My name is Anna, I am 14 years old, and I live in Cedar City, Utah. Enhanced Cognitive Processing Disorder(ECPD) makes my brain work at 80% capacity rather than the average 10%.
I repeat this to myself over and over as I stare into utter darkness surrounding me. Where am i? What am I doing here? Why is everthing so dark? How long have I been like this?
My thoughts come to a quick stop as my best friend grabs my right hand. I slowly open my eyes that are soon met with Thomas' blue ones. I've always envied his beautiful eyes. His eyes are the color of the sky encircled with an even deeper blue not unlike the ocean.
My head starts to hurt so I shut them soon after. Where am I? I don't recall anything from the 24 hours. It's like it was erased from my memory or something.
Did I get wasted again? Maybe, I went to another senior party. What if my parents found out? I need to find out where I am before I start jumping to conclusions. I open my eyes with more success than last time. Considering all that I could do was squint.
Everything is really blurry and I can only make out shapes and colors of objects encompassed by the rooms white walls and ceilings. When my vision starts to clear up I start being able to see things in First, I notice that I am dressed in a hospital gown that is 3 sizes too big for me. Great, just another thing to add onto my growing list of problems. I glance to my left and see that I have an IV pumping a clear fluid into my arm. Then I remember that somebody once told me that it is filled with a salt solution and it will make sure you stay hydrated after surgery. Wait, surgery? If I have an IV in my arm something bad has happened. This sends a shiver down my spine. I have never had surgery before, but it gives me anxiety just thinking about it. On my right I see my best friend Thomas sitting in a chair next to me. I can tell he is sleeping from the slowness of his breathing. He rests with head is in his hands and his phone on his lap. After a while try to sit up quietly so that I don't wake him up. He sees me struggling to move immediately and snaps out of his chair to try and help me.
"Hey, hey. Take it easy. Just try to relax. Okay?"
"O-Okay. What h-happened? Why am I in the hospital?" I weakly replied to Thomas.
"Look, it's okay. You don't need to worry about it yet. How do you feel?
"Do you m- mean mentally...or physically?" I try to say with a snarky and sarcastic tone. It's sad that I can still manage to be an asshole even though I'm in hooked to machines in a hospital.
He laughs and asks me if I want a cup of water. I say sure because I would do anything to make this migraine go away. It is so painful that it ranges from up, down, and sideways.
"Okay. Be back in a jiffy"
"Thomas?" I ask.
"Yeah?"
"You do know that you are the only one that still says that right?"
"You know I do" he says as he starts to laugh. He makes me laugh too. He leaves and I am once again alone with my thoughts. I start to think about Thomas and I. He has been my best friend since the second grade. I still vaguely remember field trip that we went on when we first got to know each other. The school made us go to some stupid museum in St. George and I was the last one on the bus so I had to be partners with some random second grader. The teacher paired me up with Thomas. The rule was that we were partners so we had to make sure that we both got back on the bus at the end of the field trip and that we were following the rules. This wasn't much of an issue considering that we started to become friends immediately. I used to be so shy around everyone until I met him and faced my fear of having to talk to people. We had the same interests and agreed with each other about pretty everything. Thomas is the coolest friend anyone could ask for. He was so supportive of me when my mom died 2 years ago. He knew exactly what to say and just got me. Sometimes I felt like he understood me better than I did myself. We were friends even through all the crap that our peers would give us about us dating. It was so annoying because in middle school it's impossible to hang out with any boy without someone shipping them with you. Sometimes I wish that they would understand that we we just friends and nothing more.
"I'm back, I got no ice for you just because I know you like it that way. You're welcome." He says and smiles at me with a triumphant grin. He was pleased with himself.
"Thanks." I say as take the water from his hands. He was always so awsome about everything. "Hey Thomas?"
"Yeah"
"What happened? I'm not stupid. I know that if I am in the hospital it is for a good reason." When I say this I try to keep a seriousness in my voice to show him that I am not messing around about this. I really wanted to know what the freak was going on.
"Anna, if I tell you you have to promise that you will remember that it is okay. Look, this was just the deck of cards that you got dealt and you are going to be alright. Okay?"
"Yeah" I reply. Thomas looks nervous and it's making me worry. Maybe what he did have to tell me was worse than what I ever could have imagined. Maybe my dog Chica has gotten a terminal illness. Maybe someone robbed our house and took my Fall Out Boy tickets. Maybe it was nothing at all.
"Okay...Well...you know that car your dad used to drive?"
"Uhh, Yeah" The way he chose to say 'used' was making my stomach churn with panic.
"It's totaled. When you were coming back home from your piano lessons on Monday some douchbag ran a red light and drove straight into the front end of your car causing it to roll." He said this so solemnly. It couldn't be that bad right? So the car was totaled. Even though it was going to be my first car it didn't matter because the other guy would have to pay for the damage anyway. We could get a new car and fill that one with memories.
"Hello? Earth to Anna. Have I lost you. You seem to be in a daze"
"No, I'm still listening just a bit shocked that's all"
"Okay, well when the car was rolled you had fortunately worn your seatbelt so you were held safely in the car. Your dad. He...wasn't as fortunate."
"What?" I replied.
"Your dad was rushed to the hospital as soon as the paramedics got there but it was to late. I'm so, so sorry. He's gone."
