Chapter 7
"Where's my daughter? Where is she?"
"Mrs. Scriber, please, you'll be able to see her in a minute. She's in her room with the doctor," said the nurse.
Mrs. Scriber sat down in a chair in the waiting room. It felt like forever before the doctor came out of Maria's room. Finally, he did.
"Mrs. Scriber?"
"Yes, what happened to her?"
The doctor explained to Maria's mother that Maria had a bad relapse, but the coma was small. It wasn't something that would last long. Her body just needed time to recover and save energy.
"Her body is just worn out. She just needed some rest, that's all. She'll be all right. We just need to keep her under stricter surveillance now."
Maria's mother began to cry.
"Can I go in and see her now?" asked Mrs. Scriber.
"Of course. Go ahead." replied the doctor.
Mrs. Scriber walked up to her daughter's room and started crying harder standing at the door of Maria's room. She finally got enough courage to walk in. When she saw Maria with tubes hooked up to her, she couldn't take it anymore and broke down. She knew the doctor had said that it was only temporary, but what if something else went wrong. She couldn't think about it. She began to talk softly to her daughter, hoping that she'd hear her. She'd do anything to get her daughter back. Maria's life still needed living, she's too young to die, and didn't deserve this.
Mrs. Scriber spent that night and the rest of the week at the hospital by Maria's bedside holding her hand. If there was going to be any change at all, she was going to be there no matter what.
* * *
Days later...
"Come on Maria, open your eyes. Please..." pleaded Mrs. Scriber.
"Mrs. Scriber?" came a voice at the door.
Maria's mother turned her head and saw a young man standing at the door. He was holding flowers.
"Jake, come on in!" said Mrs. Scriber. "Maria would be glad that you're here.
Mrs. Scriber had called Jake and told him the whole story, thinking that Maria would've told Jake sooner or later. She loved Jake, of course she would. Mrs. Scriber adored Jake, she thought he was one of the best guys that Maria's ever dated.
"I can't believe she didn't tell me." said Jake. "I would've been here the whole time with her."
"I know Jake, but I'm sure that she was afraid. She never told anyone."
They sat together talking about different things. Jake explained why he wasn't there earlier. They just had spring break and he had gone on a skiing trip with his friends. They talked about college life.
Although Maria was going out with Jake and spent time with her friends, Maria was not yet out of high school. Maria told her friends that she had taken some time off of school because she moved around so much. Also because of what happened to her dad. They seemed to buy it.
She had missed too much school when she was younger because of her cancer. She worked hard and finally graduated. She graduated a semester early so during second semester, she worked at the mall. She also had been looking at brochures and wondered which college or university to go to. She was a smart girl.
Jake left after a little while. He said he had a lot of homework to do. Mrs. Scriber sat and ate her dinner with her daughter as usual, by her bedside.
Later on that night, Mrs. Scriber was talking with the doctor out in the hall and the doctor said that she was progressing very well. Things should be better by early next week. Mrs. Scriber was so happy to hear the news.
She watched the news and read a magazine to her daughter, and then soon fell asleep.
4:05 am
Maria's eyes fluttered open.
"Josh?"
