2

The implant room was huge. Tania started to understand why Dr. Walker's office was so small. She guessed that it was because he spends most of his time in the room, investigating.

The doctor signaled for Tania to sit in the stretcher right in the middle of the room, inside a plastic dome. From there, she had been able to scan her surroundings properly. Inside the dome, the stretcher and a metallic stool next to it were the only things there. The rest was space just so the doctor could walk and do his job. Outside though, there were too many things. A table with microscopes, science tubs, and items Tania would not even know how to pronounce, all leaning on a wall. In a corner, Dr. Walker worked on something with a computer, right after pulling a small box out of a drawer. Then, next to the computer were two cabinets. One was for medicine and the other was full of folders and books. On the last wall left to analize two metal barrels went from the floor to the ceiling. Surrounding the silvery figures, little glass cylinders and orbs with a glowing cyan substance inside were placed around it. It looked like they floated, although a visible golden chain held them. Tania thought it was just decoration but, those things could be of use for all she knows.

The doctor finally got in the dome with the small box in his hand and a glass of water in the other. “Here is the pill. You have to swallow it fast. Will you take it with water?”

“Yes, thank you.” Tania opened the box he gave her and took out the pill. It was white like she already expected. With no hesitation, she put it in her mouth, between her teeth, nibbling it. But not too hard so it would not break. Then she took a big sip of water.

"You're going to feel a little dizzy and fall asleep. It's normal, don't worry."

Tania nodded, and in the following minutes, it started to kick in. The dizziness grew within seconds. She felt her eyes closing. She was falling asleep.

The next thing she knew, a hand was holding hers and her head hurt. She opened her eyes, but a white light blinded her. She thought she was laying on the stretcher although the light suggested otherwise. When her vision adapted to the sudden brightness she realized where she was. A hospital room. Looking at her right, a ray of sun hit her face. It came through a small window above a white wooden table with a bouquet of yellow and green flowers on top of it. The person holding her hand was on her left, she turned to see who it was, however, the person got ahead of her, "Tania?"

It was Luna who talked.

"Yes?" Tania said with a sleepy voice, finally turning her head to see her best friend. Luna was crying. "Hey… what's going on? Are you okay?"

"Finally…" She said, squeezing Tania. The latter hugged back, finding out that she did not have enough strength to embrace her best friend properly. An unintentional grunt got out of her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have hugged you." Luna apologized while quickly pulling away.

"No, no. It wasn't you. It got out because I do not have enough strength, and my head hurts. Now, would you care to explain what is happening, please?" Tania said. Starving for an answer she made direct eye contact with Luna's watery eyes.

"This is going to be difficult to take in… Tania, you have been in a coma for over three months. The pill reacted differently to your body."

Tania was shocked, to say the least. She did not know what to say because she had not been aware of what happened those three months, it was like only seconds passed. She nodded, looking at the ground.

"I know you need time to process this, I'm going to leave and tell the doctor you're awake. He just came in to check on you, and he said he wouldn't be back in a while but I’m sure he will be here in a few." Luna said, to which Tania answered with an almost imperceptible, "okay."

When Luna left the room, the realization hit her. She could have died, and that idea never came to her mind before taking the pill. She dismissed it, and she did it fast. But looking at the good side, she did not die. She is very much alive, and that is something to be very grateful about.

She also was wondering if that is what death felt, just this big space of emptiness. While being in the coma, she did not dream or hear a voice. It felt like time had not passed, sleeping on a normal night.

Just as if somebody heard her, Dr. Walker got inside the room with three more nurses. "Hello, Tania?"

"Yeah, that would be me." The brunette answered, still laying in bed because her head hurt when she tried to get up.

"How are you feeling? Did Luna tell you everything?"

"My head is sore, and yes, she did tell me."

One of the nurses who came in with the doctor grabbed the serum bag to change it. Tania must not have noticed before, she had intravenous lines on in her left hand.

"Tania, you need to know a few things. The first one is the coma. You have been asleep for three months and, even though your vitals have been constant all the time, at first, we were worried you were not going to make it. Now, the second thing comes in. I could not properly reach the information on your cancer due to your unconsciousness. It was not possible until now. I'm going to have to take a few tests tomorrow, but I can see that you are good given the circumstances. You don’t have anything to worry about."

