There's Always Dark Before A Sunrise

Chapter Five

Shane Northman's eyes flutter open. Although the room is dim the lights feel bright and piercing. A groan softly escapes Shane's lips. Eliza, sitting across from him, looks up alarmed and excited.

"Shane?" she exclaims, "Shane!"

His eyes open once more and pan over to her. Shane's mother gets to her feet and strides to her son's bedside hurriedly. His dried lips crack in protest as he tries to move them to form words. Eventually, Shane finds the strength to do so.

"Wh-wh. Wh-where's...M-Mariah?" He manages to say.

Eliza closes her eyes slowly, tears beginning to run down them. Eventually the truth of what transpired did settle within her and she accepted the reality of what happened.

"Gone," Eliza responds, "never to return."

Shane's eyes sting as his dehydrated body tries to form tears. He looks around the hospital room confused.

"Why am I..." Shane pauses for breath, "here?"

"Brecken, your father, he-" Eliza's voice trails off. "I should call the doctor."

Eliza reaches to the side of Shane's bed and presses a button that calls for a nurse. Several seconds later one paces into the room. She stops short for a moment, seeing her patient is awake.

"Hello, Shane," the nurse says sweetly, "my name is Jenna. I'm your primary nurse. Um...five months ago, you died. For eleven minutes and forty-five seconds to be exact and you've been in a coma since. It might not seem like it, but you are incredibly lucky to be alive."

Shane stares blankly ahead. Dead? For eleven minutes and then a coma for five months? This can't be real. This can't be happening. They must be mistaken. He must be mistaken. Shane closes his eyes tightly, trying to keep tears from welling up and hoping this hospital room around him will fade away. Several seconds pass and he opens them. His mom is still sitting beside him, and that nurse is still a couple of paces behind Eliza.

"Honey," Eliza says, her voice breaking the silence, "I know it's difficult to hear, but it will be alright."

Eliza leans forward and wraps her arms around her son.

"Where's dad?" Shane asks.

Eliza stills at this and looks away.

"In prison," she says slowly.

"What?" Shane croaks.

"Shane, he's the one that...the one that..." Eliza's voice trails off. She simply sits quiet for a moment before taking a deep breath and continues saying, "the one that did this to you."

Shane's already pale face somehow bleaches itself a little more.

"Wh-why," Shane takes a steadying breath, "Would he do th-that?"

Eliza shrugs, "I found you on our kitchen floor. You had OD'd. It was too much for your father after Mariah..."

"Don't keep him up and talking for much longer," Jenna interjects, "but for now I'll leave you two alone."

As her footsteps recede from the room Shane asks quietly, "He blames me, doesn't he? That's why he did it."

Eliza doesn't know how to answer, too ashamed of her husband and what happened.

"Do you blame me?" Shane asks, the tears finally rolling down his cheeks.

Eliza's heart skips a beat at this. She lifts her gaze to her son's green eyes.

"No son, of course I don't."

"Why not? Why am I still alive while my sister isn't? Why am I so lucky?"

"I-I...don't know son," Eliza says truthfully.