His Only

Chapter Seven Waking Up

~Emily's Perspective~

I could hear the beeping again and it was starting to get annoying. I started to wake up more and more lately. Sometimes I could hear the voice next to me talking to me telling me I'd wake up soon and that he loved me. Today I could hear him again his hand was on mine as he spoke to me rubbing circles on my wrist.

"Emily," he said softly. "I miss you so much. I know I have mentioned this, but I live with Nurse Sarah still. Its been almost two weeks since I moved in there. I've been helping her out with her housekeeping making her apartment spotless and keeping up with her laundry. She had me pick up some groceries for her yesterday. It was odd being in a store, they have rows and rows of stuff on shelves. They even have carts and so many people are in there. It was so different than what I use to do everything is so different."

He chuckled squeezing my hand softly. He sounded happier than normal when he was speaking to me today.

"I even learned how to cook," he said sounding a little sadder again. "When you wake up I can make you some food. I've gotten pretty good at it even reading books on it. Just wish I could taste food to know if I am doing it correctly. Apparently, that's the only way to know if its any good."

"Can't wait for you to wake up," he said after some silence.

I felt my pillow move slightly and felt his breath on my cheek before he kissed my temple.

"I'm trying to keep myself distracted and it seems to be harder than it used to be," he said caressing my cheek softly. "I love you, sweetheart."

The beeping got a little faster and I felt Jake moved away from me.

"Sweetheart?" he said anxiously.

My finger twitched against his hand he gasped moving his hand holding his breath. I felt my hand twitch again and I tried to grab the sheet under me.

I want to wake up! I want to stop laying here! I thought angrily.

"Emily? Sweetheart," he said moving closer to me again. "It is okay sweetheart. It is okay."

I felt my eyelids opening slowly, but the sudden light was blinding. I cried out trying to pick up my hand to cover my eyes, but my arm felt so heavy.

"Here," Jake said moving and placing something over my eyes. "Sarah said sunglasses might help until your brain can remember how to adapt to the sudden light."

I opened my eyes again finding the light slightly less blinding, but I didn't really see anything either. It was a dark whiteness that kept me from seeing.

"They say that temporary blindness is also normal," he said seeing my confusion. "It'll be okay sweetheart. Don't strain yourself."

I looked around trying to see. I looked towards where I heard his voice seeing an outline of his features.

"Where am I?" I asked my voice so hoarse.

"You are in a hospital sweetheart. Don't talk let me get you some water," he said.

He left my vision and I heard him standing up moving a little bit away from me. I heard water being poured and he came back to me reentering my vision. I tried to make out his features, but I gathered that he was a little older than I had to been remembering them saying I was sixteen. A straw was placed against my lips and I opened my mouth taking the straw into my mouth sucking up the liquid. It was cold liquid against my throat making me feel a little better. I felt so thirsty that before I was ready for it to be gone I was sucking in air.

"I'll refill it for you," he said moving it away to refill it.

"No, its okay," I said still a little hoarse.

I began clearing my throat trying to get something working correctly. I sighed feeling better then I tried to lift my arm, but all I could do is clench my hand my vision still so unclear. A tear escaped my eye in frustration. I felt his hand move to wipe it away.

"Please don't cry, Emily, its okay. Its," he started, but I interrupted him getting annoyed.

"No! I feel numb everywhere. I feel like something is wrong, but I can't see to tell if something is wrong. How is anything okay?" I yelled sobbing. "I've been trying to wake up. This is probably just a cruel nightmare!"

He went quiet for a moment.

"I can call a nurse for you," he said weakly. "Otherwise I don't know what to do. They were giving you some painkillers. They mentioned to me that paralysis was a side effect."

"That... That makes.. sense," I said sobbing softly. "Why.. Why am I.."

I tried talking between sobs, but I broke down. He moved to grab something wiping my tears away. He sat next to me in the bed and lifted me up I felt his neck against my cheek. I felt his arm moving, but I couldn't tell what he was doing. I felt a tissue being moved to my nose and I blew into it sniffling feeling comforted that he was trying to help me. After a while, I felt myself calming down in his arms.

"Why am I here?" I asked.

"You don't remember? Well, they did say you might have some memory loss," he said concern in his voice. "Well in the forest I accidentally pushed you, which I am so sorry I never thought this would happen I only wanted to protect you, but you fell on a knife that you had in your hand. You hit your head against a tree pretty hard too. I am so sorry, Emily. So very sorry. If I could undo it then I would and I will do everything to make up for it. The last thing I ever wanted is for you to get hurt."

He sighed shaking under me. He placed his hand over mine softly. My vision cleared a little more and I looked up at him, but he had my forehead in the crook of his neck.

"I want to look at you. I think my vision cleared enough to see you," I said feeling a little weird making a request like that.

"Of course my love," he said kissing the top of my head while lowering me slowly to the bed.

I looked up at him and saw his black curls hanging over his hazel eyes. His eyes looked down at me worry and joy mixed within them. His lips smiled at me, but beyond him, it was just white light. I smiled glad my vision was improving.

"This is about a foot and a half away," he said moving a little. "But its better than before and is improving slowly, it might even be another side effect. Although, I did read a book about coma patients' stories and many people did have trouble seeing for a while, trouble remembering and trouble adjusting. Take your time and I'll be here every step of the way."

I groaned suddenly feeling a pain in my leg starting. He jumped up quickly and the beeping started to increase again.

"Emily?" he said a little panicked. "Talk to me, sweetheart."

He grabbed my hand and I squeezed his hand as hard as I could hoping to convey the sudden pain coming on. I felt him grabbing something near me. I closed my eyes grabbing my bed sheets with my other head tears rolling down my eyes. The pain was so intense I couldn't make a sound. The door opened quickly and footsteps told me someone entered the room.

"Emily, what seems to be the problem?" she asked.

"I think the painkiller wore off," he said.

His voice started sounding distant.

No.. I don't want to sleep. I am tired of sleeping! I thought trying to stay awake.

I heard a noise, but I could distinguish it anymore. I felt everything becoming numb again and the darkness encircled me once more.