Awake

Cold. That's all I remember. Lying on that frigid concrete floor for more hours than I can count. My head's spinning. The aching in my body refuses to retreat. I try to move, but my body is frozen stiff. I'm weak from neglecting to eat. I try to scream for help, but my throat is dried up. How long has it been? Has anyone noticed I'm missing? Where have they all gone? Does anyone care about me at all? I try to open my eyes once more to see if I can find something, anything, I could use to get out of this horrid place. Yet, once again, I'm left helpless. When will this suffering end? I close my eyes, and for the last time, I drift back to sleep. Tonight, I will join my parents in Heaven.

••♣••

"Is she awake yet?"

"Hmmm, can't say. She has been in a coma for more than 5 months. No one knows when she'll wake."

"Ah, I see."

"Are you a family member of the patient?"

"No. No, I'm not. I found her near a cemetery in the woods. She was already comatose when I found her. Frail and parched, I could tell. Her lips were dried-up from the lack of liquid, and her bones were showing slightly."

"You mean to tell me you were saving a dead girl?"

"Haha...seems like it."

"Well, to be honest, you brought her in at the right time. Another minute later would have meant her death."

"I'm glad...for her sake at least. It looked like she was put there to die."

"No. Don't say something like that. What if THEY found out? You'd be a dead man for sure taking one of their offerings."

"I wouldn't quite say that. It wasn't THEM. I could tell. Even though I know it is a sick tradition of THEM, I know better than to disturb the already dead people."

"I'd hope so. If you weren't sure, I would chase you both out right now."

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I wouldn't have brought her here if it wasn't necessary."

"Hmmm. I'm still curious as to why you brought her here other than to save her life. Any other person would have left her to die right there."

"What can I say? I'm a generous guy trying to save a girl's life."

"OK, OK. Well, I'm going to leave now. I've checked all her vitals and she looks fine. I still have other patients to get to. You can stay here for a while. Let me know if anything happens."

"I will. Thanks."

I was listening to their whole conversation. I don't know who the man or the woman was, but from what I could tell the man saved my life and the woman was either a doctor or a nurse and I was in a hospital. I listened as the woman's footsteps fade into the background and the room becomes silent. The man was still in the room. He walked around until I could hear him sit down at the far end of the room. A heavy sigh was all I heard. Nothing more happened past that. Who was this guy? Why does he care so much about my well-being? Sure, he saved my life but why does he care so much? I'm curious though. I want to see how my saviour looks like. Who would be brave enough to save an already dead girl from that place I was in?

I struggle to open my eyes. They feel so heavy and my body feels too weak to correspond with what I want to do. I try to move my hands but the only thing I get is a twitch in my finger. It's useless! I can't do anything! I took a deep breath in. No. No. I can't give up this easily. One more time. Try just one more time. I scratched all my strength together and tried to open my eyes another time. I could feel them flutter, trying their best to open. Come one, Kathy! Almost there! Just a little bit more.

I give it my all and after a while, I could see a little bit of light. My eyes were sore from the sudden change of scenery because from what I've heard, they've been closed for 5 months. I flutter them for a while until my eyes adjusted to the light. From what I could see, I was staring at a white ceiling. I tilted my head a bit to the right to see a glass wall with a door going out into a brightly lit hallway that connected a lot of other rooms to it. As I tilt my head to the left, I could finally see the man who the voice belonged to. He was sitting on a sofa, staring out of the window. He wore a black leather jacket with black skinny jeans and black leather boots. In fact, he was covered in black because his hair was also black.

"WOW, why do you look so dark and depressed? Someone stole your light away?"

Oh, great, Kathy. You said that aloud. My voice sounded raspy and dry. I mean, I just woke up from a coma and I was dying of thirst and didn't have anything to eat for like days so that must be expected. I saw the guy turn his head in my direction. Great, not only his whole body including his hair is black, but also his eyes. Dude, like, you have to brighten up a bit, please. You're scaring a just awoken girl from a coma with your darkness.

"I mean like seriously. Why are you so dark? You're covered in black from head to toe."

"And you have a lot of nerve asking a man you've never met why he dresses the way he does after you just woke up from a 5-month coma."

"Yeah, yeah. I heard you and the nurse or was it a doctor? Doesn't matter. I heard you talking."

"You were already awake then?"

"Yes, but I couldn't open my eyes or move my body. Hell, it took all the strength I had in me to open my eyes just now."

"That's because you haven't gotten any food or water into your body except through the medication they put you on to keep you alive and stable."

"Now tell me, mister Stranger, why did you bring an already half-dead girl into a hospital so that they could save me? You don't even know me, yet you made it like your top priority to save me as I could hear. Why?"

"I was feeling generous and kind-hearted. I saw you were still breathing when I got you in that pit, but only barely. So, I decided that you were still worth saving so I took you to the hospital so they could take care of you. By the way, what were you doing down there anyway?"

I just stared at him before I tilted my head to stare back at the ceiling.

"It has nothing to do with you. Besides, why would I tell a stranger what was going on in my life 5 months ago?"

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. I could feel him still staring at me before I heard him shift in his sitting position. Before long I could hear him walking to the hallway entrance. He paused for a second at the door.

"My name is Edmund. Just so you know. I'll call the doctor to come to check up on you."

With that said, he walks out into the hallway and disappears around the corner. Edmund, you say?

