“I’m going home. You call me immediately if there are any changes, do you understand me?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Diane turns out the lights on her way out the door, and I crawl into bed with Robert. I’m careful of the lines connecting him to different monitors, an IV line, something to monitor heart rate, and then a few sensors positioned on his forehead. I rest my head on his chest and snuggle into him as best I can. The beep beep beep of one of the machines seems to quicken for a moment before returning to its normal rhythm.
“I don’t know if you can hear me, but Trey said the team won tonight, in case you were curious. Marcus apologized for bringing Heather. And your mom called me your fiancé. I liked the way it sounded.” The beeps quickened again and I smiled, my head pressed against his chest, “I love you too, Robert. Good night.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Why anyone would willingly choose to sleep in a hospital is beyond me. I slept terribly and pray never to be in this situation again. The nurses kept coming in every ninety minutes to check his vitals. I finally gave up on sleep about three-thirty in the morning and ended up binge-watching Law and Order SVU. I look at the clock as the door opens; it’s nine-thirty and Mrs. West is a vibrant ray of sunshine.
“I would ask how your night was, but I can obviously see it was anything but restful. Do you want to go home for a few hours?”
I shift in the chair and rub my eyes. “No. I’m fine. I think once I eat something, I’ll be okay.”
“Come on. Let’s go grab something from the café downstairs.”
I nod and go into the restroom to quickly freshen up, splash some water on my face and redo my hair. Luckily there is a small bottle of mouth wash on the sink, so I’m able to get rid of the after taste from the hot dog I had the night before.
We each order a coffee and muffin before taking a seat at one of the tables.
“So, how was last night?”
“It was good. The nurses came in every ninety minutes to check on him, and they ran some tests early this morning to check on the swelling. The nurse said the doctor should be in with the results later this morning when he makes his rounds around eleven.”
She nods and takes a sip of her coffee. “Presley, I want to have an earnest conversation about my son, and I ask that you don’t let emotions cloud your judgment. Think about things logically.”
I don’t think this is a conversation I’m going to enjoy, and I’m almost positive it’s one Robert would not approve of.
“Are you sure you want to give up your dreams to follow him chase a pipe dream? He’s my son and, yes, I want him to be happy, but I don’t want him to take your dreams away from you. Nothing says you two couldn’t have a long-distance relationship and make it work, both of you pursuing your own passions.”
What the hell? “Ma’am with all due respect, I love your son, and I want a life with him. I don’t care where we go as long as we go together. I have never found another person on this planet I connect with the way I connect with him. And quite frankly, if he knew we were even having this conversation, he would be pissed. Your son is in a coma, and I feel as if you’re telling me to leave him.” Shock and fury run deep inside me as I stand from the table and take a deep breath, holding back my tears. “Now, thank-you for breakfast, but I’m going back to be with my fiancé.”
I turn away from her as she calls back to me.
“You’re not his fiancé Presley, not yet.”
Tears sting at my eyes. I wipe the first one away before it has a chance to fall. God, how I wish I could talk to Robert. This would have never happened if he was here right now. I would never feel as if I was a disappointment and unwanted. I don’t know if I will ever be able to look at her the same way.
I make my way back to Robert’s room, I know he can hear me, but I don’t want to cause him any more stress than he’s already under, so I silently cry to myself. Why did everything have to get so wonky? We were perfect. We were carefree just days before and now he’s in a coma, and his mother is not so subtly telling me to take a step back from him and stay the course I had always planned for my life.
Diane comes into his room a couple minutes later. I have nothing to say to her. And I sure as hell don’t want to be in the same room as her. She can sit on the couch against the wall, I’m not giving up my place next to him.
The tension in the room is evident to any outsider, as denoted by the facial expression on the doctor’s face when he comes into the room. “Well, our patient is quite the fighter, and his most recent brain scan shows vast improvement. I think it’s safe to wake him up now. I want you both to keep in mind it will take a couple of hours before he comes too, but I’d say if tomorrow’s test looks even better than today’s, he should be able to go home tomorrow afternoon.”
“Thank-you,” Diane and I say in unison. I’m squeezing Robert’s hand. Come on, baby. Please wake up soon. I need you.
I make it perfectly clear I’m not going anywhere. Diane leaves the room, and I rest my head on the bed. My coffee did little to give me the boost of energy I so desperately needed, and within minutes I’m asleep.
I don’t know how long I’ve been out, but I wake up when I feel someone gently rubbing my head and playing with my hair. A smile forms on my face even before I lift my head because I know Robert’s awake. I pull up and look at him, but the look on his face is absolutely soul-crushing. He jerks back his hand, and the beeping of the machines increases rapidly as he calls out for the nurses.
I’m ushered outside of his room while they page his mother and am instructed to stay out. The look on his face says it all. He has no idea who I am.
*****
I wake up to a splitting headache as I try to recall the last thing I remember. I was on the mound, the other team hit the ball, and then everything went black. I take in my surroundings; it must have been some accident if I wound up in the hospital. I wonder if we won the game. I look down at the bed, and a girl is lying her head on my bed, sleeping peacefully. We’re holding hands. I smile at how devoted Heather is, but I don’t remember her blond being so dark. Oh well, maybe she changed it.
I start playing with her hair, and she begins to stir. She makes the cutest little noises as she stretches. She lifts her head to me, and who the hell is she? She isn’t my girlfriend, and I sure as hell don’t remember ever seeing her.
She looked so happy, and now she’s terrified. What’s going on? I call for the nurses who easily escort her out; she doesn’t fight them, and they give me something to help calm me down. Mom and a doctor enter my room, but I still see the little girl standing in the hall. She looks bewildered and nervous as she peers through the window at me.
“Mom, close the blinds, please I don’t want to see her.” She does as she’s asked.
“Robert, calm down.”
“Mom, who was that, and why are you calling me Robert?”
She doesn’t answer my questions but instead begins talking to the doctor.
“What’s going on?” I feel my heart rate quicken, the beep, beep, beeping of a machine only makes things worse.