Glitches and Ghosts

The Sign

I make this statement without any reservation. Sofia Montoya was one of the bravest people I have ever encountered. This was a real struggle, and it was frightening to no one more so than to her. Somehow, despite all the horrible things she witnessed, she managed to continue with her daily life. She lived in terror, yet most people had no idea. She knew what she was seeing, hearing, and smelling was not present with her in the tangible world, yet there they seemed to be day in and day out.

I did what I could for her in the evenings and whenever we were together. I kept as close to her as possible and reinforced all the good in her. Something was wrong, though, and it was not letting up; it would get worse before it got any better.

Yet another phone call, this one much earlier and from the police. My knees nearly buckled when the dispatcher identified herself as Atlanta Police Department. I quickly sat waiting for unbearable news. Thankfully it was not as bad as that.

"Mr. Adams, your wife has been involved in an accident on Highland Avenue and Monroe. She is fine, but the car will have to be towed. Officers are on the scene now. Your wife is disoriented, and an ambulance has been dispatched to the scene. She gave the officer your number and asked that you be contacted to pick her up. Under the circumstances, it seemed prudent to the officer to summon an ambulance due to the possibility of concussion."

"Did someone hit her? Was she bleeding?"

I had several more questions, but the dispatcher cut me off.

It was a single car accident. It seems she lost control and swerved, leaving the roadway and striking a brick sign for the Foxmore Apartments. No other injuries, no other parties involved. Mr. Adams, do you know if your wife is taking any medication?"

"No, none. Sofia's perfectly healthy." I paused, trying to adjust and sort the whole thing out as quickly as possible.

I heard the dispatcher contact the officer on the scene with my information. I was then informed the ambulance was already en route to Piedmont Hospital. We hung up, then the stress, the pressure got to me for a moment or two. I sat there trying not to panic, trying to keep breathing, trying to focus. The broadcast board kept me busy for a few minutes, thankfully. I was forced to maintain composure. I found Sam Lake, the evening traffic reporter for the station and a prince of a man. He was more than happy to sit in for me the entire evening if necessary.

With that small problem solved, I left to get Sofi. When I arrived at the hospital, she had been admitted as non-emergency and assigned a room. She was having a Ct scan, so I waited, wringing my hands and trying to pass even the most superficial negative thoughts from my mind. Then a shred of light came to me.

Maybe she had fallen during one of her routines. It happened from time to time and was bound to with the leaps and movements she made while dancing. Maybe she had a concussion from a recent fall that was tweaking a nerve or something. Possibly all her visions could be explained away rationally after all. Maybe, just maybe, this whole nightmare was going to turn into a blessing. A feeling of relief began to wash over me, and a presence of calm I hadn't felt in weeks resumed ever so slightly, allowing me to breathe a little easier. As nice as it was, it was not meant to last.

Within the hour, Sofi was returned to her room, where we waited for the results. She got tears in her eyes when she saw me. She reached out to me with both her arms, and I took her and held her while she sobbed quietly. Honestly, I didn't know what I was doing. I was clinging to the idea that she had somehow suffered a fall during a routine. A fall that maybe she had forgotten about, a fall that was responsible for her problems.

"Hey, it's okay, babe. You're okay. You are."

I pulled up a chair and sat beside her gurney. The room, a semi-private affair divided by a curtain, was otherwise unoccupied. Sofi wiped her eyes and cheeks and forced a smile at me. Then she took a deep breath and began to tell me about the whole thing. It was far worse than I thought it would be.