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I sign yes again.
And they begin. She wasn’t wrong, it burns and I gag as they remove it. But I’m thankful to be able to move my mouth and not feel as if I’m choking.
“Raven. Eli,” I croak out the moment I have my bearings again. Of course, that sends me into a coughing attack that has her clicking her tongue in disapproval.
“Try not to speak. Suck on some of these. They will help,” Nurse Lucy promises as she hands me a styrofoam cup. “Your friends are here, but you all were in bad shape when you arrived. The doctor even said you coded on the way here. It’s a miracle that you were able to get this tube out so soon. We thought you’d be under for days, and honestly, your body could have used it to heal properly.” Her lips pinch with worry but I’ve never been one to stay down for long. I’m hardly a tough guy, but I’m more resilient than most give me credit for.
The other nurse collects the tubes and leaves without a word before I get the nerve to try and speak again.
“Coded? As in, I died and came back?”
She nods her head yes. I can feel the sadness pouring off her in waves. This is a lady who has seen far too much in her profession.
“Shit,” I mutter before returning my gaze to her. “What about the others?”
“I’m not at liberty to tell you anything other than they are stable. If you keep improving as rapidly as you have, I bet the doctor will let me wheel you down to see them soon.”
“How long have I been here?”
“Seven days.”
The reality of all the time I’ve missed hits me. I’m grateful to be alive but do I have a job anymore? Has my family come to see me? Do they even know I’m here? Not to mention if the others are still here after all that time, that means they’re definitely not doing well, either.
That uneasy feeling returns as the doctor reappears. It’s then that I realize it’s following them. I’m picking up on what their underlying emotions are. What the hell?
“Just wanted to check you were doing alright with the tube out. How’s the throat feeling?”
“Burns, but ice chips are a godsend. When can I see my friends? The ones that were in the accident with me?” He stares me down, so I take another couple of ice chips in my mouth to prove I’m on the mend.
“Your body is healing. I don’t want you to do much traveling yet. It’s best if you relax in bed, but if you’re up to it we will get you up to walk a little tomorrow. The trauma to your body was more extensive because you landed outside of the car. So, we can’t push your recovery too fast.” I don’t miss the evasion of my question and ask again.
“How are my friends?”
The doctor seems as if he is going to answer when alarms sound and a voice comes over the loudspeaker.
Code blue, code blue. Doctor Morse please report to room 713.
Without another word, he rushes from my room and just down the hall. Just as he leaves the room I hear the mention of ‘Ridley’ and my panic amps up to new levels.
Nurse Lucy has a grimace across her lips.
“What’s a code blue?”
“It means someone’s heart has stopped.”
She leaves just as fast as the doctor, and I’m a little surprised she didn’t follow him right away.
Code blue. 713. Oh God, they said Ridley. Shit, Eli.
Eli
Strange flashes go through my mind. Alarms. Frantic voices. The shock of something cold on my chest before I’m jolted back to reality. Doctors and nurses surrounding me. None of it makes much sense, I was just sleeping after our Halloween adventures…right?
“Eli. Can you hear me?” an unfamiliar, male voice asks. I try to open my eyes and see what’s happening around me but that proves impossible. “Eli. If you can, you need to answer.”
My mouth moves but no words come out yet. Still, it seems enough to get them to stop asking.
“There you are, Mr. Ridley,” he says, relieved now. “It’s okay if you need more time. Relax, breathe. You’ve had a very trying week.”
