I will Break The Heavens

Gasping I awoke, eyes snapping open as my hand lifted to my chest. I remembered the impact of the bullet, hitting me, feeling the pain as I fell backwards to the ground, then looking up at the man with the gun through reddened eyes. Confusion washing over me as I tried to understand what had happened? 

"Craig?", I cried, I could feel blood trickling from the side of my mouth, what the hell? Why? It was an effort to even speak, but I had to know this.

A figure moved closer to me, "Peter, you see it is simple, you have something I want. Surely you didn't think this dig was legit? You never, wondered, and you never really cared did you? You were a washed out archaeologist and suddenly you land this job? But now", he laughed quietly, "all good things must come to an end, you did your job and the ring has been found and so I need to tidy up my loose ends, you being the biggest one. I doubt anyone will miss you, you did such a good job in pushing what friends you had away, so thank-you for that". Craig grinned as he looked down at me, his soon to be Ex Project Lead. Craig pondered, 'I really need to find a good way to dispose of his body, I hadn't planned for this to happen so fast but well what can you do' he smirked to himself.

I could feel myself slipping, the light was growing dimmer in my eyes. Yes, I realised, I had wondered but it was an opportunity to regain some fame to find this tomb and then to step out of mediocrity at last I thought. I never pushed my friends away, they just left one by one, till one day I realised I was alone, which actually suited me, but now, how wrong I was I realised. Laughing quietly to myself, I struggled to look up and croakily I spoke "looks like you had this all worked out, but hey to bad you never asked where I put the ring did you? I knew you wanted it, I may be washed up, but I do have eyes, so I put it away for safe keeping". Seeing Craig's eyes widen in shock, I laughed harder as blood began to well up in my mouth. Seeing Craig rush over to me, I tried to laugh again, but instead I slumped back and shuddered as I felt my last breath pass me. Death washed over and I thought to myself, well shit. It was just bravado in the end, I really wanted to piss Craig off then. The ring was in my pocket where the bullet hit. I felt the impact and the pain that came with such an event, yet somehow I knew the bullet had also hit the ring. Hopefully it was damaged when the bastard shot me. Still he is going to spend ages searching the campsite before he decides to check my body in the end. These thoughts silently left me with my final moments, until blackness washed over everything and then those thoughts were no more.

Slowly breathing, I looked around, I was dead wasn't I? My hand, that was clutching at my chest, fell back when I realised it wasn't wet from my blood and I was breathing normally. Well not so normally, as I did feel like I had ran a marathon but slowly I was calming down. Looking around the room, I could see it was only a small room, dark, but it was familiar to me, was I in a hospital room, I thought? Did someone save me? I shook my head, dismissing that thought. No I took a killing blow, there was no coming back from that, so the question is, why am I in hospital and, as I looked to the left, why am I hooked up to this IV line with one of those machines that go "Bing" he thought? I always liked the Monty Python movies and that scene from the Meaning of Life, was one of my favourites.

Suddenly the door opened and in a rush a nurse hurriedly entered the room. "You're awake", she cried, "don't move, I will get a Doctor in to see you immediately". With that she vanished. I blinked twice and with a puzzled look, stared at the doorway where the now vanished nurse had been standing. Damn she was fast, I really didn't get a good look at who she was but I had gathered that she was a nurse by her clothing.

From outside I became aware of some voices growing closer, and then there were people in the room. Someone turned on the lights and I instinctively covered my eyes from the sudden brightness. A voice admonished loudly, "who turned the freaking lights on full? Geez, the patient has been in a coma for three months and someone suddenly decides to give his eyes a wake up call?", "Sorry Doctor" another voice replied, it was female I could hear, I wondered who it was, maybe that nurse I thought.

I could see faintly through the slits in my fingers that the room lighting had become muted and I dropped my hand from my eyes and looked at the people standing near me. One person, stepped closer and began to speak to me in quiet measured tones. "Hello Peter, my name is Doctor Burton, I have been looking after you for the last two months and", he paused to look at his clipboard, "twenty five days here at Saint Benedict's Hospital. I must admit you had us all worried when you were unconscious for so long. To be honest, your traffic accident left us with little hope you would awaken and yet you did just that. I am going to run a few tests and then if all is good we shall discuss when you can see your family, though it will be only a few people at a time."

'What the hell', I thought. Family? Traffic accident? Did Craig some how set me up in a scene to make my death seem to be an accident and what was he talking about a family'? I tried to open my mouth to speak when I felt a something within my mouth and moved my hand up to see what was wrong. The Doctor leaned over and stopped me, "you had to be fed Peter, we had to insert a feeding tube into you so you would not starve. I can remove it, but you need to be still. It won't be a pleasant feeling, but I assure you it will be quick." With that, Doctor Burton turn his head and spoke to someone over his shoulder and hearing quiet murmurs a nurse approached the other side of the bed with a tray and the Doctor proceeded to do as he said. He was right, it felt weird and uncomfortable but in a short while the object was removed and bar feeling slightly uncomfortable, I survived the moment.

Looking back at the Doctor, I was struggling to understand everything and then I remembered what he said earlier, family? I whispered faintly "family?" and Doctor Burton looked back at me, "Yes I, well one of the nurses has done so on my behalf, have notified your parents, your mother answered I believe, but I have relayed that they cannot visit till I have cleared you for visitors and that won't be till mid morning, lunchtime latest".

My face went cold, then shock set in. 'My parents? They had passed so many years ago and my mother answered the phone?' My thoughts swam and I felt dizzy, the Doctor immediately drew closer in obvious concern. "Are you ok Peter? Is there any pain?", looking at the nurse he began to relay some instructions and the nurse hurried off with concern.

Trying to speak, I reached over and touched his arm getting his attention. Slowly I spoke, feeling the roughness of disused throat muscles "Doctor, I need to know, what is the date?" Doctor Burton looked at me and smiled "I forgot for a minute you have been out for a bit healing, well it is June 14, 2022, you have been out, as I mentioned before, for nearly three months" With those words I fainted. My eyes rolled back and darkness washed over me once again. When I had been shot it was December 9, 2015.