A little while after Edmund left the room I could hear footsteps rushing down the hallway before entering my room. I turned my head to look at the doorway. There were at least 3 doctors or maybe just one and two nurses because I don't have a clue what was happening around me since I woke up from the coma.

"She's really awake," I could hear the one say. Some other boring whispering and chit-chat happened around them before they approached me. One of them wore scrubs with a white laboratory coat with a stethoscope around her neck. I assumed she was the doctor. She took my hand in hers and greeted me politely.

"Hello, child. My name is Lucy. I'm the doctor who's been looking after you the past couple of months while you were in a coma."

I noticed that her voice was the same as the woman who was talking to Edmund a while ago. So she was the doctor who had looked after me in my coma? She seems nice.

"Hi, Lucy."

I tried giving her a smile but only as much as my body allowed me to.

"Oh, child. You must be hungry and thirsty. I'll send you some food and something to drink. You're not allergic to anything, are you?"

"No."

"That's great," she turned her head and looked at the other two girls standing at the door entrance, "Olivia, go and prepare this poor flower some food and something to drink. Maybe a good cup of Earl Grey tea and honey to take care of that dry throat of hers."

"Yes, madam."

I saw the blonde girl walk out of the room. She looked quite young. Maybe in her early twenties. Lucy turned her attention to me again with a smile.

"So, child. While we wait for your food to come, I'm going to inspect you. Is that alright?"

"Mm."

"Alright. Let's start with the basics then."

She started to take off her stethoscope from her neck and put it into her ears. She pulled the blankets a little off and put the stethoscope to my chest.

"I need you to breath in and out for me, please."

I nodded my head and did as she told me. Every time I breathed out, she moved the stethoscope to a different part on my chest.

"Well, your lungs and heartbeat seem fine. Do you feel pain anywhere?"

"Other than my dry throat, no. I just feel like I can't move but I assume that's because I haven't eaten or drunk something."

"I see, but your food is on the way. We'll be taking good care of you until you are stable and can walk again and go home. Do you have any family members we can contact maybe?"

"Ah, it's fine. I can't go back to them. They threw me out."

"Oh, sweetie. I'm sorry. I was being insensitive right now."

"It's fine."

Lucy looked at me. Eyes full of sympathy.

"Then, do you at least have a place to go to?"

"No."

"Oh, flower. Don't worry. I'll find you a place to stay. How old are you, flower?"

"Thank you, Lucy. I'm 22."

"OK. I'll find you a place to stay and I'll help you settle in after you get released from the hospital. As you are old enough, you should be able to live alone."

"Thank you, Lucy. I really appreciate it."

"It's the least I can do, dear."

Lucy gave me a big smile and that girl, Olivia, enters the room with a platter full of food and a cup of tea. Lucy helps me to get my table in front of me and Olivia puts the platter on the table. Lucy then switches the bed from my lying position to a sitting one so I could eat my food.

"Thank you, Lucy and Olivia."

"No problem. Would you like some help eating your food?"

"No. I think I'll be able to manage."

"Alright then. I'll come again later to check up on you, flower. I hope you eat well and everything tastes good."

"OK."

Lucy gives me the last big smile before she leaves the room with Olivia and the other girl. I watch as they disappear behind the corner before I look at the food in front of me. I try to move my hands so I could eat but it was no use. They wouldn't even twitch.

"Maybe I should have asked for help."

I gave a big sigh.

"Need some help?"

I looked towards the door. There stood a fragile but elegant looking girl. She had long brown hair, icy blue eyes and a warm smile.

"Ah, yes please."

She came towards me and started to feed me my food.

"Open wide," she said. I did as she said and she continued to feed me my food and when I ate everything, she helped me to drink my tea. The way she fed me and gave me my tea, I could see she came from a wealthy family and had a good educational background.

"You're not from the hospital, are you?"

She gave me a shy smile.

"You could tell?"

"Mm."

"Well, I'm not. I just came by to give a visit."

"Someone close to you?"

"Mm. My sister. She's been in this hospital for a year."

"Ah. I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

She gave me a warm smile as she pushed the table away with the empty platter.

"You know, I was visiting my sister the day they brought you in. You looked like you were in horrible shape. I thought you were already dead, but they managed to keep you alive."

"I see."

The room fell silent. Not really comfortable but not uncomfortable either. She stood there and looked at her wristwatch before looking back up to me.

"Anyway, I should be leaving. It was nice meeting you."

"Same. Thank you for your help miss..?"

"Oh, where're my manners. I'm Brina."

"Nice to meet you, Brina."

"And to you too...?"

"Just call me Kathy."

I gave her a warm smile and she did the same.

"Well, I'll be taking my leave. I'm coming back tomorrow to check up on my sister. I'll give you a visit as well."

"I'd like that, thank you."

"Alright. Well, let me just put your bed into a lying position so you could get some rest. I know you might have just woken up, but I'm sure your body is still tired."

"Thank you."

She takes the remote and turns the bed back into it's lying position. After that, she walks to the door and gives me one last smile.

"Bye, Kathy. I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"I hope so. Bye, Brina."

She gave me one last smile before she walks out the door and all the way to the end of the hallway before disappearing behind the two big doors at the end of the hallway. I turn my head to stare at the ceiling before closing my eyes and drift to sleep.