---Tommy's POV---
Faded beeping could be heard as I felt a heavy weight on my body and limbs, pressing me down in the bed. Trying my best, I was unable to move, unable to speak or react to anything.
All I could do was focus on the constant beep-beep-beep of the machine to the right, the timed rush of air that coincided with the involuntary motion of my chest and the darkness behind my eyes.
"What happened....Why can't I open my eyes?"
Mentally I was frowning, wriggling around and trying my best to force this uncooperative body to wake up and listen to me. Nothing happened, and all I could do was lie down and wait.
"Why is my mind so foggy...I-I can barely think..." I thought to myself, trying to recall what happened. I remembered closing the door behind them as David and I left for our daily walk. The frigid nip of the cool air that bit at my exposed ears and nose.
"David.... we were walking to the park...and then, a car?" My mind couldn't focus on the truth but my heart hitched slightly before speeding up as I remembered the crash, both of them being crushed under the car's unyielding force.
There was a slight shuffling sound before slender fingers squeezed in my cool hand, alerting me of a presence in the room. Unable to react to the little squeeze, I soon heard a feminine sigh before the opening of a door.
"Already?"
"Mrs. Brown? What is she doing here?" I couldn't figure out why David's mom was here...Where was David himself? Was he unable to come? And where am I?
My mind was running overtime as I fought to wake up, trying to keep my ears pitched but all I heard was a soft murmuring, as if they were talking behind a solid glass wall. I could feel the surface I was laying on move slightly, judging by the wind fluttering over my face.
The beeping followed, along with the steady pumps of air before I heard unknown voices speaking. As I felt the weight slightly diminish, I fought to wake up, desperate to ask them what was going on.
"Where am I? Where is David? Is he all right?"
Something soft was settled over my mouth, a slight pressure on my wrist and then warmth rushed through my veins and instantly the heavy feeling intensified. I tried my best to stay awake, but darkness quickly swept consciousness away with me.
----
A soft groan echoed through the room, almost startling myself as I realized I managed to make that noise. Nothing happened but as I slowly managed to focus on my body, I realized I could actually feel the tips of my fingers and move them. The rest of my body felt heavy still but I felt it. The beeping was still present but the breaths I took were no longer forced in my body by a machine.
"Hmmmm...."
A soft gasp pierced through the silence before a door slammed open. "Somebody get me a doctor! He's waking up!" Footsteps instantly rushed to my general location while gentle fingers brushed over my greasy hair.
"Thomas, sweetie? Are you awake dear?" Fingers wrapped around my hand and gave a gentle squeeze. "Can you squeeze my hand honey?"
I tried, I swear I did while letting out another pathetic groan as I managed to twitch my fingers twice. It wasn't a squeeze but it was a good enough attempt to show I was awake. When Mrs. Brown let out a choked sob, I mentally frowned.
"What's going on here?"
More shuffling sounded, footsteps running towards them before Mrs. Brown let out a choked, "He woke up honey. He made it... He made it." Her voice ended in a muffled cry before I heard Mr. Brown hush her softly while muttering praises to the gods.
Slowly, I became aware of my eyes, remembering how to pry them open and blink at the sharp lights in the room. My tongue stuck to my palate, throat feeling extremely dry and sore.
As I coughed, I couldn't help but groan in pain, eyes closing again as the sensation threatened to overwhelm me. For a moment, everything was quiet and then I heard voices introduce themselves as my doctor.
Doctor?
He continued to gently pry my eyes open, flashing a light in them and nodding slightly before he sighed deeply
"Is he awake?" Mrs. Brown asked while the doctor frowned once more. "Thomas, can you hear me?" He started while grabbing hold of my hands, his big and warm hands confidently holding mine.
"Squeeze them, as hard as you can." He urged and I felt annoyed as I tried to flex my fingers enough to squeeze. It was pathetic, I barely managed to press against Dr. Carmichael's skin before he nodded and laid my hands down.
"Do you feel this Thomas? Blink once for yes, twice for no." He asked, laying his hand atop the covers and alternatively patted my thighs. I didn't react, feeling his touch but it was slightly numbed.
I felt incredibly woozy, unable to understand what was happening or why I was in a bed in the first place. My eyes fell on my hands or more accurately, my wrists. A soft white cloth strapped my wrist to the bed.
Panic rushed through me and I tried to yank my hand free but I was too weak to put up a fight anyways. Still, I tried, ignoring the voices telling me to stop, voices calling for a nurse.
"Thomas, please calm down and lay still, you'll only aggravate your injuries." The doctor's voice sounded calmly but I couldn't understand what he was saying. I heard a defeated sigh, and then the clipping sound of a cap before warmth rushed through my veins once more.
A sigh left my lips as my body numbed down again, eyes fluttering as darkness enveloped me.
Sweet, ignorant bliss.
