"Care, Care wake up." Mike shook his wife gently. She was sound asleep in the chair right beside Maddy's bed with a blanket over her.
Mike and Carrie had been alternating times at the hospital. It had been five days now and they still had Maddy in the coma.
"Hmm?" Carrie mumbled, slowly fluttering her eyes open.
"It's morning, go home and get some rest. I'm good to stay all day." Mike said softly, rubbing her arm.
"Oh, okay." She said, still half out of it. "Are mom and Charlotte home?"
"Yeah, she was feeding Charlotte her bottle when I left." Mike said, grabbing Carrie's purse for her.
"Okay good. Call me if anything happens please."
"You know I will. Go get some rest, you need it." He kissed her forehead and smiled. It pained Mike to even look in her eyes. They looked tired, scared, exhausted. She was mentally and physically worn out. "It's all going to be okay."
Carrie nodded, trying not to let the tears that filled her eyes fall.
"I love you." Mike gave her a hug. It took Carrie a few seconds to reciprocate the hug and wrap her arms around him.
"I love you too, I'll be back later." She sighed, then turned to leave. She kissed Maddy's forehead and walked out of the room.
Carrie drove home, her mind so clouded with thoughts that she was completely in a daze.
She pulled into her driveway, letting out a deep sigh as she shifted the car to park.
Nothing felt right. It didn't feel normal to walk up the steps to her house, to enter the house alone. Nothing felt right without Maddy.
"Hey Carrie." Carrie's mom greeted her at the door with a sympathetic smile on her face.
"Hi mom." She bit her lip and forced a smile to her face.
"How are you?" Carole asked, the two of them walking into the living room.
"I'm okay." Carrie nodded, hoping her mom would believe her.
Seeing Charlotte smiling at Carrie in her bouncy seat in the living room instantly made Carrie smile.
"Hi baby girl!" She cooed, lifting her out of the bouncy seat. "I've missed you!"
She threw Charlotte up into the air, truly smiling for the first time since the accident.
"She's missed you too." Carole smiled. Carrie placed Charlotte on her hip and followed her mom into the kitchen.
"So how is Maddy? Anything new?"
"Nope. Dr. Seagle said they might take her out of the coma today, but I don't know." Carrie sighed.
"Really? That's good news!" Carole exclaimed.
"Yeah." Carrie mumbled unconvincingly.
"That doesn't sound very excited Care, what's wrong?"
Carrie shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just scared. I'm afraid for what's going to happen if she wakes up."
