My Heart Is Yours

Chapter 20

Maine woke up the next day with the two-way radio in her hand. She must have fallen asleep while trying to get in touch with him. But Alden never answered. He also didn't visit her yesterday. She suddenly felt the pin pricks on her chest starting again but she ignored it.

She wondered if they didn't let Alden in last night. But that shouldn't have stopped him from getting in touch with her through their radio. Something was off, and she was determined to find out.

Maine was about to leave her bed when her dad entered her room.

"Maine," Ted said. "What are you doing up and where do you think you're going? You're on bedrest, remember?"

"Dad," Maine started. "Did Alden stop by last night?"

"Alden didn't come home last night, baby," he answered slowly. "Your mom called and said that Alden called Rio telling her that he was staying at a classmate's house."

"Oh," she answered glumly. Then realizing something, she asked, "mom called? What time did she come home?"

"Well..."

She saw that Ted was uneasy. He wouldn't look at his daughter in the eyes. The pin-prick-like pain on her chest gradually increased.

"Dad," Maine started. "What's wrong?"

Before Ted could answer, there was a knock on her door and Dr. Vega came in with her mother followed behind him. She noticed that her mother was still wearing the same clothes she wore last night.

"Doc," Maine exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Let's call it a 'house call'," he answered cheerfully as he sat down on the side of her bed that Ted recently vacated to approach his wife. Dr. Vega continued, "how are you feeling today?"

"I honestly feel the pin-pricks again," she answered honestly, albeit reluctantly.

"Oh, baby!" Her mother exclaimed as she looked to her father and then back at her. It was as if they were trying to communicate without speaking.

Dr. Vega took out his stethoscope and placed it on her chest near her heart. His face suddenly grew concerned.

"How's your breathing?" He asked as he kept on listening to her heartbeat.

"It's annoying to breathe," Maine replied. "I feel the pin-pricks more when I inhale than exhale. But I can still manage."

"Hmm..."

As Dr. Vega continued his check-up on her, Maine overheard her parents talking.

"...asked if I can bring some things over to the hospital," she heard Mary Anne say. "He doesn't look good. He's in a coma, Ted."

"Who's in a coma, mom?" Maine inquired that startled both her parents. Dr. Vega also looked at them and minutely shook his head. But Maine saw the gesture.

"What's going on?" She suddenly asked, a bit of exasperation was in her voice.

"Maine...baby..." Ted started but couldn't continue.

"Ted, I can't do this." Mary Anne muttered as tears fell down her cheeks. Ted held her to him, giving her a tight embrace as he whispered that things will be alright.

Dr. Vega stood and called for Jenny who was just outside the door in case she was needed. Maine heard him tell her to call an ambulance.

"What's happening?" Maine asked again. "Doc, why'd you call for an ambulance?"

Dr. Vega sat back down beside her on the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. Maine could see that like her parents, he was having a hard time with whatever it was that he needed to say. He took a deep breath, let it out slowly and looked back at her parents for approval. Ted only nodded and held his wife tighter.

"Maine," Dr. Vega started, his voice even and calming. "What I'm about to tell you will come as a shock. But there really is no easy way of telling this. But it's about Alden."

He paused and took another deep breath as he gauged Maine's reaction which would sure to come. She didn't disappoint. The look of worry was etched on her face as well as the pain that she was feeling on her chest increased.

He knew at once that something was wrong when he examined her. Her heartbeat was erratic and the murmur returned. She had yet to recover from her relapse and this current situation was putting additional strain on her heart. What's worse was that he heard the echo quite loudly this time. It didn't bode well. Whatever progress that they've made was tossed out the window. She was back where she started, maybe even worse.

Then he continued as softly and as slowly as he can, "Alden had an accident yesterday. And it's not good. His doctor is doing the best he can, but there was really too much damage to his body. He might not recover."

"That can't be," Maine remarked with her eyebrows furrowed. "Dad said he was at a friend's house. Dad, you said Alden was at a friend's house. He couldn't be in an accident."

But the look on her father's eyes told her the doctor was telling the truth.

"Baby..."

"He's fine," she continued, not hearing her father speak. "You said he's just busy studying for his exams....that's...why...he didn't...visit...last night..."

"Maine..."

"He's...okay..." Maine panted as her breaths became shallow and she was struggling. The pain in her chest has increased some more, the pin-pricks became a hand that started squeezing her heart. She clutched her chest to try to ease her pain but it wasn't working. "He's...just...busy...with school..."

The pain became unbearable as the news sunk in. She remembered last night when her mom was hurrying out. She remembered the way they tried to get her to understand that Alden wasn't coming. She remembered waiting and trying to get in touch with him on the radio only to be answered by static on the other end. Alden. Her Alden had an accident and he might not recover.

Tears streamed down her face as the pain became so intense that she lied back down, turned to her side, and curled into a ball to try to ease the pain. It was very difficult to breathe.

The last thing Maine remembered before blacking out was her mother crying out her name.

"MAINE!!!"