Silent As The Dark―A Novelette

Going Home

"How long was I in the coma?" I ask Dr. Ford after I've stopped crying.

"One week," she answers. "What's the last thing you remember?" she continues.

"Falling, I was in my bathroom taking Ibuprofen." I answer shocked at how long I was in the coma.

"I'm just guessing, but it doesn't seem you have any memory loss. However, we should put you through a scan just to make sure." She says looking to my mother for approval.

My mother nods and Dr. Ford comes over to me, she removes a clip around my index finger and beckons for me to come over. I get up and Dr. Ford puts her arm around me leading me through the hallway. I walk down the long cold, brightly lit corridor and I know shouldn't but I look into the doors. I see a girl, maybe eighteen talking to her younger sister maybe. The older one is in a hospital bed with tubes and needles in her. The younger sister looks nervous and scared. I look into another room and see a man crying over what looks like a corpse of a woman. The next room I look into is where a little girl not older than five is sleeping. I don't have the chance to look into another room before Dr. Ford pulls me into a room with a cat scan machine. She talks to another doctor for a while and then comes over to me.

"So just lay here, and breath normally you can open your eyes, but don't move at all." She says her voice seems even lower than before.

"Okay, I murmur not sure of the volume of my own voice. She points to the machine and I walk over I sit down and then turn myself around and lay down. I lay my arms at my side, and Dr. Ford looks at me and gives me a thumbs up. The part of the machine I'm laying on moves inward and I freeze, once the part stops moving I'm halfway in a tunnel like thing and a bar goes across the top of it back and forth, then the machine looks outwards again.

"You did well, we don't even have to take a second one." Says Dr. Ford.

"Thanks," I say in a confused tone.

"Okay the results will be sent to you room, but to me it looks like you're going to go home tonight." says Dr. Ford in a cheerful tone. I muster up the best smile I can, and walk back to my room on my own. I'm careful not to look into people's room. Once I get in my mother looks at me questioningly.

"Dr. Ford's bringing in the result," I say. My mom gives a knowing nod. Dr. Ford comes in quickly and smiles at my mom.

"She's good to go?" asks my mom.

"Yep," answers Dr. Ford.

My mom open the closet and pulls out a plastic bag, Dr. Ford comes over to me and signals for me to sit down. She does the same o my mother.

"I know for a fact you will lose all of your hearing, whether it's tomorrow or next year. I recommend you get the cochlear implant." She says, "Because it may be tomorrow your time to become accustomed, learn ASL and adjust is limited. The cochlea can help you hear electronically." She continues. She hands my mother a pamphlet that says, 'Should I get the Cochlea Implant?' it has a picture of a young girl with hearing aids.

"Thank you" my mother says.

"I just want you to know all of your options," says Dr. Ford sympathetically.

I pick up a magazine from the stand as my mother fills out some paper work. It's a tabloid, on the cover in big bold yellow print it says.

'Ashley, Pregnant & Alone' I put it down and pick up Time magazine, 'The Answers Issue' it says. 'All your questions answered!' it reads at the bottom in tiny text. Just as I'm about to start reading it my mother comes to me,

"Time to go," she says.

"Okay,"

We walk out of the automatic doors, and I spot my mom's car immediately, it sticks out everywhere the bright yellow 1970s Volkswagen Beetle. My mom opens the car and I get into the passenger's seat.

"Emmaline, I think you should go to a school for the deaf," say my mother gently.

"Why?" I ask, I'm not going to be deaf I'm getting the cochlea.

"I'm not getting the cochlea for you Em," she says turning her key.

"Why not? Is it money I have a part time at the clinic," I ask.

"It just seems, dangerous," she says turning out of the parking lot.

"How?" I ask.

"The put it in your brain, it's not guaranteed to work and the long term risk are unknown." She says. "Maybe when the technology has improved," she continues.

"I want to stay at my school," I complain.

"Honey, Dr. Ford's right you might not have enough time to adjust, maybe going to a deaf school will help," she says.

"It won't," I say crossing my arms

"Em, we need to learn about the culture, sign language, you need to work with me!" she says in a hostile tone. Her tone takes me aback she's usually so sweet and sensitive, she must really want this.

"Okay, but there are no deaf schools here." I say, Dover Massachusetts is a tiny town with the population of six-thousand. We have four schools none of which are deaf schools.

"There are some in Boston," says my mom. Boston's about a half-hour away, so I guess it's not that bad, "The one not to far is called Horace Mann School for the Deaf, it's about twenty-five minutes away." she continues.

"Okay, I'll go, but promise you won't tell anyone about my, you know." I say.

"It's not something to be ashamed of honey," my mom says.

"Mom, please" I beg.

"Okay Em, okay," she says looking over at me sympathetically.

Deaf, the word rings in my almost broken ears.