But A Dream

CHAPTER 52 - 54

CHAPTER 52 - Andie

Bret and I stand at the end of the hospital room in muted silence watching the doctors work around Devin's bed. His eyes settle closed again and I nearly lunge forward. Not again! I can't lose him again!

Bret notices too and says, "What's happening to him?"

A doctor looks back at us, "He may not be fully conscious still." To the room she shouts, "Can we run some stimuli tests? Establish a GCS score?"

Another nurse offers, "Run some tests? We need to get his IVs back in!"

The doctor stays where she is, "We haven't established his level of consciousness and his parent's signed to..."

Just then Devin's parents come rushing into the room with another young woman in scrubs.

"Devin?" Mrs. Hale says as her eyes lock on the hospital bed.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hale, Devin is showing signs of responsiveness. We want to run some tests to..."

Devin's eyes slowly peel back open and Mrs. Hale gasps and rushes forward to grasp his hand. Her eyes fill with tears that run down her cheeks.

"Mom?" He croaks. For a moment everything is still as if frozen in time and then the room collectively dissolves into chaos. The doctor shouts some orders at the nurses who spring into action moving around hospital equipment. Mrs. Hale hunches over into body shaking sobs and Mr. Hale does his best to comfort her while staring at his son in awe. Mr. Hale manages to pull Mrs. Hale away from the bed until they are standing beside Bet and I. We all watch dazedly as nurses stick needles into Devin's too pale skin and say medical phrases that immediately go in one ear and out the other.

I watch all of this with a detached numbness. It's like I've left my body entirely and am a ghost invisibly haunting the room and taking it all in. Without thinking I reach over and grab Bret's hand. He doesn't pull away.

I don't know how long we all stand there just watching until I feel eyes on me. I turn my head and see Mrs. Hale studying me.

It's like I've been struck by lightning as I jolt into motion. I snap my hand free from Bret.

"Who are you?" His mom pins me in place with her eyes.

"Ugh... I'm..." I glance at Bret who stares at me in barely masked bewilderment. I mean, by all rights he should think I'm completely insane. He heard my declaration of love and watched me kiss his then comatose brother. But whatever he's thinking he keeps to himself as he continues to stare at me.

"...a friend of Devin's," I finish lamely.

His mom eyes me curiously. No doubt this evening's events have been more than a little trying for Mrs. Hale.

Worried she might ask for more details about our friendship I offer, "I... uh... I should go now. This is probably a family time." I back hastily out of the room and turn down the hall without a backwards glance. I ignore the people in the waiting room as I trudge out the doors to a breathtaking fiery orange sky. I take it all in for a moment before I continue walking to my car where three parking tickets greet me along with a scribbled note that says, You made an old woman with a bad hip walk an extra three rows, which I instantly feel a weird mix of guilt and anger over. I mean, parking in the handicapped space was wrong, but come on, lady, I had to rush to save the boy I loved from what I thought was imminent death! Plus how does she know some other handicap person wouldn't have taken the spot instead?