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“Really? When will she wake up?”
“It’s kind of up to her. The sedative will take a few hours to wear off, and then it’ll be up to her on when she wakes up.”
I run my hand over my face. I can hardly believe what I’m hearing. She has a chance to wake up.
“I have to go tell everyone.”
The doctor just nods his head. “We’ll work on getting her off the medications while you talk to your family.”
“Thanks, Doc,” I say with more hope than I’ve felt in days. Now all I have to worry about is her waking up okay. I know there’s still potential for her to have issues, but as long as she’s awake, I can handle anything else.
* * *
Twenty-four hours.It’s been twenty-fucking-four hours since they took her off the medication, and she still hasn’t woken up. How the hell did I let myself get so hopeful yesterday?
She looks like she’s taking a nap now instead of being hooked up to the breathing apparatus, which is both good and bad. At least we know she’s breathing on her own. I feel like shaking her to see if it will help wake her up.
Grabbing her hand, I give it a squeeze, hoping for some sort of reaction. Something to tell me she’s here with me still. “I’m going to need you to wake up, Nat. I’m dying here without you. It’s been entirely too long since I’ve seen your eyes. I miss the dance they did when you’d make fun of me and the look you give me when you’re thinking about dirty things. I just miss you.” My voice catches as the words whisper out.
My head falls to our clasped hands, and I have to take deep breaths before I lose it.
“Why do you miss me?” a gravelly voice says.
I sit up so fast the room spins for a second. I stare at Natalie’s closed eyes, wondering if I imagined the words.
“Nat? Are you awake?”
“Hmm. A little,” she says, her eyes flickering like they’re trying to open but can’t.
“Oh my god. You’re okay… You’re awake.”
“Going back to sleep now, okay?” she whispers, and her body relaxes as she goes back to sleep.
I run out of the room when I know she’s back to sleep. “She’s awake!” I shout at the nurse, a smile stretching across my face for the first time in almost a week.
There’s a flurry of activity as a nurse pages Natalie’s doctor, and they head into the room to check on her. I take a deep breath and feel my hope return. Hearing her voice makes me feel like my entire world is back in order, and I can finally breathe again.
I call all of our family and friends to give them the news. They’re naturally elated and all want to come say hi, but since she’s back asleep now, it would be pointless.
I walk back into the room and see the doctor checking Natalie’s reactions and making sure she’s okay.
“How was her speech?” he asks.
“A little hoarse, for obvious reasons, but I could understand her words.”
He nods and does a couple more checks. “This is good. We’re happy with her sensory responses, and it seems we’re going in the right direction.”
After making a couple more notes, he walks out of the room, and I move the chair closer to Natalie’s bed. Now that she’s showing signs of waking up, I can relax and try and get some sleep.
Keeping her hand in mine, I let my eyes close, drifting into the first dreamless sleep I’ve had in days.
* * *
The feelof my hand moving wakes me up. I sit up so fast, pain shoots down my neck from whiplash.
“Natalie.” Looking at her on the bed, I blink several times and finally focus on those emerald green eyes I’ve been dying to see. A smile pulls at her lips, and humor dances across her face as she watches me struggle to orient myself.
It’s been so long since I’ve slept that hard, I’m struggling to wake up.
