Make a Wish || Rhett and Link

Chapter 20 - Awake

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

I opened my eyes groggily. I could make out a few figures sitting around the bed. My brain clicked. I was back in the hospital room.

"She's awake guys!"

I opened my eyes a little more and I could recognise some of the faces. Rhett. Link. Uncle Randy. Nurse Genella. Doctor Anderson. A man I didn't recognise.

"Hey, Super-Cooper."

I tried to say 'Hi' but it came out as a "hmh".

"How are you feeling?"

I didn't answer. My eyelids were drooping back over.

"What happened on that bridge Cooper?"

I blinked a few times. "What bridge?" 

A bright light was shone in each of my eyes. "She's recovering from a concussion. There's probably going to be some short-term memory loss."

"What happened?" I asked, looking around at the people in the room. All their eyes were red.

"You attempted suicide Coopy." Uncle Randy said.

Beep. Beep. Beepbeep. BEEPBEEP. BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP.

"Oh."

"What's the last thing you remember?" Link asked.

I stopped. "Getting back to the hospital. And uh, crying. That's it."

"Do you remember when your vitals were taken at midnight?" Doctor Anderson asked.

"I was still awake at midnight?" I asked.

"Yeah. The nurse came in and found you looking out your window."

"No, I don't remember that." I said.

"Do you remember me?" the man I didn't know asked.

I studied his face for a moment. "No, I've never seen you before."

A whole wave of memories came crashing through my mind. "Hang on, you were on the bridge." I said.

"Yeah, I was." the man said, a small smile emerging.

I closed my eyes as the events replayed in my mind. "I fell..."

"Cooper, he jumped in and saved you." Doctor Anderson told me.

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP.

"You saved my life" I said in disbelief.

The man smiled funny. "I couldn't let you die like that. I just couldn't. I lost my daughter to suicide 2 years ago, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let you jump."

"Oh. I'm sorry." I said.

"It's okay. I'm just glad that you're safe." The man said. "After you fell, I dived in and dragged you to shore before calling an ambulance. It was lucky you had that bracelet on or else nobody would've been able to identify you."

I looked down at my wrist and my hospital bracelet. It had been replaced with a new one. Dang. I had gotten slightly attached to the old one.

"Where'd the other one go?" I asked.

"We threw it out."

"Oh." I said, trying to hide my deep connection with a piece of plastic.

Doctor Anderson stood up. "She needs to get some rest guys. I'll be back in a few hours."

Doctor Anderson left and I was left with everyone else.

"I have to head to work now..." The man said. "I'll visit later tonight, okay?"

I nodded slightly and the man winked. "See you later."

So that left Me, Uncle Randy, Rhett, Link and Nurse Genella. There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Why?" Uncle Randy asked. "Why'd you do it?"

"I-I-I, uh..." I stammered.

"Why'd you try and take your own life Cooper? What on earth do you have to be depressed about?"

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP.

My mouth fell open. "My family is dead. I have freaking cancer. I'm going to die. All my friends have abandoned me. What do I have to be sad about? Oh, I don't know." I said through gritted teeth.

"What about us? How'd you think we felt? Getting that phone call? How do you think it feels to know that your niece had jumped off a bridge trying to kill herself?" Uncle Randy replied in the same harsh manner.

"Hey, man, back off. She's been through enough without you throwing these insults at her." Link said, standing between us.

"You have no right to tell me how to talk to my niece!" Uncle Randy snapped. "I let her go with you guys for a day, and she comes back with the intent to die?! You shouldn't even be here!"

Rhett and Link both looked hurt. Link nervously sat down.

"It wasn't their fault. It was mine." Nurse Genella said, standing up. "I was the one who asked them to take Cooper back to her place to grab some things. I thought it would help. I was wrong. Plus, I left last night when she was crying. I should have stayed. I really should have."

"I'm still here" I said. Everyone turned to look at me. "I'm the only one to blame."

"No, honey, it's not your fault." Rhett said. "You can't control the thoughts in your head."

I breathed a long sigh. "This isn't just going to go away, is it?"

"I think we're going to need to talk to the doctors." Uncle Randy said. "Get you on some anti-depressants."

"She's been on them since November." Nurse Genella said.

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP. Man, that heart rate monitor was getting on my nerves.

"How did I not know this?!" I asked.

"Your parents didn't want you to know. They didn't want you to have another thing to worry about." Nurse Genella said. "They thought you would be better off not knowing."

"So can we put her on some stronger ones?" Uncle Randy asked.

"I don't think this is the time or place for this conversation." Nurse Genella said. "The doctor prescribed rest. I think we should give Cooper come space."

Everyone stood up and started shuffling out.

"Hey, Rhett, Link, can you come here for a moment?"

Rhett and Link looked at each other but came over to the side of the bed. "What's wrong Coop?"
I gathered my strength to wrap my arms around them "I just needed a hug." I whispered.

Link chuckled and both of them hugged me back. "We're here for hugging any time you need Coop." Rhett said with a smile.

"Don't think this is your fault. Never ever ever ever think that." I told them firmly. "Please never think that."

"uh...."

"Promise me. Promise me that you'll never think that."

Rhett and Link made eye contact. "Alright. Fine. I promise I won't think that." Rhett said.

"Yeah, me too." Link said.

"Thanks for the piece of mind guys." I said, leaning back on the noisy hospital pillows.

"No problem Super-Cooper." Rhett said. "Get some rest. We'll be back later."

I curled up under the sheets and closed my eyes. There was nothing more I wanted to do than sleep.