Just To Have You Back Again

Sang-froid

The warm sun shining on her face woke Beth up from her slumber. She slowly opened her eyes, suddenly feeling like her body had been bludgeoned and her head jackhammered. She lifted herself from where she laid, which was on soft green grass in the middle of an open field. She sat up confused, not having any idea of where she could possibly be. She had just stood up and was brushing off her pants when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to see what or who it was and gasped, lifting a hand to cover her mouth.

"Alex?"

She saw Alex smile at her, his eyes full of light and life. She was still holding her face with both hands, not sure of what to make of who she was seeing in front of her.

"Am I dead?"

"No."

"Then where am I? Why am I here? Why are you here? Why can I see you?"

Alex grabbed one of her hands and held it as they started walking. She just kept staring at him in shock.

"We are neither here nor there. We are in limbo."

"Not helping. I'm still confused."

"We are in limbo, my dear girl, because, you see, you were in a car accident, and you're currently in a coma."

"Alex, am I gonna die?"

"No. You're still needed there."

"Then why am I in limbo?"

"Because of Jake."

Beth paled at the mention of her fiancé and abruptly stopped walking, tugging at Alex's hand to make him face her.

"What about Jake? Is he hurt? Is he sick? Is he in pain?"

"I missed that about you, always over thinking, mouth and mind going a thousand miles a minute," he chuckled.

"Alex, this is not funny. Please...tell me."

"He's in the hospital right now. He ruptured his appendix, but he only realized it a day late. So now, there're some complications...an infection developed in the stomach lining. He's in the ICU now."

Beth openly wept at what she heard.

"I want to see him."

"You can't. You're also hurt and injured in your physical life."

"Please tell me then if he's gonna be alright. Kahit yun lang."

"Beth, I can't tell you that. I have no way of knowing."

"Then how come you can tell me I'm gonna live?"

"Just consider me your guardian angel, but that's all I know. Just that you're going to live and will wake up soon."

"I will do anything, please. Just make sure he lives. Just tell me what to do and I will do it," she pleaded.

"You really love him that much, that you would risk everything, including your family, for something that cannot be guaranteed?"

"Yes," she stated simply and surely, looking Alex straight in the eyes, daring him.

"What if you never see him again? A life for a life?"

"Anything," she said once again with much resolve and conviction.

"Well, wouldn't he be hurt, not seeing you again?"

"If this is the only way, then so be it. He'll get over it, eventually. Find someone new, move on...we're humans, the human spirit is pretty resilient," she said, trying to sound brave and strong. "I'd rather he hurt temporarily than be gone forever. He has so much life to live and so much love to give...please don't take that away from him and the people he loves."