies like gravel on the ground.

"Calm down, Everest."

I muttered to myself, making sure not to press down on the accelerator. The sounds wouldn't stop, it only got louder. For a brief second, I shut my eyes, trying to calm myself but an even louder horn blared out.

"Shit!" My hands instantly swerved to the right, dodging a car by a slight gap.

Immediately, I looked for a place to park, near a bakery. Stumbling out of the car, I almost collapse to my knees. My breathing was still rough. "Calm down, Everest!" After some minutes, my breathing began to normalize, my chest going up and coming down gently.

I hated this.

I don't know how many minutes went by, but I was crouched down beside my car, mind in the clouds as I watched different people walk by. Some spared me a concerned glance but never came close. I didn't need their pity. I was fine. Shutting my eyes again, I try to clear my head.

"Amelia! Slow down! You're going to hurt yourself if you run that fast!" A masculine voice called out, snapping me away from my thoughts. Curious, I spring up, checking for the person who called out that name.

Amelia.

"I'm sorry, I'm just really excited!" A familiar voice giggled, light footsteps following.

There she was.

My little Amelia, in a short flower dress and dark pantyhose, skipped into the bakery with a honey-skinned, slender man following after her with a smile.

-

I don't call him rough around the edges for nothing.

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