Ataxia

Chapter 11

Abhik

2036

Beep ... beep ... beep ... beep ...

I groaned, slowly blinking as my vision and hearing became clearer. My memory was so foggy. I could barely remember a thing. What was going on? My vision faded to black again.

The sounds of tissues blowing.

"Oh, Abhik, my baby boy!" Said Maa's voice.

Everything went black again.

"Abhik? Abhik!" That was Pita. Were they trying to get my attention or something? Was it time for school?

Beep ... beep ... beep ... beep ... beep ... beep ... beep ... beep ...

Silence.

Then I finally woke up, fully conscious this time. I blinked rapidly from the bright light flashing in my eyes. As if things weren't strange enough, the first thing I heard was:

"Boom! Do the math, son! I just beat you at Chaturanga, again." Was that Adah Didi?

"Adah ... Didi ...?" I croaked with a parched throat, looking over to my Didi, on the other side of my hospital bed. Her hair was so black it looked blue in the fluorescent lights. That's what I liked most about her was that her hair looked naturally blue. But not so much the part where she bossed me around and smart-mouthed all the time. She looked up from her laptop, a surprised look on her face. Her eyes made tears and she rushed over beside me. Was she this worried about me waking up early for school?

"Abhik, are you okay? Tell me, where do you live?" She interrogated restlessly.

"Ah ... Corpus Christi ...?

"What is my name?" She said a little louder which was unneeded.

"Ah ... Adah Didi ...?"

"What school do you go to?" She said just as loud.

"Clinton Middle School ...?"

"Good. Now, uh, how old are you?"

"Thirteen ...?"

"Yeah, you're not okay," she said, backing away and crossing her arms. Seriously, what was going on?

"What ... do you mean?"

"It took you, like, five minutes to answer each question, including the last question."

"Wha ...?"

"Exactly."

Everything was so foggy. All I could remember was ... Kaden was attacked by a shark! Was Kaden okay? Was I even okay? Was Adah Didi just playing tricks on me again like the Didi she is? Where was I right now? Could I possibly see Kaden? Was Kaden even alive?

"Abhik!" Maa rushed over to my side, sobbing. "Beta, I thought you nearly died from that awful disease you caught from playing in that water. Don't ever scare me like that ever again!" I had no idea what she was talking about, but she seriously needed to lay off. I'm fine.

"I think he's okay," Adah Didi said. "He sutters and processes things really slow, but I think he's gonna pull it through."

"Good," Dadi replied. "Now Abhik, do you feel okay?" I was quiet since my throat was so dry and sore, but I barely shook my head from side to side. "Of course not," she said, grinning, which I immediately knew meant she was gonna do something crazy. "It's because the hospital is only serving you fake disgusting American food. You haven't had your Dadi's homemade food in a while." She started digging through her bag, pulling out a tupperware full of bhakarwadi. Bhakarwadi did sound really good right now. She was right, I actually really did miss her homemade food right now. How long was I out?

"Thanks, Dadi ..." couldn't take it anymore, I was too tired ...

***

I woke up in the middle of the night. Sitting up suddenly, I realized I was coated in sweat. My room was dark, but soon my eyes soon adjusted and I could see a little better. The machines were quiet and I could see no one else around. The curtains were closed and the little hint of light bled through his curtains and on the floor. Someone walked past and I froze, afraid as if that person were to see me. I didn't know why. Maybe I was a little jumpy after the shark attack.

I took the blanket off, a little warm. Then I noticed something very strange. The sheets were wet. Maybe some water spilled from a cup or something? Was I trying to reach for water in my sleep? Was it possible I used the bathroom on my bed? I stood up in a rush, ripping the breathing mask off of my face which I did not need since I was fully awake now. I don't know if I'm gonna be able to sleep.

I felt much better than the last time Dadi, Maa, Pita, and Adah Didi visited me. I felt great. In my prime, as Pita would say. Ironically, I never knew what he meant. I flicked on the bathroom light that was in the room and stepped inside.

I stared at the mirror, though not really seeing much since I didn't have my glasses on. More like a foggy mirror with a vague outlook of my face. I probably lost them when I left them at the beach. Dadi was going to kill me for losing them. I took a deep breath and a look of disapproval crossed my face. The sink was soaking wet. Sure, the sink's destiny was to be wet, but I didn't even turn the water on. And it was just dry before. I went over to the towel dispenser, drying my hands and the sink off. I stepped out of the bathroom, about to turn out the light before I realized my hands were dripping wet again.

"Okay, what is going on?" I whispered to myself in Hindi. I pressed a button on the lamp on the bedpost of the hospital bed and took a look at my hands. "Pani ...," I say quietly.

It was water on my hands, like before.

But it was coming out of my hands.