The God Experiment

Chapter No.1 Awakening

The God Experiment.

Robert Steris wakes up from a ten-year coma to engage in a supernaturally assigned mission, along with his wife, Janet, and son, James, to save mankind from an evil monster. He has no idea who this person is or how he could thwart his evil plan. Along the way he saves many people and prevents disasters while he tries to accomplish his assignment before the Armageddon occurs, which turns out to be more of a super adventure then he realized.

Story and illustrations Copyright © 2021 by John Shirey. All rights reserved.

Some photos are the property of Google.

Locations and Names are fictional even though they may be real. No offense is intended to any person, place or institution.

This story has a message, and it's an important one!

Chapter No.1 Awakening

Alice Hollis has been a care center nurse for twenty-two years, working with coma patients at the Barkley House long enough to know that most patients don't ever wake up. They're usually basket cases with severe brain injuries. One of her patients, a man by the name of Robert Steris, has been comatose for ten years and is lying in a hospital bed with bio sensors attached to his body displaying his vitals on monitors hanging from instrument arrays. Despite the fact that his brain wave monitors look normal, he has an AVPU level of seven because of a severe brain injury. His chances of surviving are next to none.

Alice was about to change her mind about that.

Robert Steris slowly turned his head to look over at a sun stream filtering through sheer curtains in a window. He savored this brilliant light as if it were an elixir, something he hadn't experienced for a very long time. His interlude was interrupted by a woman dressed in a white uniform. Her face radiated the sunlight in prismatic reflections like a goddess in a Greek play.

Alice's heart almost stopped when she saw Robert looking over at her. He had pulled himself up in his bed enough to see out of the window of his small room.

Alice was initially startled, frozen in place with amazement, but she quickly alerted the staff that he had woken up. "Number twenty-seven is awake!" she yelled as she rushed down the hall.

Margaret Stiller, the head nurse hustled down to his room and she immediately realized that she was witnessing something special. "Mr. Steris, do you know where you are?"

He looked at her with no obvious emotion. "Nope. Last thing I remember is seeing a truck's front end before it hit me. How long have I been out?"

"Ten years and three months."

Robert stared at her before he offered her a subtle smile. "Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do."

"We've sent for Doctor Wilson. He'll need to check you out."

"I'm not going anywhere," he said with a smirk, before squinting at her. "Where am I?"

"You're in Barkley House, the finest long-term care facility in the Northeast."

He rubbed his stubble covered face. "I can't believe I've been out that long."

"You're a lucky man, Mr. Steris. I've been in this business for thirty-two years, and you're the first severe coma case I've seen revive."

He just stared at her, blinking his blood shot eyes.

"We're also contacting your wife, sir," Alice told him.

Robert turned away for a moment before replying. "Thanks."

The call to Janet Steris was answered by James Steris, her sixteen-year-old son. "Hey Mom! It's the nursing home!"

Janet's heart skipped a beat. She assumed that it was finally the end of a long wait, a wait that she had endured for ten long lonely years. What she heard was not what she had expected.

"Your husband has awoken, Mrs. Steris. We've contacted Doctor Wilson to determine his condition."

"He's awake?" she squeaked, her face twisted with surprise.

"Yes, and he seems to be aware of his surroundings. Perhaps it would help if you talked to him."

"Of course," Janet said after she got control of herself. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Very well. Mrs. Steris."

Janet hung up the landline phone and looked at her son, who was starring wide-eyed at her. "He woke up."

"I thought that wasn't possible," James blurted.

She shrugged. "Evidently, it was."

By the time that Janet had arrived at the care facility, the doctor was there examining her husband.

Doctor Wilson, a professional looking man in his fifties, turned to her. "Your husband is a very lucky man, Mrs. Steris. I have never encountered a case like his. He survived a severe brain injury that left him comatose for ten years. His survival is a miracle."

Janet looked at her husband. "Do you recognize me?"

Robert smiled. "You are elixir to my eyes, my dear. I was dead, and now I am alive."

Janet's eyes misted before she bent down to kiss him. A tear rolled down her cheek and landed on his cheek, causing Robert to wince.

He smiled and then sighed. "I'm sorry about what I put you through. I can assure you that I'll make it up to you."

"It wasn't your fault that some drunk idiot plowed into you," she blurted.

"I shouldn't have been out that late."

Janet looked at the doctor. "Is he able to walk?"

"I believe he will, but he'll need therapy."

Janet nodded her acceptance. Her emotions were running amuck and she wasn't sure how to react to this unexpected turn of events. She was happy that she didn't have to arrange a funeral, but she wasn't sure how to deal with this unusual situation. How is it possible to continue a relationship with someone who had been absent for ten years?

Janet said her goodbyes and left, leaving Robert with the doctor and head nurse.

"You seem to be able to move your legs, Mr. Steris," the doctor said. "Perhaps we should see if you can stand up."

Margaret assisted the doctor as he allowed Robert to sit up on the side of the bed. They helped him stand up and attempt to take a few steps. Surprisingly, he was able to do that with help.

"I think you'll do well, Mr. Steris," the doctor said, smiling.

Robert returned the smile with interest.