The Love That Wasn't Enough | PEDRI

8

Nailea opened her eyes to find herself standing in the middle of a hospital hallway. She looked around, confused and disoriented, wondering how she had gotten there. She began to walk down the hallway, taking in everything that was going on around her.

As she walked, she saw doctors and nurses rushing past her, pushing carts and wheeling patients from room to room. She saw families huddled together, holding onto each other for support. She saw children crying, and adults trying to comfort them.

Then, she saw herself. She saw her own body lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines and monitors. She saw her mom sleeping in a chair next to her, her face etched with worry and exhaustion.

Nailea's heart raced as she realized what was happening. She was having an out-of-body experience. She was seeing everything that was going on in the hospital, even though her physical body was lying in the bed.

She continued down the hallway, drawn to a room next to hers. She peeked inside and saw a woman lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines just like she was. She saw a man sitting next to her, holding her hand and talking softly to her.

Nailea felt a sense of sadness wash over her as she realized that she wasn't the only one going through this. Other people were fighting for their lives, just like she was. She knew that she had to be strong, not just for herself, but for everyone else in the hospital who was fighting to stay alive.

Nailea was standing alone, looking out the window of the hospital room. She was lost in thought, not paying attention to her surroundings.

Suddenly, she felt someone standing next to her.
She turned to see the woman who welcomed her into the dream world, looking at her with a kind smile.

"I didn't mean to startle you." Nailea looked at her, confused.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" I asked.

The woman pointed to the room next to hers. "That's me," she said. "And that man sitting next to me, that's my husband."

Nailea looked at the room again and stared at the older man sitting next to a woman in a hospital bed. The woman looked just like the woman standing next to her.

"What do you mean? I don't understand," Nailea asked.

The woman looked up at her, her eyes sad and distant. "I'm here because I was in an accident, just like you," she said.

Nailea's eyes widened. "You were in an accident too?" I asked.

The woman nodded. "Yes. I've been here for four years now," she said. "I hear my kids talking to me, trying to reach out to me. I hear my husband's voice, but I can't seem to reach them."

Nailea looked at the woman with a mixture of sadness and disbelief. "Four years?" I repeated.

The woman nodded again. "Yes. Four years. It feels like an eternity," she said.

"I'm sorry," I said softly.

The woman smiled weakly. "It's okay," she said. "I've learned to live with it. I've learned to find some peace in this place."

Nailea looked around the room, taking in the machines and the beeping sounds. "Is there any hope?" I ask. "For us to wake up?"

The woman shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "But I do know that we have to keep trying. We have to keep fighting. We have to keep hoping."

Nailea nodded, feeling a sense of determination well up inside her. She knew that she had to keep fighting, no matter how hard it might be. She had to keep hoping, no matter how hopeless the situation might seem.

Together, Nailea and the woman stood there in silence, listening to the sounds of the machines and the beeping of the monitors. They both knew that they were in this together, and that they had to keep fighting for their lives.