A YELLOW DAWN BROKE over Heavensport Island the morning after the storm. Nico sat in the waiting room of Sam Porter State University Hospital. The cup of bitter coffee had gone cold in his hands. He hadn't slept, merely remaining in a trance of-sorts as he stared at the parking lot. The asphalt glistened under the new morning light. Branches and leaves and pinecones littered the street, evidence of last night's carnage.
"Nicolai Floyd?"
He was startled by his own name. The lukewarm liquid spilled over his hands.
"Shit," he mumbled a curse. His lids felt heavy as he blinked and he glanced around for some tissues, plucking several out of the nearby box.
"It's okay. We can get someone to clean that up. Don't worry about that."
At last, he looked up to see the slender figure, outfitted in dark blue scrubs and a cap to match. The lines on their face deepened as they smiled at him. Behind them stood two other doctors, dressed similarly, save for their scrubs being white instead of blue, and the Sam Porter School of Medicine emblem etched onto the breast.
"Are you Nicolai?" the doctor asked again.
"Oh. Um. Yes. That would be me, yes."
"Great," they grinned. They spoke softly and kindly, although there remained an edge of authority to their voice. "I'm Doctor Bush, I'm the head of orthopedic medicine here at the university. These are my residents, Doctor Watson and Doctor Bhati. They worked with me on your mom's spinal surgery."
Nico glanced over at the obviously sleep-deprived students standing behind the lead doctor. The heavy bags under both their eyes screamed exhaustion. Nico figured he had a pair to match.
"Why don't you walk us. We'll get someone to clean up the mess. Doctor Bhati? Doctor Bhati."
"Hm? Oh. What— sorry, yeah, yeah." the young doctor nearly stumbled over his own feet as he glanced around before padding toward a janitor. Doctor Bush sighed, and meanwhile Doctor Watson merely seemed thankful it wasn't herself being scolded.
"Come along," the lead surgeon beckoned him, "I'll tell you everything you need to know."
Nico followed the two of them to a set of double doors at which Dr. Watson fumbled to scan a keycard, and the doors gave way to a long white hallway.
"So, first things first, I want you to know that the surgery was successful. Your mother is stable, but we won't know the extent of what recovery is going to look like until she wakes up from the anesthesia."
Nico frowned as they walked, "You mean she hasn't woken up?"
"Not yet, no... but, everyone is different—,"
"How long does it usually take?"
The doctor gave him a slight look but remained patient, "Everyone is different," they repeated, "For some it takes a few hours, others it might even be a couple days—,"
"Isn't it true that some people never wake up? They just stay in a coma? Indefinitely?"
"Yes... there are instances in which patients do not wake up, but that is only a scenario which we—would discuss after a certain amount of time has already passed. It's very common— in fact, I would say it's the majority of patients who require a standard bit of time to come off the anesthesia and regain consciousness. Generally speaking, most people are still asleep after such major surgery as your mom has."
Nico blinked. He was trying to process. "Okay," was the only word he could manage. Dr. Bush proceeded to give him the run-down of his mother's injuries. A fractured spine. Left leg broken in three places. Left shoulder shattered. Broken tibia. Nico didn't even know where the tibia was.
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Before You Go | A Prequel
General FictionNineteen-year old Nico Floyd has the world on his shoulders. After his freshman year of college is brought to a devastating halt by the death of his father, Nico is left picking up the pieces of what remains in his childhood home of Heavensport Isla...
