Philophobia

Chapter 18

Alissa woke up to white walls and the smell of bleach invading her nostrils.

She tried to move her arms but their were tubes and wires attached to her.

She frantically groped at her face to find tubes going into her neck.

"Hey, you're awake." a soothing voice tried to calm her.

Her throat was dry as cotton so she simply nodded, pain shooting through her entire body.

She winced and her face scrunched up in pain.

"Alissa, you were in a car wreck. Do you remember?"

The doctors' soothing voice said, while he rustled through some papers on a simple clipboard.

Alissa nodded, reaching for her water shakily.

The doctor sat on her bed gingerly and reached for the cup of water and placed it in her hand.

Ali took a long sip and sighed as the coolness washed over her scratchy throat.

"How long have I been out?" Alissa croaked.

The doctor looked in her eyes. "Four days."

Suddenly, her mind flashed back to that night. The headlights. Ali screaming at Justin.

Blood.

So much blood.

Flashing lights.

Blurry tears.

And then she suddenly thought of one thing, Justin.

"Justin?? Where's Justin?!" Ali screeched.

The doctor had a grim look on his face but stayed silent.

"Where's Justin?" She was screaming now, tears streaming down her scratched face.

The doctor waited until she had quieted down a substantial amount and then spoke in a monotone voice.

"Justin was injured very badly. Justin is in a coma."

Coma. The word ran through Ali's mind but it didn't register.

Who's in a coma?

"Okay, yeah. I just need to know where Justin is? what's wrong with him?"

The doctor waited patiently until she had stopped asking questions.

"Alissa, Justin is in a coma. He has been non-responsive for four days."

What? Justin couldn't be in a coma.

I needed Justin.

Justin needed me.

"No!" she screamed, hands feebly hitting at the starch white sheets.

"Justin can't be in a coma. He needs me. I love him..." Alissa blubbered, tears streaming down her face and snot running from her nose.

She loved him.