Parallel Me

Parallel Me Part 14

Then a voice I could not ignore was tugging at me, making me turn away from the darkness. The voice was surrounded by a dime light, which showed the way to my sister Alice. As the light got brighter the voice's got clearer, and there she was leaning over me calling my name. As the last of the fog cleared, I could see she wasn't alone, Roger was holding Josephine as he sat close by my bed, and she was waving her arms as she tried to climb out of his arms and onto the bed. Alice was holding onto my left hand, as she sat leaning over to look into my eyes. Calling my name time and time again; even with tears in her eyes, she looked lovely.

Then suddenly she had a look of fright on her face, as Josephine exploited a lapse in Rogers's alertness, and had escaped from his grasp, leaping from his knees onto the bed. Giggling happily, she runs away from him across the bed, one foot landed on my hip, the other caught a fold in the covers and tripped her. She would have fallen onto the floor on the far side of the bed if it hadn't been for my outstretched hand stopping her. Alice's fright turned to happy smiles, as Josephine laughing gaily at the game she was playing. Lay suspended in the air by my supporting hand, over the edge of the bed.

"Instinctive reaction, he has movement but he's not controlling it with his mind." Doctor Thorn said as he came into my vision from the side of the room.

"Breathing and your heartbeat they just happen, because they are natural, as is swallowing and moving your arm when something touches it. Is defensive you don't have to think about it, it just happens whether you think it or not. Ask him if he can hear you, both eyes for yes." Alice didn't have to ask; I closed both then opened them again.

"Thank god I thought we had lost him when Mrs Gardner revealed what happened in Israel. He has been slipping away over the last two days, that's why you were asked to visit him, Mrs Hoskins. We have tried everything to bring him around and we're at a dead end as what to do next. It seems your daughter has shown us the way forward, she has triggered survival instances in him.

It has given me hope I can reawaken his mobility skills, we will leave you to continue your visit while we plan our next move forward. We have to thank you little Miss Josephine, without you we would be still lost at sea." Josephine had been deposited back on the bed and was sitting on my chest slapping my face and pulling my nose. Alice was happily laughing at her when she suddenly realised I was holding her hand.

"Doctor, Doctor!" She called after him. "Look!" She said holding up her hand, with my fingers wrapped around it.

"Now that is a result, keep this up and we'll have him dancing in a week's time." Doctor Martin said happily, from the doorway and I saw Caroline smiling beside him. Then they left us alone, for the rest of the afternoon.

Alice told me that mum hadn't come because she wasn't up to travailing. Dad wouldn't leave her at home alone because she had become frail now she was in her sixties.

Rose was still flitting from man to man, unable to settle down to a stable relationship. Josephine had played for a while then settled down beside me to sleep for an hour. When she woke it was time for them to leave, and I finally let go of Alice's hand when she kissed me goodbye, and Roger squished my hand and said.

"See you soon old chap." As they left Sister Caroline came to my bedside; anxiously looking down into my eyes and asked.

"Are you alright?" she smiled as I closed my eyes and opened them again.

"You've had us all worried, you naughty boy, don't you do that again. You stay with us and get better; you've got too much to live for." She was leaning over her hands on the side of the bed, as she talked to me. She suddenly went silent, and her eyes opened wide, after she gave a little 'gasp,' as my fingers held her hand.