Inachevé

Four - Yours Truly, Amelia XoXo

I blinked rapidly and took another sip of my cold, cafeteria latté.   Another twenty minutes passed by and I still hadn’t gotten word from the nurses or doctors.  I looked up at the happy, round cat clock above the receptionist’s desk and stared as the minute hand passed the 12 o’clock and the hour hand move into the 11 o’ clock.   I was on my lunch hour and had now only a few minutes to spare.  I got up from my seat and went up to the desk.

Reading my mind, the receptionist asked, “You waiting to go see him?” 

I nodded my head.  “Yes.”

The pudgy-faced woman smiled.  “You’ve been coming here for so long I can practically read you like a book!  Let me go and see if you can see him, sweetie.”

“Thank you so much.” I fingered my earrings and stared at my uneven nails.  It was true; I had been coming to this hospital for a long time.  Four years and six months to be exact. 

The lady came back with a smile on her face.  “You can go and see him now.”

I lit up and nodded my gratitude to her.  I slipped my purse over my shoulder and walked with quick, light steps, to my favorite room: Room 64.  I stood in front of the brown door and stared at the name printed on the front: Jason Dannons.  My heart shook with uncontrolled excitement and my stomach filled with butterflies.  I opened the door slowly, poked my head in, and began speaking in a soft tone.  My eyes moistened as I saw him lying still with his heart monitor beeping in its rhythmic tone and the tubes coming out from under his fleece blankets.  I could tell the nurse had just left, as his gown was a stainless white and there was a new bouquet of flowers on the sill. 

“Hey, honey,” I whispered sweetly.  I tiptoed in and sat on the bed.  I took hold of his hand and massaged it gently.  “How are you doing?”

His soft, peaceful expression of sleep was my reply. 

“I see Nurse Jessica was in here.  You have new flowers, a new sleep shirt, and new bedding,” my voice cracked and I tried to hold back the tears, “You look beautiful today.”  I leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.  “You know I love you.”

For a second I thought he moved.  My heart stopped and I watched him attentively.  But when I saw it was just a shadow of a bird casting its silhouette on his face, my hopes in him waking up disappeared.  He had been in this coma for four solid years.  I was never sure if he’d wake up.  And there was always that nagging fear that if he did, would he even remember me?

“Listen, Jason, I’m going down to the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat, and I’ll be back tomorrow.”  I smoothed his short black bangs and gave him another kiss on the forehead.  I left his room, closing the door softly behind him.

“How is he?”  asked his nurse as she came in with a set of new towels.

“He’s fine,” I replied through a trembling smile.  “He seems to be staying healthy.”

“Yes, ma’am, we make sure he’s healthy and fit for when he wakes up!” 

I smiled in fondness of the nurse and gave her a hug.  “You take care of my boy while I go and eat something.”

“Sure will, missy – he’s my favorite patient!”

We both shared a soft laugh and went on our separate ways.    As I walked down to the cafeteria, my mind flashed back to the horrible night that had confined my love to the bed.  I closed my eyes and tried to squeeze away the memories.  I choked back the tears and hurried to the elevator.  I pressed the “down” button several times and inhaled deeply through the nose.  I couldn’t cry again because I’d get these awful headaches!