Just to Feel | Complete

Chapter 5

My head is pounding. I want to open my eyes but the pain makes them too heavy to operate. I feel nausea washing over me, threatening to take over.

I hear machines beeping and sense the presence of someone. But who? And where am I? Why do I hurt everywhere? The thought of even blinking is just too much to handle.

"She's been unconscious for so long, Doctor, how much longer?", I hear a female voice asking. Doctor?! What is going on?

"I'm not sure. She will wake up when her body is ready. The worst thing we can do now is try to rush things. She needs to heal, these things unfortunately take time." The doctor sounds so serious with so much concern in his voice.

Who on earth are they talking about?

I feel a hand holding mine. It's so warm and soft. It's been so long since someone has touched me... Is that what it feels like?

I feel something wet drop on my hand, followed by a sniff. The person who's holding my hand is crying, but why? What's happened? And why won't my damn eyes open?

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The next few days are all a blur. I drift in and out of consciousness, but am never able to open my eyes. I hear voices and sense nurses and doctors coming and going. I have no sense of what time of day it is, let alone which day of the week.

**********

It's quiet in my room and I'm still fighting to open my eyes, when I feel movement next to the bed. It's a man, but not the doctor. The cologne is different. Who could it be? It smells vaguely familiar, but I can't place it.

I feel lips place a small kiss on my hand... and then hear footsteps leaving my room.

The hospital quietens down. It must be nighttime and all the visitors have left. All I hear are the machines in my room, beeping to a steady rhythm, and the faint whispering voices of nurses.

I then hear my door open and someone busying themselves with the machines next to me. I try to speak, but my lips do not want to move. I feel cool liquid entering my vein, where the drip has been throbbing for the last few days. If only my eyes would open so that I can't tell them to remove this damn drip, and stop the pain. But before that idea even fully enters my mind, I drift off into another peaceful sleep.

After what feels like an eternity, I hear a machine beeping next to me, sense the busyness of the hospital staff and feel warm sunshine on my face. It must be daytime.

Without even really trying, I open my eyes. My head hurts like hell and the sun seems extra bright which makes my eyes hurt too. Oh please, can someone stop the aching in my head! It feels like a jackhammer is having a party with firecrackers and a drum kit!

The young nurse, tending to the machine next to my bed, nearly has a heart attack. She must be so used to me sleeping through her rounds, and not expecting to find me staring back at her.

"Welcome back, sleepy head", she says with the softest of voices and a friendly smile, as she looks down at my bed. "You sure enjoyed your sleep." She giggles, and before I can even get a word out, leaves the room.

She must be very fast, or I am very slow, because before I can really get my bearings on where I am, I have three nurses surrounding my bed. They all seem extremely happy that I'm awake, and speak amongst themselves as they check my vitals and send for the doctor.

"Where am I?", I eventually croak out. My throat is dry and scratchy.

"You are in the hospital, my dear", the friendly young nurse replies. "Do you not remember what happened?"

My memory is cloudy and I can only recall snippets. I remember going outside to get some air and to be near Smokey. I remember going into his paddock, but after that... nothing.

Just then the doctor arrives.

"Good morning, Miss Tompson. I'm Doctor James Welsh. You sure gave us all a huge scare, young lady", he says looking at my chart in his hands.

"Do you recall your accident at all? Can you remember any detail of what happened?", he queries with a frown.

"No", I croak again, "I don't remember anything after going into Smokey's paddock." My head hurts even more when I speak.

The doctor sees me squinting and asks the young nurse to close the curtains.

Trying to get an idea of what day of the week or even month it is. I ask, "How long have I been here for? Why does my head hurt so much? My face hurts when I move it. Do I have stitches around my one eye? That area hurts the most."

"You have been in a coma for just over a week", he says and notices the fear in my eyes.

Panic sets in.

"When can I go home?" I just want to get to the safety of my own room and the smell of home, even though I don't always want to be there either.

"I want to run some more tests. But if the results are good, you may leave in the next day or two." He smiles and leaves my room to go and arrange the tests.

"You have been a very popular young lady", says the young nurse as she smiles.

"What do you mean?", I ask, feeling slightly guarded. What on earth is this always smiling nurse talking about?

"A certain young man has visited you every day", she says sweetly. "He sits by your side for hours, reading to you and telling you all about Smokey. Who, I'm guessing is a horse very dear to you, as he was so excited to tell you all about 'breaking him in'... whatever that means." She blushes realising that she's obviously overstepped a boundary, and is not supposed to be listening in on other people's conversations.

"I hope that I haven't upset you?",she asks, seeing the confusion on my face.

"No, not at all. It's just that I have no idea who you could possibly be talking about", I say, trying as hard as I can to imagine who it could be. I have no brothers or male friends, so I really have no clue. "Did he leave a name?"

"No, sorry." She shakes her head and then leaves my room to assist the head nurse with another patient in the room next door.

All this thinking and talking has made me feel tired.

As I close my eyes, wondering who the mysterious visitor was and if he will come again, I fall asleep.

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Hi all, so sorry that it's taken so long for me to update....promise that it will be more frequent from now on xoxo