How I Learned to Live Again

Intro/Chapter 1 and 2

Hello! Thanks for opening my story. Before you start reading, I have a little disclaimer. When I started writing this, I wasn't really sure where I was going with the plot, so it takes a little while to pick up. Now I'll let you read. Enjoy, and thanks again! Also, my Chapter 2 didn't publish, so I'm just pasting it here. Sorry!

~e
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"Honestly, Jessa, I can't believe you still have your license," Ashley calls from the other room. She's yelling at me because, yet again, I parked my car the wrong way and got, yet again, a warning from the police.

"I've done nothing wrong, alright? I...didn't see all the other cars," I retort. A lie, yet hopefully a reason for her to stop yelling at me. She waves a hand dismissively and I grab my keys as we head out the door. We're meeting up with our friend Marisol to see "Jurassic World". The two are making me see it in 3D, which always nauseates me, but hopefully Chris Pratt will distract me from that.

Ashley, Marisol and I get in the car and I pull out of my driveway of the small apartment we share. We've all recently graduated high school, and as a graduation gift to ourselves we used some of the money we made during high school for the apartment. It's very small, but it's a lot of fun living with my two lifelong best friends.

As we drive down the fairly busy main road, we chat about the latest gossip until we're about four minutes away from the movie theater.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge 18-wheeler blares its horn as it skids across the lanes and rams into the car on my side. I hear Ashley scream and a horrible crack as I feel myself being thrown out of the car and into the street. I'm in so much pain immediate reaction is that I need to get out of the road, that I'm going to get hit by a car. But I can't move. I'm in the dark, and I can't see.. The darkness is so heavy. It's weighing me down and I can't seem to get myself in motion through it.
After a while of just lying there helpless, I feel my body being lifted on to something. Am I...dead? I've always wondered what it would feel like to die. Maybe now I know. I sense my body moving on something and I know that I am out of the road. The pain is growing stronger, but I can't move. I can't scream. At least I'm safe, I find myself thinking. I allow myself to succumb to the darkness. Everything goes quiet, and in the distance I hear a siren. I know that I am moving but I can't feel anything. All I feel is my neck. It feels like it has burst into flames and that it's overpowering any other feeling in my body. I find myself fading in and out of some form of consciousness, until finally, I rest.
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Warning: This scene is a little descriptive of getting sick and stuff like that. If you don't want to read it, just skip from the ~ to the next chapter. Thanks, and hope you enjoy!
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"Jessa? Jessa, baby are you alright?" Far off voices call my name. I hear them, but I don't know how to respond. I feel myself breathing as if my lungs are being pushed and encouraged with every inhale and exhale. I find myself taking one big breath and light pours in to me. My eyes are open, and I can feel them. Finally. I take in my surroundings. I am in an unfamiliar room, but I assume I'm in a hospital from the stark white walls and beeping machines around me. I see my mom and dad standing over me. They both look relieved, and both of their eyes are puffy and red. It's hard to keep my eyes open. They feel heavy.

"Jessaby," they address me using my childhood nickname, "Do you remember you were in a car accident?" I nod weakly. "It seems that...well...it seems that there's been some damage, but the doctors aren't sure what yet. You're in the ICU, but soon they might be able to move you to the rehab center."

This startles me. Rehab? I gesture with my hand for a pen and paper. When they give me one, I write out shakily, "Why do I need rehab? And why can't I feel my whole body? That's just the medicine right?" Before I slide it over to my mom, I hastily add, "I think I can talk. I'm just," I cross the last bit out and revise it with, "I feel so weak." They both read it, and when they're done look sadly up at me from the paper. My mom starts to speak softly to me.

"Jessa, sweetie, the doctors had suspected this might be the case. I'm so sorry baby." She puts a hand over her mouth and I see tears start to well up in her eyes. My father rubs her hand and takes over talking. I wait anxiously. I'm still kind of...out of it but at least I'm conscious now, right? At least I don't have brain damage.

"Jessa, you're paralyzed. From the neck down."

Wait. What? They must be joking. Without my control, a choked scream comes out of my mouth.

"No. No." I scream hoarsely. I try to sit up and when I can't, a huge wave of nausea overcomes me and I throw up on the bed in front of me. ~

"Nurse, nurse!" I hear my parents calling faintly. A woman rushes in and turns my head and body on the side. I guess so I don't choke. I start to fade back to unconsciousness but the waves of nausea just keep coming. I keep throwing up until tears are running down my cheeks and I'm gagging for air, but I can't breathe. The nurse is still here and has beckoned another two in. They lift my upper body up to a sitting position and the first one puts a bowl in my lap. I can't control my body. I just keep throwing up whatever's left in my stomach. I don't even know if it's from the shock or waking up so suddenly. All I know is that I can't control it and that it's awful. One of the nurses is moving her hand on my back, but I can't feel it. As the nurses slowly lean me back into a reclined position, I start to cry. Why did this happen? And to me? Is life even worth living now? And, how will I even live? The nurse comes back in with a syringe filled with clear liquid and injects it into my arm. I feel nothing, but after a minute I start to feel weaker than before, and so tired. I go to sleep.
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Hope you enjoyed chapter 2! The story is (hopefully) going to pick up a little bit pretty soon, so stick around! Like last time, feel free to comment any questions and I'll try to get back to you :)

~e