Pete POV
Jaime came back to us slowly.
The morning after he woke up and started interacting, he seemed more aware. His response times were better. He followed the doctor's finger a bit faster.
But he was still on the ventilator. The doctor didn't want to rush him off of it, but today, three days later, he wanted to challenge Jaime and see whether he was ready to come off the vent.
"Okay, Jaime," the nurse said. "We're going to deflate the balloon in your throat and undo the tube. You do your best to take a breath, okay?"
Jaime's eyes widened.
"It's okay," I said. "I'm right here and if you're not ready, they'll get you all hooked up again, okay?"
Jaime nodded slowly and held my hand.
"Ready?" The nurse asked. Jaime nodded.
They pressed a couple of buttons, then the nurse unhooked the tube in Jaime's mouth.
"Okay, Jaime. It's all you," she smiled. Jaime lay there. I watched him as he tried to pull in a breath. He was struggling.
"How long are you going to do this?" I asked. "He's not breathing!"
Jaime's eyes were wide. He was squeezing my hand.
"Okay Jaime," the nurse said, hooking the tube back up to Jaime's respirator and reinflating the balloon holding his airway open. He relaxed as soon as air was pushed into his lungs.
He looked disappointed.
"It's okay," I said to him. "It's just the first time we're trying that. You'll get there."
Jaime frowned. He could barely move his body, let alone breathe on his own. We had no idea yet if it was from the coma, the medications or brain damage from either.
Meagan came into the room with Marvel, having dropped the older two off at school with a promise to bring them to visit Jaime afterwards.
"Hi Jaime!" Marvel said, climbing up on his bed. His reaction times were still slow, so his smile took a minute.
Marvel had Jaime's attention, which required his full attention right now.
"How's he doing?" Meagan asked quietly. I shook my head.
"They tried to take him off the vent this morning. It didn't go well." I replied.
Meagan looked between us with sympathy.
"It's only been a couple of days," she said. I nodded.
"He can barely move, Meag. He can't breathe on his own. The doctor said it's possible this is as good as it gets."
"We don't know that for sure. Let's not worry just yet," Meagan said.
"I can't not. How did we get here? How did we wind up in the hospital again? How, why did my son try to kill himself?" I whispered.
"Don't you start in on him, Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz the Third," Meagan said, with a slight frown.
"I'm not!" I said "I fucked up. I have been apologizing since he woke up."
Meagan looked at me and nodded. We both turned around and watched Marvel interacting with Jaime. She had so much patience and didn't seem at all bothered that Jaime couldn't it move to play with her much, that he couldn't talk to her, or that his reaction time was so much slower. She was just enjoying his company.
Meagan and I sat down beside Jaime's bed and Meagan took his hand.
"Hey, Jaime," she said. His eyes rolled towards her. "How are you feeling today?"
He stared at her. Then, very, very slowly, shrugged his shoulders, just a bit.
"Jaime!" I said. "You moved your shoulders!"
Jaime's eyes moved slowly to look at me. He blinked slowly at me.
"You knew you could move your shoulders?" I asked him. He slowly blinked and I could see his eyes sparkling. I smiled at him.
Jaime tired easily and fell asleep as Marvel was talking to him.
"Mama, Jaime falled asleep," she said.
"Jaime is still working very hard at getting better. And that makes him tired. Why don't you cuddle up to him? Maybe take a nap with Jaime?"
Marvel lay down and put her head on Jaime's chest.
"It feels funny," Marvel giggled as the ventilator made Jaime's chest rise and fall.
Marvel did fall asleep eventually and shortly after, Jaime woke up. He smiled when he saw Marvel asleep on him.
I watched as his brow furrowed and sweat broke out on it. He was looking at Marvel but the frown concerned me.
"Jaime? You okay?" I asked.
His eyes moved slowly towards me. He blinked and looked back at Marvel. His left hand was shaking.
"Jaime, what's the matter?" I asked. Meagan looked up.
"Jaime? What's happening? Do you need a nurse?"
Just then his left arm moved slowly but steadily until it was around Marvel. He was hugging Marvel. Tears fell from Jaime's eyes. Mine and Meagan's as well.
"Jaime! That was incredible! Good job!" Meagan said to him and kissing his head.
I smiled at him.
"Good job, Jaime," I said. "Good job, son"
He rolled his eyes towards me. And he smiled.
"I think you're gonna be okay, huh?"
Jaime shrugged.
"We'll take on whatever is in your path, okay? We are with you and we'll help you. No matter what it takes. We're family, Jaime. And this family includes you."
Slowly, Jaime nodded.
Physiotherapy came to Jaime's room to help him keep his joints loose. We told Eric what Jaime had done, and he made Jaime move his arm again. With concentration, Jaime moved his left arm again.
"Let's see you do that with your right," Eric said.
Jaime concentrated hard and after a minute, moved his right arm.
"Let's see you wiggle your fingers," Eric said.
Jaime looked up at the ceiling to concentrate and slowly wiggled all of his fingers.
"How about your toes?" Eric asked.
Jaime concentrated more and was able to wiggle his toes.
Meagan and I started crying. But they were happy tears.
Eric worked with Jaime on moving his limbs. He was able to lift his left leg. His right leg still had a cast on it, so it was harder for him to move it.
For the next hour, Eric worked on getting Jaime moving more. He was exhausted by the time they were done and as soon as Eric left, he fell asleep.
Meagan took Marvel home to have lunch and then pick up the boys and bring them to visit Jaime.
Jaime slept most of the afternoon away and I just sat and watched him. Twice already I'd almost lost him. And since he'd come into my life, I couldn't imagine it without him.