His Name Was Damian

thirty-eight

Naomi

As nurses flooded my room and checked my vitals, I laid there confused and dazed. It was all a blur as they wizzed past me. I don't know when Damian made the call to my mom but suddenly she was combing through my hair.

"What are they.."

My mom shushes me quietly, "They're checking your vitals, then you're going for a CT scan."

I only nod as I continued to watch. I felt the wheels unlatch as they begin to roll me down the hospital corridor. Seeing Damian and the others as I rolled quickly past them, I waved my hand, not bothering to call out their names.

The nurses wheeled me into a room full of equipment before leading me into a different area. The nurses raised me into the machine and exit, leaving me alone in the room. I then begin to move before I watched lights surround me. I relaxed as I sat there for a while; turned out it was thirty minutes.

I then was laying back in my room, staring at the lilies that were scattered around my room. I smiled to myself; They were my favorite. Some were wilting away.

I'm confused. I don't know what's going on.

"Naomi, baby," My mom asks from the door way. "There are some people who want to see you."

My friends quickly moved into the room, surrounding my bed.

"Hey," I say, a smile crossing my face.

"Naomi, I'm so glad you're okay," Lana practically screams as she takes my hand in hers.

"Uh, yeah, I am too?"

"We're all glad you're okay," Melanie says, looking over at me.

Why does she have scars on her face?

"Melanie, are you okay? Did something happen at school? You have some cuts under your eye."

"Nothing happened at school," Xavier answers for her.

Melanie pales as she begins to look around the room.; Everyone does, in fact. Damian looks over at my mom before looking back at me.

"Can someone tell me what's going on, please?"

Damian clears his throat, "Naomi... you've been in a coma."

I scoff and shake my head, "I was unconscious for what? Three days? I wouldn't consider it a coma."

"It was five weeks, honey. It would've been six weeks tomorrow."

"I don't believe you," I say, shaking my head once again, feeling the tears well up in my eyes. "I can't have been asleep for that long... What happened to put me in this?"

"You mean, you don't remember?" Damian asks, incredulously.

"Am I supposed to?"

"Naomi, you were in a car accident with Melanie," Lana explains.

"The guy who hit you was a drunk driver," Xavier adds.

"I only had a few problems; broken ribs and a small concussion. You took the biggest hit."

I quickly wipe the tear away that escaped my eye, trying to come to terms with what happened "Oh, um, well, what's today's date?"

"It's Friday, February twenty ninth."

I lay my head back and stare at the ceiling. I've missed so much.

* *

* *

*

I laid alone in my bed, watching Tom and Jerry cartoon reruns while detangling my hair. It hasn't been washed with the normal products I would use. I was busy detangling so I didn't see Damian enter the room. He looked just like I did when I saw him in the hospital, scared and afraid.

I waved him over to come sit by me and he does.

"Hey," I say, initiating the conversation.

"Hey," He says, finally making eye contact with me.

"You don't have to be scared to talk to me you know? I'm talking pretty normally, except from the fact I'm pretty tired." It was around eleven thirty.

"Yeah, I bet."

He's so reserved, now. He doesn't meet my eyes as he normally would. He keeps his head down and fidgets more with his hands.

"Damian, what's wrong? You're not usually this quiet."

"I don't know what to say."

"Say what's on your mind, then."

He takes a deep breath, as if what he was about to say was going to take a lot out of him, "I visited you everyday. I didn't know if you were going to wake up or not, Naomi."

I let the heart monitor answer for me, letting the beeping tell him I'm alive and well.

"Could you hear me talking to you?"

I thought for a moment. "Yes and no. I heard some things but I couldn't respond to you or anyone. Apparently when you go into a coma, it's not because your body wants to shut down, it's because it wants to heal itself."

After a moment of silence, I slid over on my bed and hold my hand out to Damian, "Will you watch cartoons with me?"

"You want me to get in bed with you?"

I nod, "Yes, please."

Damian removes his denim jacket, leaving himself in his hoodie before climbing gently into my bed. His arm falls behind my head as I laid against him.

"You're a really nice pillow, you know? These hospital ones aren't really that comfor-"

I feel something wet hit by head and I look up to see Damian hiding his tears.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong," I say, directing him to look at me. "Damian tell me what's wrong. Talk to me."

His cheek, now stained rained, was being held in my palm. His green-blue eyes were glosses over and avoiding mine. He sighs before looking at me, "I didn't think you were going to wake up; I've missed this."

"I wouldn't leave you on purpose, Damian. I promise."

"I know you wouldn't, but because of that drunk driver, I just didn't know."

"Hey, will you promise me something?"

He looks down at me further, "Anything."

"Promise me we won't leave each other unless we have too."

"Promise."

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