Never be the same. - Vinnie Hacker

glimpse of us

Day 3 of going up to the hospital to see Vin and I was starting to loose focus of seeing his hazy brown eyes open again.
Maria swore that she heard him murmur yesterday evening and didn't leave his side all night incase he woke up.
I was heading up there now to relieve her from becoming an insomniac from her worry of her child.

I walked up to the glass window that had the shutters half down, but I could see her by his side, taking to him. Even in his peaceful comatose state he still looked perfect.

I tapped gently on the door of his room.
"Hey." I smiled at her. "Any news?"

She nodded in excitement, "He can hear me." She looked over at me with her solemn blue eyes.

"That's great news." I rushed round to the side of his bed to take a closer look at him. There was still no colour to his face. I wasn't sure if she was going crazy for holding out hope. But I understood. I'd been sending him text messages as if he was going to read them and reply.

"I told him I loved him and I was holding his hand, and he- he squeezed it. Ever so slightly but I knew he could hear me." She stood from her chair at his bedside, I could see the imprint where she had based herself for the god knows how many hours she had been here.

"He knows your here." I beamed, as I walked over and pushed his hair up out of his face. I was all sunken and messy from where he had it up the night of the crash and they had to do whatever to examine his brain injury.

"Are you going to stay for a while." Maria's soft voice spoke, breaking me out of my trance.

"Yeah." I nodded. "I'm happy to stay here with him,"

"I won't be long I just need to shower and get out of these clothes and then-" Maria flustered her overtired self,

"Have a sleep too. You deserve it. The only reason I've had any, is because I know you're by his side." I cut her off. "Besides, we'll have a good chat. He's used to listening to me ramble on." I joked.

Her body seemed to relax when I said that.

"Thank you sweetheart." She enveloped me into her arms, holding me close. She probably wished it was Vinnie hugging her back rather than me. "Text me if you need anything or if there's any updates." She insisted. "Please."

"I will. I promise." I held her hand as she let go and watched Vinnie as she walked out the room. She blew him a kiss as she shut the door behind her.

I drew my gaze back over to the unconscious Vinnie, lying peacefully on the bed.

"Can you wake up now." I whispered, leaning on the bed, next to where his hand was resting. "I miss you."

I felt so stupid talking to him, knowing he couldn't respond but something about Maria telling me he could hear her, it gave me hope, even if she was having overtired illusions.

"Can you really hear me?" I grabbed his hand. I shut my eyes to accentuate my sense of touch, waiting for him to squeeze my hand like he did hers. But nothing.

"Everyone misses you." I sandwiched his right hand in between my two palms, trying not to touch the cannula that was poking out of his hand. I stroked his fingers with my thumb. Admiring every vein that was in sight. I traced his forearm tattoos with my finger, making my way up his arm.

That's when I felt it. His hand twitched.

"Vin?" I hesitated, looking at his hand, then back to his face, eyes still closed, then back to his hand.

"Can you feel that?" I giggled. Was I going delusional? I started to doubt myself when I didn't get any response. So I did it again.

This time tracing his anime panel tattoo. "This one is my favourite." I said to him. I made my way over the cartoon eyes, making sure to get every eyelash. "I don't think I ever told you that."