Book of Us - Short Lesbian Love Stories

Two Years Late

Jess was lying down on her back on something soft. There was a rumble from beneath her and she felt her body shake, while metal rattled against metal somewhere nearby. She felt overwhelming pain in and around her head, and throughout most of her body. She let out a grown and opened her eyes. She was in a vehicle. There was lots of equipment and a man in a green paramedic's uniform standing by her. A hand placed on her upper arm and she heard her ex-girlfriend saying, "don't move, just lie back. You're going to be OK."  

Jess couldn't hold onto consciousness any longer and her mind fell back into darkness.

***

Jess woke to find herself in a room about the size of a couple of large bedrooms. It was night time and many of the lights were off. A curtain was partially drawn around her hospital bed. Straight across from her was an identical cubicle. In the bed was a middle-aged woman hooked up to a drip and she was sound asleep. It was silent besides from the occasional beep from a hospital machine.

Jess pushed herself up so she was sitting upright. Her stomach felt empty and her body, weak. She looked around her bed and at the bedside table searching for her belongings. It was all bare. Frustration began to rise in her quickly. She wanted to text someone to let them know she was OK.

She spotted a button on her bed that called for a nurse and pressed it. The nurse appeared within a few minutes. She had a round, young face and big green eyes. Her eyes were wide as if she was surprised and her smile was kind.

"Hi, how are you feeling?" She walked to the chair beside Jess's bed and sat down so that their eyes were level.

"OK, thanks. I'm just wondering where my phone and bag is?"

The nurse smiled warmly. There was something about the way she was looking at her that made Jess feel like she was missing something.

"Pet, you've been out for a while. So, your belongings are back with your family. Although, we might have a few key items locked away here that your family would have wanted you to have if you woke up."

Jess felt her heart leap into her throat. "If?" She croaked.

The nurse's expression turned apologetic. "You had a serious accident. The surgeons and nurses managed to save your life, but you entered into a coma."

Jess suddenly felt the coolness of the hospital air on her skin, the dryness of her throat due to lack of use, and the emptiness of her stomach more than ever before. Hospital machines continued to beep occasionally in the background. It then hit her that the lady lying across from her wasn't asleep, she was in a coma; all her wardmates must be in comas.

"How long have I been in a... coma?"

"Two years." The nurse said slowly and quietly.

Jess felt the floor drop out beneath her. She was falling through the air. Her mind began to stumble and trip through thoughts at one hundred miles per hour. Esther, her ex, had been right with her in the ambulance. She remembered. And her parents, were they OK? She had been just about to start her dream job. She and Esther had been on the cusp of falling in love again. But now suddenly it had been two years. That job was long gone and probably Esther was too.

The nurse reached over and placed a hand on Jess's forearm, bringing her mind back into the room. "Are you OK?"

"No, not really," Jess said quietly. Nervousness and fear spread throughout her body. All she wanted was to see her family, friends, anyone familiar. The hospital seemed so alien. "Can I call my parents? Or a friend?"

The nurse looked apologetic again. "It's currently two in the morning. So, I don't think anyone will be up." She saw Jess start to look even more nervous; she rubbed her arms and bunched her shoulders. "Try to get some rest. You can call them in the morning. Can I get you anything, say, a hot drink? An extra blanket?"