Life is bitter sweet, one minute you have everything you want and the next it’s gone, like a flash of light, gone. About three weeks ago Alice was driving out of her works car park when a car crashed into her, crushing her body against the body of the car. She’s been in a coma ever since. The doctors keep me updated on how she’s going but I can’t help the constant worries that run through my head, and stomach.
I walked through the dry crisp grass and through to my parent’s cottage, my eyes red and my lips cracked, thoughts raced through my head at lightning speed. Everything has being thrown at me, and I don’t think I can handle it.
”Jasper, do you want a cup of tea?” My mother almost whispered.
“No, no thank you” I barely muttered.
Walking through the small old looking house I reached the front door. I got into my car, turned the key sparking the ignition and began to drive down the never-ending road.
After around a half an hour of driving, I finally reached the hospital. I walked in, silently and through to the elevator. I reached the 3rd floor and walked down the hall looking in at all of the patients. Silent as a mouse, I walked into one of the rooms where my girlfriend laid. Her brown hair beneath her shoulders, her beautiful blue eyes covered by her eyelids. Holding back my tears, I picked up her hand and slowly lifted it to my lips and planted a soft kiss on the back of it. One of the nurses walked in.
“Hey honey, how ya doing?” she asked in a concerned voice.
I looked down at my feet, “getting better, but I still can’t stop worrying about her.”
“You should see someone, a psychologist? A counsellor? Someone to talk to,”
“No," I looked down, "no thank you I’ll be ok” I smiled slightly at her.
She gave me a reassuring smile, hung a board on the end of the bed and left. When I knew she had left I walked to the end of the bed and un-hooked the board. I flipped the paper over to look at all the pages and started reading through the conditions. Something caught my eye, I suddenly saw the words, 'post-traumatic amnesia'... I could see it, written on the paper but, for some reason I couldn't believe it. It felt like someone was playing a cruel joke on me. As I stared at those awful, disgusting words many thoughts were running through my head. After a while of staring and thinking, I did something that surprised me, I cried. I hung the board back onto the end of the bed where my beautiful peaceful Alice laid. Slowly walking over to the arm chair next to her, I sat down and sobbed. I fell asleep next to her, in the most uncomfortable position though, I didn’t care. I was next to her, so close that I could hear her breathing. The slow rhythm of her breath comforted me. Around an hour later the nurse came in to check her vitals, this had become a routine check, every hour on the hour.
“Visiting time is almost over” she said.
I nodded realising that this wasn’t the kind-hearted nurse that had spoken to me before. This woman acted like she had a heart of stone, she spoke as a robot would, cold, dry, and heartless. I swiftly exited the hospital, quietly and with my head down. I was in no mood for conversation, so I avoided eye contact at all cost. The car park was mostly empty, only a few people wondering around. When I found my car I headed straight for the apartment that I and Alice were to live. When I arrived at the medium sized apartment I sat down on the couch and stared at the blank TV. The walls of the apartment are painted a faint blue colour, at Alice’s request. The main room conjoins to the kitchen which is painted a pastel yellow colour, also chosen by Alice. She had a real eye for interior design, that’s why she has designed almost the whole apartment. The day we were meant to move, she said she would meet me at the apartment. Our plans were soon put on hold when I got the call, the call telling me that she had been hospitalised, the call that brought my whole world to a swift stand still. A tear rolled down my eye just thinking of it. I kept wondering what would happen when she wakes up, will she remember me? Will she remember herself? I couldn’t help but worry.
Around 2 weeks later, at 1:23AM I received a phone call. That fact that it was one in the morning didn’t matter, I hardly slept anyway. I lifted the phone off the stand, hearing a click as they separated. Just as I held the phone up to my ear I heard the voice of a middle aged woman, it was Alice’s mother Jean.
” Hello, Jasper, are you there?”
It took me a minute to adjust before I replied. “Hi, Jean what’s wrong, is Alice okay?” My heart began to beat faster and faster.
“She’s awake.” Jean said quietly.
My heart stopped, I froze dropping the phone. As the silver plastic of the phone hit the floor I could hear Jean’s voice faintly in the background. I couldn’t make out what she was saying. Everything was blurry. My legs were shaking, I felt like my body had turned to jelly. I steadied myself, picked up the phone and told Jean I was on my way. Setting the phone back on its holster I grabbed my keys from the table and walked out of the apartment, locked the door and ran down the stairs to the front of the building. When I reached the hospital Jean’s husband Paul were sat in the foyer. When he saw me he stood up and gave me slight smile
“Jeans sat with her now, the doctors said she has post-traumatic amnesia.”
Those words, I’d seen them but never heard them. It hurt to hear them out loud, it made everything more real.
“But, she remembers some things.” He said.
He gave me hope, not much but it was still hope.
“Come on, I’ll take you to her” he said smiling slightly.
When we got to her room I first saw Jean sat on the chair where I had laid two weeks previous. Then I saw her, unlike before her beautiful blue eyes were open, her hair tied up in a messy bun, a smile on her face. Though when I looked at her she looked like my girlfriend, something didn’t seem right and I have a feeling I am about to find out why. Paul walked in first greeting Alice and his wife with a smile and then I walked in, she looked at me immediately.
“Who’s this?” she asked, my heart stopped and a tear ran down my face.
“This is Jasper, y-your boyfriend” Jean stuttered suddenly realising the true effects of the crash.
“Oh” Alice looked embarrassed and a little confused. “I’m really sorry” She carried on “I-I don’t remember you”
Those words hit me like a knife, I felt like a fine piece of glass that had been dropped on the floor.
“It’s okay” I barely whisper.
“Come, sit down” Jean pats on the seat next to her.
“No-no I think I’m going to head home.” I say trying to smile.
I turn and walk out of the room, I realise it seems rude but I don’t think I can hold back the tear much longer.
“Jasper!” I hear Jean shout from behind me.
I turn to see her speed-walking up to me, “Please don’t go” she says.
“I’m sorry, I just- I can’t.” I say holding back my tears.
“Okay I understand” She begins “but please, don’t give up on her. Come with us on Sunday, were going out for tea. The doctors said she will be out by then. Just, come it might help her remember.”
I nod and she gives me a reassuring smile. “She will be staying with us for a while, so if you could come to our house at 12 that would be great” She smiles.
“Okay” I smile back at her.
