Save It!

 

by
Jenny Knapp

 

Prologue

The street is quiet. Only the soft hum of the engines in the passing cars break the silence; only the headlights on these cars shatter the darkness. But then a crash and the high sound of metal on metal breaks the quiet peace. It is minutes before another car comes along and finds the scene; immediately the young man in the car alerts emergency service. In the time before a crew of paramedics arrive, a low moan comes from the passenger side of the smaller blue car, and the man makes his way swiftly there. It is a young woman, probably about nineteen or twenty years old. But before the man can speak to her and ask he any questions, such as what her name is, she fades back into unconsciousness, barely alive.

 

Chapter 1

 

As my eyes flutter, I hear the BEEP, BEEP, BEEP of a hospital monitor. For a second, I wonder what I’m doing in a hospital, but then it all comes flooding back-Rick, my older brother, driving the car. I told him to slow down for the corner; I thought I saw headlights. But Rick couldn’t see them, so he didn’t believe me. Typical Rick. But then, suddenly, there was a car and we crashed into it head on… my memory was black of anything more except a small bit-a man. He was very handsome, even in my bleary memory. But as he had opened his mouth, my mind had been consumed in numbness again as I let the overwhelming pain take me away, tug me into darkness. And then I couldn’t remember anything else. But I wondered about Rick, and suddenly I was worried. Was he okay? Had he been hurt? More than anything, I wanted him to be okay. As well as my brother, he was my best friend.

 

Then I turned my head to the left, and saw my had sitting in a chair with his head in his hands, shoulders shaking. He did this when he was crying, I remembered. Then, I turned my head to the right and saw the monitor for my breathing, and a whole bunch of tubes and-I shivered-needles sticking out of my right arm. One was attached to an I.V., but I didn’t know what the rest were for. Then I turned back to my dad and saw that he was still crying. I opened my mouth to ask him why, but couldn’t speak, my mouth was so dry. And then I finally croaked out,

 

“Why… crying?” and his head jerked up so fast I thought it would jerk all the way off. His eyes were red and his cheeks tearstained; there were bags under his eyes as if he had been up for days. He stared at me like a for what seemed like hours, and then he put his head back in his hands and his shoulders began to shake again. I frowned, and turned my head back to the right, looking again at all the hospital-stuff. My eyes slowly drifted closed as I fell into a soft, easy sleep.

 

Chapter 2

 

As I slowly woke up from my deep sleep, I heard soft voices. I heard my father say,

 

“But I know she was awake! I was… well, I’d been crying, but she looked at me and asked me why I was crying! Not in so many words, but she did!” He sounded like he was trying to convince somebody of something. Then a female voice, probably a nurse, said,

 

“I’m sorry, sir, but it isn’t possible. Your daughter has been in a coma for six years. It’s very rare that anyone survives that long in a coma; it’s inevitable that she’ll die. This scared me, for by this time I had realized they were talking about me. And I didn’t want to die! My dad spoke again,

 

“But I know what I saw! I didn’t believe it at the time, sure, but she’s alive! And awake! I just know it!” The nurse sighed and said,

 

“Well, sir, you were very tired. I think you just imagined it. Your daughter IS going to die.” Urgh! I had to prove her wrong! I opened my eyes and saw my dad and a young blonde woman standing at the foot of my bed. I took a deep breath to speak, but then stopped. What should I say? Oh, I knew. I swallowed a few  times and ran my tongue around the inside of my mouth, trying to get it a little more moist. Then I took another deep breath, and said,

 

“Not dead… yet. I… love you, daddy.” Both my dad’s and the nurse’s head snapped towards me. The nurse’s mouth gaped open, very unattractively. It took my dad only a moment to get to the side of my side, and he grabbed my hand, stroking his thumb over it in a slow, even pattern. I smiled at him weakly, tiredly. Then I opened my mouth. I had one word to say.

 

“Water?” Dad grinned at me, and I saw that there were tears in his eyes.

 

“That’s my girl. Can we have some water, Judy?” My eyes flicked to the nurse, Judy, and saw her shake her head as if some annoying buzz were going on inside of it. Then her eyes rolled back inside her head and she fell backward, obviously fainting and landing with a thump. My dad sighed and said,

 

“I’ll be right back with some water.” I nodded at him and followed him with my eyes as he left the room. While I waited for him, the nurse picked herself up, looked at me, and said, stuttering,

 

“I’ll… I’ll be right…. right back with the… the doctor,” and left the room hurriedly. I turned my gaze to the ceiling and thought. If I had been in a coma for six years, I must be… twenty-five. I was nineteen when we had crashed, with my birthday just days away. Almost twenty-six. Wow. What life this stinking coma had taken away from me! I was unable to continue my thoughts, as dad walked in the room with a Styrofoam cup of iced water. It had a bendy-straw in it, which was good because I was on my back. He held the straw to my lips anxiously, wordlessly. I drank thirstily and was soon to the bottom of the glass, making a sucking noise as I slurped up the last droplets of water. Dad had just put the empty cup on my bedside table when a tall man in a white coat and holding a clipboard walked in the room, Judy following close behind. The man’s nametag read DR. PANE. Hmm… not the most encouraging name for a doctor. He had a shocked look on his face, which he was trying to compose even as he walked in the door. I felt more awake, having drank some water, and croaked out,

 

“You really should take time on your face. Some patients might get scared if the saw it right now.” This brought a flicker of humor to Dr. Pane’s eyes and he nodded.

 

“Yes, I suppose so, but a miracle like this does not happen every day.” I nodded.

 

“I guess you’re right. But about that… how long was I… in a coma?” My voice was growing stronger.

 

“You were in a coma for six years and two days exactly. Two days ago was your coma’s sixth anniversary. In three days it will be your birthday.” I gaped. I had heard Judy say six years, but hadn’t quite believed it.

 

“How did I live?” Dr. Pane motioned to all the tubes and whatnot on the opposite side of the bed.

 

“I.V.’s  and things. You came quite close, a few times, to dying. There was one point when you were brain dead; so, technically, you have died. But you lived again; we aren’t sure how, but your heart started beating again.” I struggled to take it all in. I had been through so much… without even knowing it. I looked at my scratchy hospital blanket, then back at Dr. Pane.

 

“Why did I live? Am I going to die? Your nurse… she told my dad I was going to die. Am I really going to?” Dr. Pane looked sharply at Judy as if this was news. She put an “Oops” look on her face and shrugged. Dr Pane turned toward her and raised a hand, then looked back at my dad and me.

 

“I’ll be right back. Judy, come with me.” They walked out the door, Judy following with a worried expression.

 

“Where’s Rick? Is he in another room?” Dad looked at me and said,

 

“No, he’s at home in a wheelchair, thinking I’m crazy and thinking you’re dead.” I widened my eyes and was about to ask why Rick was in a wheelchair when Dr. Pane walked back in. Judy was still with him, though and she had a troubled look on her face. Dr. Pane stopped at the foot of my bed and motioned to Judy.

 

“Judy had something to say to you.” Both my dad and I looked at her expectantly. Finally she cleared her throat and said,

 

“I’m sorry, Mr. Gladstone, that I told you your daughter would die. It’s just that that is usually the case, with a coma this… extensive.”