Once Upon a Normal Day ((RECENTLY REVISED 6/29/2015))

Chapter 3

My parents hardly left my side for the next week. The doctor had to keep me at the hospital until they did some final tests and such.

I showered finally, and it felt so good. I knew that my mom had probably bathed me while I was "gone", so to speak. But to be able to do so by myself was something that made my mom tear up. I guess it's because I hadn't been able to for a long time.

As I showered in the warm water of the hospital shower, I got thinking. Was my life honestly wasted for 6 years? Was Luke still my friend? Did anyone I know die? Could I have missed out on so much? High School? Prom?

My mind scattered when it came to schooling. Would I really have to be a 19 year old in high school as a softmore? Or even middle school?

When I had finished showering I walked back to my bed, wobbling a little. 6 years practically dead does that to you. My mom came in, carrying some papers and pencils. What was she attempting now?

Pulling the table over to where I sat, she handed me a pencil and put the papers in front of me. A test?

"Mom, what is this for?" I asked.

"To see how much you know or remember." She replied curtly. "Better get started. There are 300 or more questions."

I groaned. "How long do I have?"

"As long as you need. And you don't even have to answer all of them. Just answer the ones you know or think you know."

I started to read the questions. What is 2+2? Seriously? That's rediculously easy.

When I got to number 172 later in the evening, I finally got something that made my brain stretch a little. What is the surface area of a cylinder with a radius of 6 and a height of 7? Eventually, my brain started waking that area up. Wait, had I even learned the formulas yet?

My brain was clicking all the answers more easily now. Who was the 17th President of the United States of America? Andrew Johnson. What is the average of these test scores; 10, 20, 72, 90, 13? 41.

I finished the questions at about 9:30 P.M. I scanned back over my test to see that I hadn't skipped one. Not even the AP Biology questions. What on earth? I seemed to know all the answers I should know, if not more.

I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. I hardly ever did much more than go to the excersize room once in a while, read, watch T.V. and eat. It was probably the most boring life I had.

My mom and dad had to go to work, but Luke would stop in once in a while. I found out that he was going to college to become a Pediatrician. He said that I inspired him to become one. He had seen many come into my room to check on me while I was sleeping. One of the times Luke came in though, something slipped.

"Summer, I'm so glad you are you again and not just some spaced off body. I feel normal again talking to someone that talks back to me! I just wish that you could kiss me in your sleep instead of me stealing one once in a while..." He drifted off, realizing what he had just said. I looked up at him.

"What?"

"Nothing. It was- ahhh, it was nothing." He shook his head as if there were a bee buzzing around his ear. My eyebrows knit together in confusion. How could that work? He fell in love with a half-dead girl?

"Luke, how often did you come to see me?" I asked him.

"Well, I tried to come everyday. I would take my homework here with me and read it out loud, thinking maybe you could hear me and maybe learn something while you were gone. High School was amazing and I wish you could have been there. I was the star baseball player! You know how much I play it, right? And the cheerleaders would hardly ever leave me alone. Oh and don't even get me started on the drill team. They were a mess around me."

"Gotten a little concieted, have we?" I asked, smiling.

He grinned his perfect, goofy grin. It had gotten better with age. His dimples fit perfectly into his muscular jaw. 

"Yep, I have." And we laughed.