Life After You | ✓

06

L I F E 

A F T E R    Y O U 

  ____________________  

Why is waiting so excruciating? We spend half of our lives just waiting. Waiting to wake up, waiting to fall asleep. Waiting in line for your movie ticket, waiting at a red light that takes far too long or waiting on the rain to stop outside so you can continue your plans for the day.

It seems like no matter what you do, you are always waiting. However, the one thing that seems to stand out the most is waiting to die, or... waiting to live.

Landon is currently in that predicament. I, however, am waiting for a miracle.

Landon has been in a medically induced coma for three days now. It has been three days since I have been in this hospital. Three days since I have seen sunlight. Three days since I have been sitting in this chair beside Landon's bed, not willing to move until he wakes up. Three days of misery.

Riley has been here numerous times checking up on me and offering to drive me home so I can get some real food and some sleep.

Tori comes by after class and fills me in on all the pointless gossip that's happening around campus, as if I really care how many times Noah has asked about me or about all of the condolences the other students have been giving for Landon.

The truth is I cannot leave this hospital unless Landon is leaving with me, his hand in mine.

I know that isn't going to happen anytime soon.

I keep placing my warm hand over his lifeless one. I keep waiting for him to show any signs of improvement. Even just a twitch would suffice.

Apparently, the impact of the car that hit him did a lot more than just outer damage. While his right arm was shattered and placed in a cast. His whole right side is also covered in deep purple bruises, including some faint scratches around his face that have almost cleared up. The real danger he faces lies within his head. The impact of the car to his door caused his brain to rattle inside his skull, hitting the front and the backside causing severe swelling and bruising.

They placed him in the medically induced coma to give his brain time to heal properly, though; they still have not given me a time frame of when to expect him awake.

The nurse's response still gives me nightmares every time I try to get some sleep.

"Could be days, weeks... even months."

What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to go on living my life as if everything is fine? I cannot do it.

I won't do it.

That's why here I stay. Seated next to Landon, not moving an inch. I want to be the first person he sees when he wakes up. I want to be the first person who tells him that everything is going to be alright. I want to be the first person he hugs, the first person he speaks to.

It is going to be me.

My dad stayed with me the first two days, keeping me company. Due to work, he had to leave this morning even though he wished he could have stayed longer. I helped him go by promising to call him the minute something happens. If something happens.

Landon's parents are currently staying in a hotel not too far from the hospital, coming by to check on him every few hours. His mom scared me the most. Ever since I saw her walking out into the E.R. waiting area just three days before, her whole demeanor has changed.