Tania sighed. She had been worried for so long. Even though chemotherapy had never been needed thanks to the early detection of the tumor, she felt pain ever since the diagnosis. Maybe it was her mind messing with her, or maybe it was real. The only thing she knew for sure was that, at the moment, the pain she felt was not the cancer type.

“Okay, yes. That’s fine by me.” She smiled, and the doctor and nurses saw themselves out, but not before saying goodbye. Right as he was outside, Luna came in again.

“Hey, I called everyone. It shouldn’t be long until they get here. How are you feeling?” She said, now sitting in the same chair she was asleep on when Tania woke up.

“I’m not feeling like I got hit by a train. That must be something.” Luna chuckled at her best friend’s answer.

“I see you did not lose your sense of humor. I was afraid that you would forget me or any of us. I read a lot of articles about people who had been in comas. Some lasted more, some less but, there was this woman who forgot everything and, for a whole year, she thought she was Mariah Carey, she even did the whistle without having sung in her whole life.” Luna said the last part with a confused face. She then shook her head and smiled at Tania, “I’m glad you know who you are.”

They laughed and talked about what had been going on these past three months. It turns out that Sidney has had a secret boyfriend for six months, and they only just found out. Plus, Leah wrote her first big article on quantum entanglement and portals.

It seems out of a sci-fi movie. Tania thinks.

A knock on the door caught their attention. “They’re here.” Luna said, to which Tania added, “come in!”

All of them stood in front of Tania. Leah hugged her first, then Elijah, Spencer, and Sidney.

“How are you holding up?” Elijah asked, his deep voice echoing in the room.

“Good, as far as can be expected. Luna updated me on some news, by the way. First, Leah. Congratulations! I’m so proud of you.” She said with a huge smile on her face, eyes crinkling.

“I may have had the best mentor ever.” Leah said, matching Tania’s excitement.

“Of course you have. Also, Sidney… Why did you keep your boyfriend a secret?” Tania playfully furrowed her brows. She knows Sidney’s history with partners. They never had the best of luck with it. If they decided to keep it a secret, there’s a reason for that.

“Luna! I kinda wanted to tell her by myself…” Luna faked a sorry expression.

“I’m sorry… But I’m not sorry. We all know you would have waited weeks, or even months to tell her and I knew that was not an option.”

“Sidney, she’s right. We had to torture you so you would tell us. With Tania there would have been no difference.” Spencer said.

“Whatever, yes, I have a boyfriend, Alex. You know it has never been easy for me. I never told you guys because we wanted to take it slow. I’m sorry.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I was just teasing.” Tania told them with a reassuring smile and nod.

The rest of the day went on fairly quickly. Everyone left except Luna. Tania knew what was on her mind, what she intended to do. “You’re not sleeping here.”

“No way, you need someone here. I’m going to stay the night, want it or-” Luna tried saying, but Tania cut her before she said anything else.

“No. Luna, tell me, how many nights did you spend here when I was unconscious?”

Luna looked down, the floor seeming the most interesting thing in the room.

“Tell me.” Tania was now sitting straighter, in a way which she felt more intimidating. It seemed to work because Luna gave in.

“Every weekend and almost every work night. The ones when I didn’t sleep here were only because Sidney made me. Even a nurse saw me one night, when she came to check in on your vitals, told me to leave because I looked… not good.”

Tania was shocked. She knew Luna had been staying with her, but she never thought it would have been that much time.

“Thank you. Now it’s my turn to take care of you. Luna please, go to your place, sleep and tomorrow, if you want to, come here again. Yes? I will be fine.”

Luna nodded and kissed Tania on the forehead. “Good night, sleep well.”

“You too. Don’t worry about me.”

“Tomorrow I will be here, don’t doubt that.” Luna winked at her and left.

It was pretty late. Tania just wanted to sleep. She checked her phone for important notifications, which were zero. Exactly what she had hoped for, she was not about to think of an answer to something serious. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.