On the evening of a typical Wednesday, Sarah Wilson stepped off the B-train leading to Saint Collins St. She had climbed the subway stairs up to the road hundreds of times, but her agenda isnt something a person gets used to. She twiddles her thumbs nervously as she makes her way up the neverending staircase.
Emerging from the station entrance, she stops and stares blankly at the hospital across the road. Her eyes fixate on two nurses having a smoke break on the outskirts of the building.
Sarah takes a deep breath and walks slowly across the street. She sees that one of the nurses recognizes her and quickly averts her gaze in an effort to avoid the sympathetic looks. Family, friends, coworkers... Everyone looks at her the same way now. She picks up her pace, hurrying to the front doors while trying to maintain her composure.
Within earshot now she catches one of the nurses saying, "poor thing, she's been coming here for three years now." She covers her ears and steps into the lobby.
Stepping on to the elevator, she calms herself, and proceeds up to the third floor.
Its quiet in the west wing around this time. Most of the staff were still running about on the first floor in emergency care. But up here, its almost peaceful. Between the smell of citrus based cleaning supplies, and the half dimmed lights, its as if walking from consciousness into a dream. At least for Sarah that is, she has spent so many nights here, it is as a second home.
She comes upon a closed door and peeks through the skinny window. A man in a white coat is standing at the foot of the bed readng what looks to be a lab chart. He flips through the pages, sighs, and steps towards the door.
Sarah takes a step back to feign the appearance of just arriving. The man steps out and she mutters out, "... Dr. Carlyle?"
He turns his head and looks down at her.
"Sarah, I figured you would be here soon. I'll see to it that you have the room to yourself for a while."
"Dr. Carlyle." she says with a noticeable weakness in her voice. "Have there been.. Any changes?"
Carlyle shifts his glance towards the floor, and looks back up at her with a somber expression. "Your brother has been in a coma for a long time, Sarah. He's stable for now, but in the past weeks, he has had episodes of diaphoresis, tachycardia.. And convulsions." A look of shock runs over her face. She knew it was bad, but the idea of seeing her brother in that state shook her composition to the core.
"We are doing everything we can. These changes, although not currently life threatening, are unexpected. I'm going to look over the reports again and see what i can find on these new developments. I'll leave you two alone."
Sarah, still in shock, attempts to collect herself. Her shaking hands approach the door handle and she gently pushes the door wide open. Stepping in she takes her usual place in the chair next to the bed.
Placing her hand in his, she sits back in the chair and rests her eyes for a moment. Drifting off into dreams of better days.
The sun begins to dip below the horizon leaving an excellent contrast between blue skies and pink clouds. Children running after one another in the front yard of a humble country house. The wind carries their laughter throughout the microcosm of a home in the vast landscape beyond.
A woman steps and calls to them, "Sarah! Isaac! Its time for dinner!" the two look at each other and begin a straight sprint to the house. Pushing past one another and stumbling through the yard all while maintaining their infectious laughter.
They burst through the door in unison saying "I won!!" they shout continuously at one another until a stern look from their mother backs them into agreeing to a tie.
Suddenly the house begins to shake. Frightened, Sarah runs to her mother and grips her leg tightly. The ceiling fan crashes into the floor, followed by the bookcase tipping over. Sarah cries out "Mommy!!" The woman leans down saying," Whats the matter sweety?" still crying uncontrollably, the woman picks her up, walking passed the television set as it tumbles off the entertainment center. "You can help Mommy set the table, Dear" The woman begins eloquently placing plates and silverware on the rumbling table. Isaac takes his seat at the table as the rest of the house collapses around the family.
Sarah awakens immediately to violent shaking with a firm grip on her hand. Isaac is tossing about in the bed uncontrollably. The sheets drenched in sweat and the EKG monitor alarming any medical personnel nearby.
Sarah cries out, "Isaac!!" tears spilling over her cheeks. She grips his hands tightly and screams out for Dr. Carlyle. Seconds later, Carlyle bursts through the door onto the dreadful scene.
Isaac's convulsions stop and the monitor flatlines. The doctor scrambles to set up a defibrillator as a nurse runs in to assist
"Sarah! I need you to let go of him, right now! "
Sobbing uncontrollably and tightening her grip, she ignores him and holds on
" SARAH!!" He shouts.
She looks up at him with puffy eyes and whimpers, "He's my brother..."
Carlyle shoots her a compassionate expression,"Then let me save him."
She let's go and watches in horror as the Doctor presses the paddles to Isaacs chest. His body jumps and falls lifeless to the bed.
"Again!"
All sound is drawn out of the world as Sarah looks on this cycle of hope and torture.
Dr. Carlyle stops and drops to his knees. The sound of the EKG echoes through the room with a single continuous tone blaring throughout the mournful halls.
Sarah, trembling, walks over to the bed past Carlyle and looks down at Isaac. Tears well up in her eyes as she grabs hold of his hand.
The EKG starts to beep in rhythm once more. Carlyle rushes over to check on Isaac as Sarah takes a step back. A gutteral scream comes tearing out of Isaac, "Sarah!" his eyes shoot open, scanning around the room quickly. He convulses momentarily and falls back into the bed fainting from shock.
Carlyle and Sarah are at a loss fir words as to what just happened, however, Isaacs vitals have returned to normal. The two keep a watchful eye on him for the next two hours.
Isaac groans and slowly opens his eyes. He mumbles something to himself with the fragility expected of someone recently awoken from a long term coma. "Sarah... where's... Sarah?"
Sarah reels up closer to him, " I'm right here Izzy." joyful tears filling her eyes as she is hardly capable of knowing what to do in a situation like this.
Isaac slowly opens his eyes, looks over her saying, "Who.. Are you?"I
