Did I Not Die, Nurse?

LATER IN YEARS OF TIME

CHAPTER 2: Did I Not Die, Nurse?

The nurse left with a bitter smile. She went out to get Audrey food to eat since it had been three months since she woke up. Months had passed before she woke up, making the nurse slightly feel sloppy. She didn't know Audrey will still wake up. After all, a person who's in a constant coma has a low chance of being alive, on top of that, waking up and remembering everything. It was impossible in the case of Audrey. No one will believe she is well after all her suffering and enduring pain.

Audrey has PTSD according to Doctor Lawrence. It was discovered when she woke up the last time. Back then, it was unsure when she will wake up because her disease is so unique that it was still a question to every doctor here in this Hospital. She has Leukemia but she also has PTSD which the doctor doesn't know why. She basically lives in the Hospital so there was no way there was a scary event that triggered PTSD disorder. All nurses assigned to her do their jobs very well.

Maybe it was because Audrey didn't want to believe that her disease will ever free her so PTSD became something that triggered her memory, avoiding her to think that her life will soon end.

Audrey, who still couldn't believe it, finally moved her index finger, and magically, it moved.

'Is this really the afterlife?'

It was the question that kept pestering her even earlier on. Audrey blinked her eyes, still having headaches. Audrey didn't know what to do so she looked around and saw her Patient's monitor, the ventilator in her mouth so she could breathe, the wardrobe she was wearing, the white ceiling, and even the dark brown ground of the Hospital.

'Afterlife… can't be this sad….'

She mumbled in her mind and decided to sit to test this Afterlife. If this was indeed the afterlife, it would be impossible for her to touch things. Probably, what was happening was only an act-out by heaven. To make her believe that this is 'not' the afterlife, she must touch things.

'I better not touch things… This is the least I can do for myself.'

She looked at the windows, where the curtains were drawn and the beautiful scenery caught her attention.

She stood up and walked to the window. Unconsciously, she raised her hand and touched the window with the hope of going out and being able to play and be free from this suffocating scene.

And when she realized it, she instantly took a step back and with the force, she fell on the ground, making her yelp for help.

"AAAHHHH!!!!"

The nurse, Angela, was on perfect time. She went inside in immediate motion and was surprised to see Audrey on the ground, looking like she was really hurt. Angela hurriedly took Audrey's arm and help her stand.

"Miss! What are you doing?! What if you got hurt….?!" The nurse was in a dilemma as she examined Audrey, who was careless. Audrey looked at her hand and the window, with a confused look on her face. She blinked her eyes in complete for confusion.

She… she can touch things…..!

Audrey looked at Angela as if she didn't want to believe it. Her brows were furrowed and her lips turned pale.

Angela sighed deeply and touched her forehead with the headache that Audrey caused.

"Miss, you must not be careless and hurt yourself! Do you not see this? Your ventilator was taken off after falling. Are you not hurt? How about your arm, your back? Do they not hurt at all?"

Angela worriedly looked at her and Audrey glanced at her, before shaking her head.

Angela sighed in relief and closed her eyes. She stood up to close the door and got the food on the tray. She pushed it in front of Audrey, saying,

"You must eat to maintain your health. By the way, I could not ask you earlier because you seemed to be not in the proper mood, but is there some food you desire to eat?"

"….."

Audrey lifted her gaze and met Angela's concerned eyes. Audrey frowned and asked,

"H… h-… ho-how… long… has it b-been?"

Angela tilted her head, "…. How long? What do you mean?"

Audrey gulped her rough saliva. She was out of water, she felt thirsty.

'This is not the afterlife…..' It was a notion she thought after realizing but she still could not believe it.

"… How long had it been since I woke up? What year was that? How old am I right now….?"

Three questions suddenly added to her one question. Angela sighed, appearing as if she didn't want to answer her questions.

"It had been three months since you woke up from your coma. This year, 2022. And you're 19 years old, as of the moment."

Audrey was taken aback.

'19? Then….' She blinked her eyes and looked at her hands as she counted, 'I was 20 when I went to school to have my college class. It was the last wish I made to my parents before… I die. This is not the afterlife. I…. traveled back in time?'

"Miss, you haven't answered my question. Do you want to eat different food, perhaps? It had been long since you woke up, you know."

Audrey looked at Angela.

"Angela…. I remembered something."

Angela's eyes lit up. "OH? You actually remember me. What is it?"

"Did I not die?"

"…. What….?" Angela looked at her deeply and amusedly.

It was an unexpected question that Angela never waited for. She was eager to hear what Audrey remembered but it seemed that after three months of being in a coma, she had lost all of her brain cells.

Audrey was waiting for her answer, eagerly. Angela blinked her eyes and scoffed. She put her hands on her waist and told her,

"Miss, if you're that hungry, let me feed you, all right? Rather than making me have a heart attack."

***

Audrey was left alone because Angela has other things to do. Angela told her that she can do basically everything to regain all of her memories, just not suicide. Audrey sighed when she heard that because she was about to suicide.

"This is not the afterlife… nor what happened before I died. Then, what is this? Did I really turn back time?" She asked herself, touching her stomach, which was full from eating so much. She must have felt overwhelmed by lots of food in front of her that she devoured all of them without hesitation. At first, Angela noted that Audrey will leave half or even 3\4 of the food she got for her, but surprisingly, she ate all of it, to every grain and viand.

Angela couldn't take how much she changed after being in a coma for three months. She also appeared to start regaining her memories one by one. Her PTSD seemed to be recovering? Angela didn't hope that much since she knew that it was unlikely Audrey's skill to remember everything in one blink.

On the contrary, Audrey was in the acceptance stage. She turned back time and no one knew about it. Why did she turn back time and why did heaven allow her? Was it because of her desperate wish of living again? But her life was still the same! She still has Leukemia and she recalled, she has PTSD moreover, she was always in a coma after feeling sleepy. If she sleeps now, would she wake up after a year or will she die, like, for real?

She scoffed at herself. Her life was already messy enough but she still couldn't comprehend what kind of event was happening to her.

She facepalmed and sighed.

Angela said she owned a cell phone, and it was hidden in the drawer. If she was in a coma, then, what happened to her phone? If she turned back time, her phone should have nothing in its contacts or gallery.

She only owned numbers and pictures after meeting 'him'.

She bit her lower lip and went to the drawer to reach her long friend, her cellphone. It was her stress reliever in the past and will stay the same as it used to be.

She took her phone and turn it on with one swipe. The time was 10:21 am. It was morning, then.

She frowned and hurriedly went to her gallery but to no avail, there was no single photo in her gallery. She must have really been reborn.

She looked at her phone's contact and no single number was saved in her contacts. Why did she turn back time, then?

She could not understand but on second thought, maybe this is her last chance of experiencing things she had always wanted to experience. Making friends for real, knowing more people, appreciating people, loving, hating, talking with her friends, and more.

But what about 'him'?