Finding Jaime

Chapter 46

I walked up to the TV. I could see Dad. He looked terrible.

"I am so, so sorry, Jaime," Dad was saying, tears forming in his eyes. "I was mad, yes. I was disappointed. But I never wanted this. We love you Jaime. All of us. You've completed our family. We need, I need, you to see that."

"Dad!" I called out. "It's okay! I screwed up. I was dumb!"

I grabbed the sides of the TV trying to see outside the frame. I shook the TV. I wanted to be there.

A loud alarm sounded and a green light turned on. Jon Hamm smiled at me.

"I was hoping you would make this decision. But will you answer something for me?  Before you go?"

"Go? Where am I going?"

"Home. Back to your world.  Your decision has been made. You chose life. You chose the people who love you over the pain you feel. But can you answer one thing for me?"

"Okay," I said. I guess I owed him something.

"You owe me nothing," I forgot he could mind read. "Why do you call me Jon?  And why am I also called a cured pork product?"

"What?"

"You kept calling me Jon Hamm. Why? Who is he?"

"He's an actor. In my... world?  You look like him."

"I do not. I simply appear as a familiar figure. I am not this Jon Hamm."

"I didn't say you were. I said you looked like him."

Jon contemplated what I said and nodded.

"Goodbye Jaime. I hope I never meet you again."

I stepped through the doorway. I couldn't move. My body felt heavy. I could move my eyes and that was about it. I looked around the room. Was I back? Really? I was. I looked at Dad.

"Jaime?" Dad asked, looking into my eyes. "Jaime? Are you awake?"

I couldn't move. I couldn't  blink. I just continued staring at Dad.

"Jaime?" He whispered.

I tried to blink. It took some effort.

"Jaime?" He asked again, and again, I tried to blink.

Dad's eyes filled with tears. He grasped my hand and squeezed tight. I tried to squeeze back, but I wasn't sure I was successful.  He squeezed my hand again. I tried to return the squeeze.

A nurse came in and I could hear Dad tell her what he'd observed. The nurse came over and tried a couple of things. She smiled at me and said she was going to call for the doctor to confirm.

I looked at Dad again. He brushed back my hair, looked in my eyes and smiled.

"Hi there," he said. "Hi. We've missed you."

I closed my eyes again. I was tired.

"Good afternoon Mr. Wentz," the doctor said, jovially, coming into my room. "I hear we've seen some improvement today?"

"I think he's waking up. He was looking at me. And he blinked when I asked if he was awake. And he squeezed my hand. Well, kind of," Dad said excitedly.

The doctor placed his stethoscope on my chest and listened.

"Jaime?" The doctor said, taking my hands. "Jaime. Your dad says you're waking up. Can you show me? Can you open your eyes or squeeze my hands?"

I couldn't react at first.

But then, I opened my eyes and looked at the doctor. Then I moved my eyes towards Dad again. Making sure he was still there.

"Well, look at that, would you. Welcome back, young man," the doctor smiled at me. "Can you follow my finger?"

The doctor moved his finger to my left. Slowly, I followed and found the doctor's finger. The doctor moved his finger back to the middle and the. To the other side. It was hard to follow. He was moving too fast.

"Can you squeeze my hands?" The doctor asked me, holding both of my hands in his. My grasp was loose. But I curled my fingers as best I could around the doctor's.

"Very good," the doctor smiled. "Well, all in all, very good. We'll do another MRI in a day or so. See if there's any damage we can see and plan for rehabilitation once he's ready. You're doing very well, Jaime. You've got a bit of work ahead of you, I think, but you're well on the way to getting out of here."

I looked at Dad, then closed my eyes again.

"He needs his rest," the doctor said. "But I'm very encouraged by today's results. He's going to need a lot of support. And once we can get him off the respirator, or he's strong enough to write, I want him to start seeing a counsellor."

I drifted off into what felt like sleep. Normal sleep.