Philophobia

Chapter 20

"Jesus fucking Christ." Ali muttered, wheeling the wheelchair around the corner and smacking right into the person she never wanted to see.

Sylvia Kracynzski.

If there ever was a bitch that could out-bitch all the other bitches, Sylvia Kracynzski would be at the top of the list.

Sylvia glanced down at her and rolled her eyes.

"hey, cripple." She snickered, smacking her gum loudly.

Ali proceeded to flip her off with both hands and 'accidentally' wheeled over her badly done pedicure.

"Ow! Oh my god!" She whined, stomping her feet. "My pedicure."

"Oops," Ali sighed dramatically and glanced down at her revolting pedicure. "Looks like I did you a favor!"

With that, Ali wheeled away with as much dignity that one could have wheeling away in a wheelchair.

Turns out, Ali had broken her foot, broken two ribs, and dislocated her neck in the wreck.

Ali glided towards S101.

"Hey Joseph," Ali smiled at an older man in a wheelchair like her. "How's that knee?"

The older man chuckled and lifted his hand to scratch the stubble aligning his face. "Oh, you know. Same old, same old."

Ali had been at the hospital for a month.

Justin was still in a coma.

Justin still had cancer that every minute was being untreated.

She glided into S101 and stopped, seeing a breathing tube going through Justin's nostrils always affected her in the worst way.

She gently rested her hand on his semi-warm hand, wrapping her fingers around his limp fingers.

"I miss you so much." She sighed, a few silent tears slipping down her cheek.

She weakly wiped them away with her other hand.

She stared at the limp figure of Justin, who was bony and pale due to being hospitalized for so long.

"I ran in to The Bitch today." She laughed, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I ran over her pedicure and to be honest, I think it made it look better."

She smiled, squeezing his hand.

"She'll thank me for it one day, I just know it."

Ali sighed, staying quiet for a few minutes, staring at Justin.

How did her life turn upside down, upright again, and then upside down, in the literal sense, again?

She knew that her love for Justin was deep and strong but painful.

She knew if he didn't wake up soon, he would be gone before she even started her relationship with him.

There was a slim chance that she was going to spend the next 40 years with the love of her life if he didn't wake up soon.

A tear slipped down her cheek and she gripped Justin's hand tighter.

"Please..." She whispered, afraid to disturb the atmosphere. "Please give me a sign that you're still there."

She trailed off and bit her lip, more salty tears slipping downwards on to her blue gown.

Justin didn't move, but she wasn't expecting him to do as much.

She wiped her nose and stared out at the dismal sky, it oddly matched her mood.

Just when she was about to get up and kiss Justin's forehead and make her way to her room, Justin's hand moved.

It moved only slightly, but it moved!

"Hey, Al." Dr. Parker smiled at her, walking in with his clipboard.

"Doctor!" She screeched, "His hand moved!"

Dr. Parker smiled and it dazzled her for a second because his teeth were so bright, it kind of hurt her eyes to look at them.

"It did?"

"Can you like, check to see if his brain activity has changed? even in the slightest?" she begged, putting her sad expression to full force.

Dr. Parker sighed and went over to one of the many machines surrounding Justin's right side of his bed.

"Only for you."

"Thank you!" She squealed, although it was not necessary in the situation.

"Wow, okay, I think I see something..." The doctor squinted, you could tell he was concentrating.

"What do you see?" I begged, trying to look over his shoulder.

"Well, his brain activity is actually increasing, but it only started to increase ten minutes ago." The doctor said in amazement. "He might actually have a chance."

"Oh my god!" She wheeled back over to Justin's side and gripped his hand firmly. "Justin, do you hear that? You might actually have a chance!"

In response, Ali got the beep of the ever-present machine.

She felt small, but her voice remained strong. "Justin, listen to me, and listen really closely. You have to fight. You have to fight with every fiber of your being to survive. Think of all of the people who love you, think of your mom and your brother and your sister... think of me. There's way too many people who love you for you to simply give up this life. This is just a small blip on this crazy and insanely bumpy road, and you have to fight through this. We all know that you're strong enough."

By then, most of Justin's family had gathered silently along the side of the room, and she turned back and gave them an encouraging smile.

Justin's mom had tears welled in her eyes and she nodded for me to go on, for she knew that Ali was speaking for everyone when she said this.

"God dammit, Justin, I know it's hard and I know it's a struggle but we all know that you can do this! I don't know how to put it anymore simpler other than to fight. just... Fight!"

"His brain activity is increasing!" The doctor said in amazement and buzzed the nurses.

"It seems like your voice and your words are triggering the activity.." The doctor stared in amazement at the girl in the wheelchair.

"Keep talking! Tell him embarrassing child hood stories! Just keep talking." The doctor urged.

So Ali babbled on about when Spencer Jobe had gotten gum stuck in her hair and she had to spontaneously get bangs the day after the gum incident.

Just then, something moved.

Turns out, it was Justin's left hand.

And then, his head turned towards her voice.

And then,

one pair of hazel eyes fluttered open and focused on the fluorescent light.

Justin had awoken.