Deep Asleep

Chapter 9 : Chess

The nurses were moving and massaging Jane's members. Max was in her bed, still mad at them about the day before. Jane didn't seem traumatized by their conversation; they just over-reacted, it was stupid. While they were taking care of the brunette, Max was searching information about birds, in case she wasn't allowed to move from her bed, she could at least talk to her from her bed. But the two nurses decided differently, they drew the curtains before leaving to be sure Max wasn't going to disturb her roommate. She didn't want to talk anyway, she was too upset now, and she would soon leave the hospital, she shouldn't become attached to someone she wouldn't see ever again after. She didn't care, every time something good was happening to her it wasn't lasting, so why her conversations with Jane would be allowed? It was normal, it was all her life. And Jane didn't care about her, she certainly found her annoying anyway, maybe it was better like that. She closed all the information she found about birds and switched off her laptop. Her back was hurting again, she hoped all of this would stop rapidly, she was done with this situation.

- "I hope you're fine Jane, because I'm definitely not!" Max told with an upset tone. "I'm so tired of all this shit! Your sister comes every month for you, I got hit by a car and my mom only came here to blame me! She doesn't give a shit about me; I don't even know why I'm still with them! When I could, I'll leave, and I'm sure she wouldn't even notice. Nobody would. Nah, that's not true, I'm too annoying to be forgotten, I'm glad to have friends, they came to see me, twice, they were here after my first operation, it was cool. I'm sure everybody ran at your bedside, well...yeah, those who could...I'm sorry for your parents, I'm sure they were good people, they didn't deserve to die in this crash..."

Max pursed her lips. She shouldn't have told that, Jane was still fragile, who knew what this information could do to her. Anyway, she didn't care, she couldn't see her anymore. She just needed to wait, that was what she did all her life.

The redhead didn't realize she fell asleep until some whining woke her up. She opened her eyes with difficulties, looking around to know where it was coming from. It was coming from Jane; she was certainly having a nightmare again. She took her button and called for a nurse, but no one came. She tried again and again, but it was like if every nurse were gone now. It was fine, she could do it herself. She got out of her bed and limped to the other girl. Jane's eyes were closed, but she had a worried expression on her face, and she was sweating.

- "Sssh, Jane, relax, it's just a nightmare, come on, wake up, it's okay," Maxsaid with a low voice.

Max gently shook Jane's body, trying to wake her up. The brunette had a start and began to look around with terrified eyes, breathing heavily.

- "You're in hospital, you just had a nightmare," Max explained. "Are you okay?"

Jane didn't answer, still lost. Max noticed that the other girl could move a bit more than the day before, even if she still seemed not understanding the situation.

- "Jane? You there?"

The redhead took Jane's button and called the nurses again. Maybe if it was for the coma girl and not for the annoying girl they would come faster.

- "It's night, there are less people working, they are certainly busy with another patient. Try to breathe slowly okay?"

Max gently put her hand on Jane to force her to lay down again and began to breathe with her, wanting her to relax. She didn't know what that nightmare was, and she certainly would never know, but it seemed to be a very scary one, Jane was deathly pale! The redhead took the Teddy bear on the nightstand and placed it on Jane's right hand, as the other one didn't seem to work. She took a towel, wetted it with the water bottle, and wiped Jane's face with it.

- "Don't worry, you'll be okay, everybody makes a fuss of you, you're the attraction of the hospital."

The night nurse finally arrived in the room. She gently thanked Max for intervening, but now she was going to take over. Max nodded and went back in her bed without saying anything. She was glad this nurse didn't yell at her for trying to help. She didn't know what the other nurse did to Jane, but the young brunette managed to fall asleep again. The woman checked Max's wound before leaving the room. Max wasn't tired anymore, but she didn't want to switch on the TV, not wanting to wake Jane up in a stress she couldn't control. So, she looked at the ceiling, waiting for the day to come. It was almost six, so the breakfast shouldn't be long to wait, one hour could be surmounted.

Max was eating her breakfast while the nurses were feeding Jane in front of her. She didn't want to seem to watch them, but she had nothing better to watch, so, why not, it was a show like any other. They were asking her to tighten her hands arounds theirs, to raise her arms, her legs, to move her feet, and other things like that. Jane's right arm seemed to work well, still a bit weak because she didn't move for six months, but it was moving. The rest, it was complicated; she could move her feet, which was a very good thing, but her left arm seemed still asleep. Meredith entered the room with a smile to the redhead.

- "How are you today, Ms. Mayfield?"

- "I'm good. Is there a chess set here?"

- "Um, I can search for one, why?"

- "Oh, uh...I, I thought...as she likes playing chess, I thought...or maybe it's not a good idea, I don't know..."

- "I think it's a good idea, it could stimulate her brain in a good way. I'll see what I can find," Meredith smiled.

- "Okay, thanks."

Meredith took back the tray and left the room. Max spent the day watching the nurses testing Jane and giving her new habits. It was quite interesting to see all the process of a recovery, it must be so long for them, she understood why they all want to stop at the beginning, it was so exhausting just by watching it.

At the end of the day, Meredith reappeared with a chess set. She helped Max to sit next to Jane before leaving them.

- "Hey Jane," Max said. "You seem tired, maybe I shouldn't annoy you more. (Jane blinks twice) What no? You're not annoyed by me? (two blinks) Oh, okay, cool! Um, well, I thought, as you were a champion, that we could play a bit chess, you agree? (one blink) Okay, cool, be lenient, it's my first time."

Max installed the chess set on the bed, looked on her phone to know where all the pieces were supposed to be on the board, and watched how each piece was moving.

- "So, you begin, as you're the whites."

Max watched Jane looking at the different pieces, moving her hand above the chess set without touching it. Max took her hand and gently moved it on a pawn. Jane weakly closed her hand and moved the pawn two cases diagonally before taking back her hand. Max frowned to her before asking:

- "Jane? Do you know how to play chess?"

The brunette didn't answer. Her eyes were stuck on the game, getting a bit wet. Max had a bad feeling, she didn't like that. She failed again! Maybe the nurses were right when they asked her to leave her alone. She was just a mess able to create more messes. Jane dropped her hand on the game and knocked all the pieces over.

- "I guess that's a no. It will come back, don't worry, it's in your head. And it's the only way for me to beat you!" Max joked. "You want me to leave? (two blinks) You want me to...read you more about birds? (one blink) Cool, I think I begin to like birds too."

Max widely smiled to her before searching for the book and placing it on the bed. She spent the end of the day reading about birds with Jane until the nurses asked her to leave and drew the curtains. She didn't care, she spent an amazing moment with Jane, and she was sure Jane spent a good moment too.