undeniable feelings | a stephchelle story

Chapter 42 - single flinch

— STEPHANIES POV —

I begin to drift off to sleep beside Michelle on her scratchy pillow. As I settle down, I feel a light twitch against my head, causing me to wince. I lift my head up from the pillow and in shock, stare down at Michelle. I've been looking at her positioning for four months, and there's no way she was like that.

I'd had in my head a picture of what Michelle looked like in her coma at all times. I can instantly tell that her position has changed. Her head is slightly tilted to the left side of her pillow and her eyes are more crumpled up.

I wait in anticipation for her to move again, gazing over her as I clench my fists in hope. Her eyes squeeze together tightly, ensuring me that she's coming out of her coma. I can't believe it. After four months of waiting by her lifeless body, she's coming back to me.

All I want to do is jump and scream, but it's quite late so I have to quietly run out of the room to inform a doctor. I notice Mary in the distance with a steaming coffee in hand as she sits at a desk in the empty waiting room.

I uncontrollably run up to her, jumping up and down in place as my hands wave excitedly all over the place.
"MICHELLES MOVING." I yell, covering my mouth shortly afterwards. Mary bounds off her spinning chair and rushes me back into michelles room, I watch as she continues to wince repetitively and squirm around.

I've never smiled this wide before, I can't believe this is happening! And judging Mary's expression, I can tell that this is a really good sign. I grasp Michelle's hand at the first opportunity I manage to get, squeezing it tightly.
"It's okay baby girl I'm here." I whisper "you're going to be okay." I grin excitedly as she continues to toss and turn.
"I'm going to get some more paramedics." Mary gently says, running off back down the hallway.

I reach into my pockets and instantly text Linda who's back at the cottage. On most nights I stay with Michelle at the hospital, sometimes I'll stay over at her house with Linda but very rarely. Linda stays there most days because she's usually tired after work and has to look after Lily.
"Michelle's waking up, you need to come asap if possible xxx"

I barely manage to click the send icon, my hands are trembling way too much. As the room becomes silent with only me and Michelle inside, I squirm over and lie beside her hospital bed, bringing her head close to mine to calm her shaking also. I stroke her hair gently as she continues to flinch.
"It's okay, we're nearly there, you'll be out of your coma before you know it, and everything will be the way it was again." I sob emotionally.

Four months in a coma is a long time..will michelle be the girl I knew she was before she came in? Or will the head trauma have completely changed her?