****
My mind was awake before my body, this time I felt more aware of my surroundings and myself. The heaviness of the sedatives slowly disappeared but I still felt the same overall weakness in my body.
This time when I managed to produce a grunt, I didn't hear anything besides a distant shuffle and a door closing. Trying my best, I slowly opened my eyes again, noticing that this time the room seemed darker than the previous tine I was awake.
Tired footsteps quietly walked towards my door, the same doctor as before opening and closing the door behind him before he smiled as he noticed me blinking back at him.
"Good evening Thomas, I do hope you're awake for real this time." He spoke, a soft frown working its way on my face as I tried to understand what he meant. Awake for real? Wasn't I awake last time?
I flinched as the doctor gently pinched my finger, my reaction making him pause before a warm smile continued to develop. "My name is Philip Carmichael, I'm your surgeon and doctor Thomas. I know things are confusing right now, so I'll explain everything soon."
A tired moan slipped from my lips, gaining Philip's attention before he nodded to himself, "Patient is aware of pain and reacts to voices..." He muttered to himself before flashing that annoying light in my eyes once more.
I closed my eyes with another plaintive moan, making the good doctor nod understandingly. "I know your eyes are very sensitive Thomas but you're reacting very well and are definitely more aware of your surroundings than the previous times."
Previous times?
Obviously I couldn't speak up my mind and let the doctor know what I was thinking, ask him the questions that were burning on the tip of my tongue.
"Do you remember what happened Thomas? Anything at all?"
I tried to focus and think back of what happened.... My mind cut off right after David and I had closed the doors behind us on our daily walk, his father calling out to him to not make it too late.
Something about... stopping halfway...
Davi-!!
A scream and then the shriek of iron as it bended-
My head burned and I let out a pained groan, squinting my eyes while Dr. Philip warned, "Try not to force it Thomas, amnesia is something very common for people like...." He paused, almost weighing the words on the tip of his tongue.
People like... what? What happened to me?
I stared at the doctor, silently urging him to tell me what happened. He was stalling, that much I knew as he checked my pulse and other basic stats before speaking with a nurse. After they held a muttered conversation, he turned back to me.
"I've let someone call for Mr. and Mrs. Brown, they should be here soon Thomas. I can give you a minor explanation now or I could wait -" I grunted before slightly rolling my eyes.
What was the point in waiting? I would get more and more stressed anyways! There was no way for me to sit up and see what happened to me for myself, I couldn't speak up for some reason and I knew that somehow I had ended up in a hospital.
"And why the hell is David not here? Did we have a fight before whatever happened, happened? I would've thought he'd be here, waiting beside me." I thought angrily whilst ignoring that nagging feeling that gnawed at my stomach, focusing back on the doctor as he sighed deeply.
"There are some things your family will have to tell you but... you were in a car accident Thomas." My eyes widened slightly, a cold sheen of sweat coating my body as he spoke.
Davi-!!
A scream and then the shriek of iron as it bended, warped around two bodies. Both howling in pain as bones broke, vessels tore and shock filled their beings. The pounding of their hearts, the stench of blood in the air and the nauseating fumes of gasoline in the air.
"Shh Thomas, these flashbacks can get quite painful." The doctor soothed, tilting my head slightly to dab a trickle of blood from my nose. I was dazed, confused but very afraid of the truth now.
If those were flashbacks... then...
Dread pooled in my stomach, my body straining as I started panting. I remembered parts of what happened, the pain. Gods there was so much pain.
"Hey, love, promise me that you stay awake. Promise that you'll live for me."
I couldn't answer...there was so much pain, my mind unable to cope with it and try to understand what the love of my life was going on about.
"Swear it!"
My head tilted in a nod, instinct forcing me to make the promise that he so desperately needed, "I'll live for you David. I swear it."
Tears pooled in my eyes as slowly, sobs started to take over. I didn't want to believe the ugly truth that was grinning in my face, the cruelty of my fate. But as I glanced up at the doctors with tears falling down my cheeks, he offered a solemn expression.
"I'm so sorry for your loss Thomas...we did everything we could but-"
David.... It can't be.
No.
NO!
This is just a fucked up dream.
Wake up! Wake up damn it!!
I started struggling, trying to flail as the doctor cursed and backed up before calling for assistance and for the first time since I woke up, I managed to produce a sound.
I screamed.
I screamed so loudly I felt the vessels in my throat burst, the metallic taste exploding in my mouth as pain gripped my throat. My throat burned in agony at the abuse as entire soul screamed along with me while I trashed with every last bit of energy left in my body, my wordless scream carrying the pain I was feeling.
Because in that one heart-wrecking scream, I showed the world that my life was over. The reason of my existence, the light of my life had been cruelly extinguished.
And I was medically shoved back into the coma I had just woken up from, I realized that for the very first time, I wanted to break a promise. A promise that I gave to a dying man, the man I loved, the man I lived for... gone.
Promise that you'll live for me.
"But how can I do that without you in my life?"