What Hides Within

ICU

The doctor blurred in front of his eyes. For a moment he felt lightheaded. Like he was going to faint.

Eric took a deep breath and dug his finger nails into his palms. The sharp pain helped bring his vision back in focus.

"...there are two hairline fractures on her ribs." he was saying. "Nothing to worry about. It's a miracle there is no external damage."

"Except that she is in coma." Eric said blandly.

The doctor averted his gaze. "We cannot say anything just yet. We have to wait and see."

Eric nodded. He felt unreal. Like this wasn't really happening.

The doctor muttered a few reassuring words that he didn't pay attention to.

He nodded again and the doctor left.

There was silence.  Except for the monitors beeping. Proof that the patients lined up in the intensive care unit were still alive.

He looked down at Carrie.

Except for the tube in her nose helping her breathe, she looked like she was sleeping.

Her long, dark silky hair spread around her on the pillow. Her skin pale but glowing.

Carrie never slept like that, he remembered. She would bury herself under the duvet and curl around herself like a kitten.

He remembered teasing her about it the first time he woke up beside her.

The memory brought a small smile to his face.

His vision faded again as tears blurred his eyes.

How could this have happened?

She was supposed to be home half an hour ago.

By now she would just be done with her shower and start preparing for dinner.

Later that night she would take her laptop out to the balcony and watch Netflix. Earphones plugged into her ears. The screen lighting up her intense face. Her mind lost to whatever she was watching.

Tonight she was here. Alive in her mind but her body was dead.

He took her hand. It was warm, almost feverish.

A small smile played on his lips. She was always so warm.

He remembered asking her if she had fever the first time he held her. She had shrugged and said she was always that way.

Her warmth gave him hope.

"Wake up." he whispered. But she didn't respond.

His tears spilled and dropped on to her hand. She didn't respond.

When 'Millenium' by Robert Miles started playing loudly he almost jumped.

For a moment he was completely disoriented. Then he realised it was her phone. In her bag. Ringing.

Suddenly conscious of the music blasting in the silence of the ICU, he fumbled in her bag and grabbed her phone, dropping down most of her stuff in the bargain.

He recognised the name flashing on her phone - Nina, her junior at work. He cut it.

He couldn't talk to anyone just yet. Couldn't explain what had happened. A series of beeps followed the call. Nina frantically messaging on Whatsapp.

He unlocked her phone with the code she had given him, and switched it off.

"Screw you, Nina." he thought viciously.

He looked around at the mess on the floor.

Her shades - she would kill him if they had cracked, he thought with a grin. She had bought them just last week.

He remembered her trying them on and looking at him for approval.

Now he picked them up and was relieved to find them undamaged. It was almost like recovering a memory that hadn't shattered yet.

He picked up the scattered pens, eyeliner, lip gloss and put them back into her bag along with her phone.

He was almost about to zip her bag shut when he saw the red notebook.

It had fallen open and landed almost all the way under her bed.

A strange coldness suddenly wrapped around him.

He remembered her telling him she never used notebooks anymore. "I have my Mac, I have my phone... why cut a tree?" she would say.

With goosebumps rising on his flesh, he bent down and picked up the book.

A/N: Hi guys! First of all, thanks for reading. This is the first time I am publishing stuff I have written, so would love to know what you think. Do drop me a comment with your thoughts and vote if you like what you read :)